2023 recommended flat pedal shoes (best grip)

[jene]

Hi guys,

I have to buy a new pair of flat pedal shoes to replace my current freerider pro mid.

I´m looking for the best grip. My current freerider pro mid has not as much grip as my old five ten (2015 aprox). It seems that adidas has change the sole grip since a few years ago.

I had also time ago some crankbrothers speedlace but They had an awful grip.

Also I had the shimano sh gr9n and had a good grip with the michelin sole.

Any recommendation?

 

[Tokes]

Love my Ride Concepts Hellion. Grip is great. The other 50% of grip to consider is the pedals too!

 

[Dirtnvert]

Yup ride concepts are awesome. They dont fall apart like 5ten/adidas. Hellion or powerlines have been great. Havent tried the tallac but k bet theyre atleast ss good. Those guys always seem to have deals available. I bought last years on sale

 

[Farmernz]

I have had a great run with specialised roost 2fo flats. They are 1/2 price at the moment too.

 

[RustyIron]

I had some 2021 Five Tens with Stealth rubber soles. I found them to be inconveniently grippy when paired with my super-spikey pedals, and the soft rubber doesn't wear particularly well.

My last couple pairs of shoes have been Shimano's with the Ultread sole. The rubber and pattern are sufficiently grippy, while allowing for easy repositioning. The soles wear reasonably well, and the upper his sturdy and holds up great.

I guess the bottom line is that Ultread isn't as grippy as Stealth. Like @Tokes was saying, some pedals are better than others.

 

[Dax]

There are two different types of soles on the freerider pros, the more grippy version is only available in black sole.

What state are the pins in your pedals? They wear overtime and pedal strikes.

Personally, I find freerider pro’s and crank bros stamp 7 pedals to be a really good combo

 

[jene]

Thank You guys. Pedals are

They´re cheap, durable and worked really fine with some f5 or shimano as I have tested before.

I´ve checked also these from some internet reviews:
- Giro Latch
- Specialized 2FO DH Flat

I´d check the specialised roost 2fo flats and the Ride Concepts Hellion...Because as You said, the Shimano perhaps are less grippy.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

I have two pairs of 5-10 freerider and freerider pro
I have two pairs of ride concepts powerlines
I ride wearing the ride concepts
I walk around wearing the 5-10's
its not just the grip thats better, its the sole and its shock protection.

 

[irie]

I have had a great run with specialised roost 2fo flats. They are 1/2 price at the moment too.

Me too.

Bought a spare pair of leather ones half price. Tried "Syn" ones and they don't fit the same.

 

[G-Sport]

Ride concept hellions here too. But wider than 5-10s which is nice for me. Great shoes.
Had the specialized, they were fine but zero toe protection which was painful and they started falling apart relatively quickly compared to the ride concepts.

 

[stumpydumpy]

Don't forget it is a combination of ridingstyle, material and your goal to achieve.
The past years I had Shimano's, Specialized and some other sportbrands.
Now I have 2 pairs of 5/10 with the Stealth-soles (very sticky) and a pair of NewWaves with the Michelin-soles (not as sticky and fast wearing) .
Not less important: I use them for the easy days with DMR Vaults and when it gets nasty I mount my Specialized Boomslangs.
5/10 Stealth with Boomslangs come close to clipless, only with the flat-freedom.

Good luck with your choice and happy rides.

 

[Binhill1]

Hi guys,

I have to buy a new pair of flat pedal shoes to replace my current freerider pro mid.

I´m looking for the best grip. My current freerider pro mid has not as much grip as my old five ten (2015 aprox). It seems that adidas has change the sole grip since a few years ago.

I had also time ago some crankbrothers speedlace but They had an awful grip.

Also I had the shimano sh gr9n and had a good grip with the michelin sole.

Any recommendation?

Just got Leatt hydra 7 a couple weeks ago they seem very grippy to me. Well u have to lift foot off pedal to shift position it won't slide along.

