Endura has added its very first collection of footwear for mountain biking; the MT500 Burner Flat Pedal Shoe, the Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe, and the MT500 Burner Clipless. The new shoe offering means the brand become one of few MTB Apparel outfitters to offer riders a complete head-to-toe setup. With proprietary Sticky Foot Dura and Sticky Foot Grip rubber compounds, as well as a huge emphasis on ergonomics, it’s clear there’s been no corner cutting in the development of these kicks.
While Endura itself has no experience in designing shoes, its parent company, the Pentland Group, has a 100 year history of footwear design, having sold sport and leisure shoes through Kickers, Kangaroos, Ellesse, Lacoste, and others. Leaning on shoe design expertise from the Pentland Group, Endura has created a lineup that focuses on performance, durability and ergonomics, with a huge emphasis placed on that final buzzword. Together with Phil Burt, a person who spent 12 years as head physiotherapist for British Cycling and seven years with Team Sky, Endura has developed its own lasts and EGM insole to maximize fit, comfort and power transfer.
Here we have a full breakdown of the technology you’ll find on the Hummvee and MT500 Burner Flat Pedal MTB Shoe, as well as the MT500 Burner Clipless option. See my review of the Burner Flats here, and our own Cory & Veronika Benson’s initial riding impressions of the Hummvee and MT500 Burner Clipless near the bottom of this article.
Endura Sticky Foot Rubber
The top priority for any flat pedal rider is a super grippy outsole that provides great traction on pedal pins. This is often the downfall of many brands. Some of the less successful attempts have made use of third party rubber compounds; Fizik and Bontrager use Vibram rubber, while Shimano used to use Michelin rubber before they launched their own proprietary Ultread last year. The more successful attempts have historically been from brands doing exactly that; formulating their own rubber compounds in house… Five Ten with Stealth, Specialized with their 3rd Generation SlipNot, etc. This is the road Endura has gone down with the creation of its proprietary Sticky Foot rubbers.
There are two versions; Sticky Foot Dura and Sticky Foot Grip. On the outsole of the MT500 Flats and Burner Clipless you’ll see both in use; Dura at the toe and heel region, with the Grip version strategically placed centrally where the shoe-pedal connection is critical. The Hummvee, the shoe of choice for BMX rider and Endura athlete, Kris Kyle, only uses Sticky Foot Grip rubber.
Low and behold, Sticky Foot Grip is designed for maximum grip, conforming to pedal pins to provide a locked-in ride feel on the pedals, while the Dura rubber is designed to be longer lasting. A the heel and toe regions, the Dura rubber is formed into a deeper tread pattern to offer grip when walking up or down trails. Get our thoughts on the Sticky Foot rubber and how it compares to the market’s top performers in our review of the MT500 Flats here.
Endura EGM Sole
“Ergonomistry” is at the heart of almost everything Endura produce. No, it’s not really a word, but Endura has coined it to describe their approach to ergonomics. It’s their way of telling us they use heaps of scientific testing and data collection to bring comfort and performance to whatever it is they are designing, whether it be chamois of variable widths, or indeed the insole of a riding shoe.
Phil Burt’s EGM sole, seen on the MT500 Burner Clipless and Flat Pedal shoes, has multiple subtle features intended to support and activate the mid-foot as well as spread the wearer’s toes over a wider area for better control. The latter is termed the Metatarsal Button, an elongated raised area at the mid-foot said to help spread your big toe from the rest, improving your forefoot function while preventing unwanted scrunching of the toes.
You’ll also notice small raised dots running from the ball of the foot down to the start of the heel region. Endura say these are are strategically placed to improve your foot’s proprioception, improving its ability to soften and stiffen through coordinated muscular contractions. At the toe region, small perforations can be seen, presumably to help water drain out of the shoe.
Without further ado, here’s a quick overview of the new range.
Endura MT500 Burner Flat Pedal Shoe
The Endura HQ is in Scotland, a country in which wet, winter-like riding conditions can be experienced all year round. With that in mind, there’s no real surprise to see the MT500 Burner Flat Pedal Shoe get a tough, weatherproof upper. It is composed of welded panels with some areas traditionally liable to wear from regular flex are stitched for reinforcement; i.e. the sides of the toe box region.
Out of the box and into our hands, the shoe felt very stiff, but we’re happy to report it has since bedded in nicely offering a reasonable degree of flex (read the full review here). Underneath the EGM insole is an EVA midsole there to provide shock absorption.
Closure is dealt with a velcro strap and laces, the latter of which pull from two reinforced panels on either side, helping to cinch down the uppers around the mid-front region of the foot. Endura has opted for a high ankle design to offer both support and protection at the inside face. The heel region gets the Sharkskin-like material that is pretty weird to the touch. It feels super smooth when stroked in one direction, but rough if you stroke it in the opposite direction. This serves to provide additional friction between the shoe and the heel to secure the heel inside the shoe.
The Endura MT500 Burner Flat Pedal Shoes is available in Navy, Forest Green, and Black colorways in sizes UK 5-15, or EU 38-47, retailing at £119.99 / $149.99 USD / €149.99.
Endura MT500 Burner Clipless MTB Shoe
Construction of the MT500 Burner Clipless shares many similarities with that of the Flat Pedal version; a weatherproof, welded, and stitched upper with lace and velcro closure, EGM insole, EVA midsole, and deep heel covered with the Sharkskin-like material. The flex profile of this shoe has been specifically engineered to deliver both support and control through your pedals, with a stiff Nylon shank sitting underneath the EVA foam to house the cleat.
The offset cleat box features extra-long rails to allow for a large range of mounting positions. This enables a wide range of options, allowing every rider to position their foot over the pedal exactly where they want.
Cory’s Initial Impressions
“I’ve been riding the clipless MT500 Burners for just a couple of weeks of wet & muddy winter riding so far – both on technical rails and my mixed-surface commute. And like Jessie-May thought the shoes were quite stiff out-of-the-box. But it’s really a case of a stiff & protective synthetic upper with a supportive heel cup, rather than an overly stiff sole. The shoes feel solid and durable, well-suited to aggressive all-mountain to enduro riding for those who prefer to be clipped in. They offer nice protection on the inside of your ankles and a grippy sole that delivers traction on & off the bike.”
“Overall fit is still more akin to a skate shoe, than most of my other trail riding shoes. But combined together the grippy heel liner, tightly-spaced laces & velcro strap hold my feet securely and feel efficient pedaling. The only real downsides so far are the hefty weight (954g for my size 43 pair) and a sole construction thick enough that it warranted a minor saddle height adjustment over my Shimano all-mountain shoes. I look forward to bike parks opening in the spring, as I think they will serve well on enduro downhilling as much as they do over rolling terrain & all-mountain pedaling uphill now.” – Cory Benson.
The MT500 Burner Clipless shoes retail at £129.99 / $159.99 / €159.99, available in Black, Forest Green, Cocoa, and Navy, in sizes UK 5-12, or EU 38-47.
Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe
The Hummvee Flats are Endura’s most casual-looking mountain bike shoes. The availability of a white colorway option would suggest these are more geared toward fair weather riding, or riding the skate park. That said, the brand has placed some focus on keeping the internal lining and padding as light and quick drying as possible
Endura tells us the flex has been carefully tuned to balance walk-ability and pedaling comfort. As with the MT500 Burner Flats, the Hummvee flats get Endura’s proprietary Sticky Foot Grip rubber meant to deform around pedal pins for ultimate grip. This one lacks the EGM sole, replaced by an Ortholite recycled insole with comfort foot bed.
Kriss Kyle, commenting on the Hummvee Flat Pedal shoe, said: “You need something that’s grippy. The dream for me is a shoe that you can ride your mountain bike with and you can also ride your BMX with and walk in the streets in it as well. So pretty much one shoe that caters for everything, and since testing these ones, I couldn’t be more stoked. Fit and comfort-wise they are spot on. Whenever I do the tail up, spinning the bike round, I’d always end up with bruised feet, bruised heels, and these shoes are just that bit tougher wearing.”
Veronika’s Initial Impressions
“Switching from a more aggressive & reinforced pair of enduro flat shoes, the Hummvee seemed almost just like a pair of soft street shoes at first. But riding in them gives much more confidence than expected. The sole sticks really well to the pins on my pedals for plenty of grip and control in the currently wet weather – over trail, technical rocky, rooty sections, and smaller jumps they always stayed on the pedals.”
“I thought the light-colored shoe would get muddy quickly, but they don’t actually seem so dirt after riding, don’t let much water in, dry quickly after really wet rides, and wipe clean easily. What I am not sure about is the rubber loop that should hold my laces in place, the loop is super stretchy so it feels that the laces cannot stay in place, but in the end it was not an issue while riding. Riding on more rough trail I would probably prefer a higher shoe at the heel, with extra protection.
The shoes as they are now, serve well as all-around trail bike shoes, plus walk if necessary shoes. Overall they seem like a nice, solid but simple pair of shoes for flat pedal mountain bikers who prefer a casual look. Pleasantly surprised.” -Veronika
Pick up the Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe for £119.99 / $149.99 USD / €149.99, available in Navy, Pebble, Oliver Green and Black colorways in sizes UK 5-12, or EU 38-47.