 

[irie]

Just got Leatt hydra 7 a couple weeks ago they seem very grippy to me. Well u have to lift foot off pedal to shift position it won't slide along.

To be fair, as long as the shoes have 'bumpy bits' on the soles and the pedals have plenty of long pins then you'll have to lift your foot off the pedal to shift position. Just saying.

 

[Binhill1]

To be fair, as long as the shoes have 'bumpy bits' on the soles and the pedals have plenty of long pins then you'll have to lift your foot off the pedal to shift position. Just saying.

I have used shimano boots for 10 years at least. I have 2 pairs they are spd but I never fitted cleats. They have vibram walking soles but they slide along pedals easily. Never been an issue but these new Leatts are strange to me because of that , i can't remember the last time I had grippy rubber soles.

 

[Christurbo]

I've probably tried most and always gone back to FiveTen Stealth sole. You just can't beat it.

Fox Unions were a massive disappointment when things got damp/wet.

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

I have the RC Vice for 2 years now and they have held up great.
Ride Concept Vice or Vice Mid, the sole is grippy, also has a hexagon pattern, which allows the pins on the pedal to inset, but still gives some foot movement to allow you to adjust your feet.

​

 

[E Bob]

Five 10 best for grippy soles, Plenty of options too

 

[steve_sordy]

I stopped using my FiveTens because they were too grippy. It wasn't always practical to lift your foot off the pedal and replant it. I still have them.
I switched to Shimano AM41 (yes, I know they don't make them anymore, but maybe the sole is still in use, I haven't checked). The grip is excellent and best of all they allow me to shuffle my foot into the place I meant it to be rather than where it ended up.

Edit: I meant AM41, not AM42

 

[irie]

I stopped using my FiveTens because they were too grippy. It wasn't always practical to lift your foot off the pedal and replant it. I still have them.
I switched to Shimano AM42 (yes, I know they don't make them anymore, but maybe the sole is still in use, I haven't checked). The grip is excellent and best of all they allow me to shuffle my foot into the place I meant it to be rather than where it ended up.

Agreed.

You should be able to unload your foot to shuffle it into the desired position then increase load again to maintain grip.

 

[RustyIron]

they were fine but zero toe protection which was painful

Right on! Nowadays I only use shoes that have a stiff toe cap. My previous shoes were light duty, and on more than one occasion they left me thinking, "Dåmń that was close! Glad I didn't break a toe!"

 

[RustyIron]

I stopped using my FiveTens because they were too grippy
I switched to Shimano

Exactly my thoughts!
I still have my 5.10's for those times when the trail isn't too rugged, and I'll be running through deep streams. All the old Shimano shoes got thrown away because new shoes are like new tires: a zillion times better than the old ones.

 

[kefconstruction]

I use a pair of Teva links but don't think they make them anymore, tried 5 10 when they first came out but found the sole to sticky!! Ordered the mt500 other day but not tried as yet, bought them for been quick drying so will find out after a wet ride!!!

 

[darwink1]

I used to ride the old 5 10 impact high tops religiously but was forced to switch to the newer Impact pros when I couldn't find any more of the oldies in my size. I still prefer the old ones but the new ones seem to be wearing great and I like the feel on the pedals (oneup). The soles aren't as soft as the previous model but still grip the pedals great.

D

 

[steve_sordy]

Exactly my thoughts!
I still have my 5.10's for those times when the trail isn't too rugged, and I'll be running through deep streams. A...............

My 510s had all the water-resistant ability of a sponge. When it was wet, they very soon weighed a ton and took ages to dry out. It was the second reason that I stopped using them (the first was the too high grip). I still have them because they are too good to chuck away, but I doubt I will wear them except in an emergency, such as my current Shimano AM41's suddenly failing in a dramatic way.

Those 510s were circa 2010 and I believe that the current 510s are not as sponge-like.

Edit: I meant AM41, not AM42

 

[darwink1]

My 510s had all the water-resistant ability of a sponge. When it was wet, they very soon weighed a ton and took ages to dry out. It was the second reason that I stopped using them (the first was the too high grip). I still have them because they are too good to chuck away, but I doubt I will wear them except in an emergency, such as my current Shimano AM42's suddenly failing in a dramatic way.

Those 510s were circa 2010 and I believe that the current 510s are not as sponge-like.

Yup, that was the only negative my beloved original impacts had. The new ones don't have nearly as much padding and the material doesn't let water in as much as the oldies did.

I actually made spats that go over the laces for mine to deflect the water thrown up by the front tire out of black pond liner. They look like shit but work very well in the wet lol.


D

 

[irie]

I stopped using my FiveTens because they were too grippy. It wasn't always practical to lift your foot off the pedal and replant it. I still have them.
I switched to Shimano AM41 (yes, I know they don't make them anymore, but maybe the sole is still in use, I haven't checked). The grip is excellent and best of all they allow me to shuffle my foot into the place I meant it to be rather than where it ended up.

Edit: I meant AM41, not AM42

I have too own up here.

Bought some Pedaling Innovations pedals (direct, and luckily escaped all duties and VAT). They are far better than regular pedals when your feet are in the right position. But it takes too long to shuffle feet around to get in the right position so have gone back to Deity Tmac pedals. Specialized 2FO Roost leather shoes (not Syn).

 

[Dax]

Yup, that was the only negative my beloved original impacts had. The new ones don't have nearly as much padding and the material doesn't let water in as much as the oldies did.

Those old impacts were great, it was a sad day when I finally threw mine away. 5.10 Trailcross gortex seem pretty good if you want 5.10 feeling with added waterproofness.

 

[darwink1]

Those trailcross ones have the old man who wears jorts and owns a corvette look to them, a little too new balancy for me I'm afraid.

Pics of the 2 best 5 10 models ever made, Impact high tops and Chris Kovaric signature 1/2 highs. The lace covers on the CK's are a wonderful feature that makes them way more water resistant so I made some wish versions for my pros.

Also, I guess I'm a hoarder for still having these lol..

Sorry for high jacking your post op.
D

 

[Binhill1]

Those trailcross ones have the old man who wears jorts and owns a corvette look to them, a little too new balancy for me I'm afraid.

Pics of the 2 best 5 10 models ever made, Impact high tops and Chris Kovaric signature 1/2 highs. The lace covers on the CK's are a wonderful feature that makes them way more water resistant so I made some wish versions for my pros.

Also, I guess I'm a hoarder for still having these lol..

View attachment 129836 View attachment 129837 View attachment 129838 View attachment 129839

Sorry for high jacking your post op.
D

Plenty life left in them.

 

[Mikerb]

The best grip is achieved by a combination of shoe and pedal. Some pedals are flat and some are concave. If the shoe you choose has a very stiff sole it will likely not grip well on a concave pedal ( e.g. most DMRs/Stamp).

Then there is pedal width and the width of the pedal itself from the crank once fitted. If you have wide feet/wide shoes or use boots with a cushioned ankle, and the pedal is fairly narrow/fits close to the crank, by the time you allow some clearance from the crank you likely not having a lot of shoe to pedal contact.

Then there a 2 types of and often 2 lengths of pedal pins. One pedal pin is threaded whilst the other type has a smooth end. The former is invariably sharper ( more vicious). Longer and shorter pins can be used to maximise grip...e,g, longer pins on the front and rear of the pedal, shorter in the middle sections.
So the pins can on some soles always find recesses in the pattern of the sole whilst on other soles they dig in to the sole.....destroying it over time!

So.................matching the pedal to the shoe/boot sole is what gives best grip.
Personally, I use Stamp Spoon 110 pedals ( 110mmm wide) which are concave and have the smooth top pins ( e.g. like DMR Vault), and I use 5-10 Freeriders in the summer and 5-10 EPS boots in the winter. The Stealth sole works well with those pins and that width ( for me Size 10 UK). Never had any reason to change. Grip is fantastic.