Review 5.10 Trailcross GTX (Goretex)

Doomanic

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If the water was wicking down the sock I'd expect the sock to be fully wet if the toes are wet.
 

p3eps

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Dec 14, 2019
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If the water was wicking down the sock I'd expect the sock to be fully wet if the toes are wet.

That’s my concern. The toes are wet, but quite a lot of the sock wasn’t. I wondered if water was getting through the toe box somehow.

I’ll try giving them a good dunk tomorrow and see what happens… and dig out some light grey socks for reference!
 

hainman

Member
Apr 8, 2021
74
42
Glasgow
Here’s my first impressions…

I’m a Raynaud’s syndrome sufferer, which means I suffer from cold extremities (fingers / toes), so getting a decent pair of warm dry shoes is essential.
I used to have a pair of Northwave GTX boots when I rode SPDs… but I’ve been using flat pedals for the last 18 months.
Last year, I sent a pair of Shimano SW7 boots to LSR to have a 5:10 dotty sole fitted to them in order to have a waterproof warm pair of boots with good grip. They work ok, but the water would get in through the ‘flap’ and I’d still end up with wet feet.

Last week someone shared a 30% coupon for Adidas, and mentioned the Trailcross GTX boots. For £105, it seemed rude not to try them out.

I’ve got 2 pairs of 5:10’s already (pre Adidas), and they’re both a full size bigger than my regular shoe size (8.5). I ordered the Trailcross GTX in a 1/2 and a full size bigger - as Adidas offer free returns.

Quick delivery - they arrived just 3 days after ordering. A size 9 was fine if I was just wearing normal socks, but felt really tight in my Sealskinz… and the 9.5 was fine in the Sealskinz, but feels a bit loose in my regular socks. I figured I wanted these for winter, so I’d mainly be wearing them with thicker socks… so stuck with the 9.5’s.
The opening to get your feet in is through a neoprene cuff - which is really tight. Time will tell whether this lasts or eventually rips.

Although it’s nowhere near winter today, it’d been raining most of yesterday. I thought the trails might be a bit soggy, so a good time to test out the Trailcross GTX. It was about 18degC, so I went out in shorts / T-shirt / and a regular pair of bike socks - which sat just above the top of the boots.

First impressions were the Trailcross were really grippy. Much grippier than my Shimano / 5:10 sole hybrid boots. I think this is because my Shimano boots have a really hard sole, but the Trailcross are a bit softer. They felt pretty comfy too. If anything, they were too grippy with my HT ME03T pedals, as I was struggling to ‘adjust’ my foot on the pedal without having to lift it fully off and re-position. As the ride went on and the soles got wet, this became a bit easier.

I rode about a mile of roads to get to the trails, and then about 15 miles of trails. They were mainly damp, with some puddles and sludgy bits. As I cycled, I was getting splashes off the front wheel, and by the end of the ride - I was pretty dirty.
Not clarted in thick dirt like I’ve been in the past, but a film of dirty spots.
Compared to my legs, the boots looked pretty clean! Perhaps the water coming off the front wheel was cleaning the boots?!

By the end of the ride, I felt like my feet were soaked. When removing the boots, one foot was soaked and the other was pretty damp. The insides of the boots were visibly wet, and they felt like someone had poured water in them.

Now…
Did the boots leak, or did the tops of my socks get wet and soak right the way down?
After the ride, I washed the bike, and the hosed the boots down. I was concerned that the ‘grid’ type pattern on the toes would hold onto the dirt… but they cleaned up well.
They’re now on my boot drier getting dried before they stink of damp!!

Once the shoes are dry, I’ll have to experiment with them to see if they’re letting in water. I saw a guy doing a review of these boots who had his feet in a basin of water and his didn’t leak… so I’ll give that a try.
If that’s ok, then my next ride will be with socks lower than the neoprene ankle gator!!
If they leak during the basin test, then I’ll be getting in contact with Adidas to see about getting them swapped over.

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Good write up
I would hazard a guess that the water has indeed came down your legs and into the socks causing the damp
This is one of the reasons I started wearing trousers
Helps fend off the splash and stave off it running down my legs and in to my socks/shoes
Mine should be with me soon and hopefully I will get out and have a wet ride in line with trousers to test my theory ??
 

Flo

Member
Sep 16, 2020
108
14
Romania
Please help a brother ! i found this Five Ten GTX shoes on a online shop but just 11 uk size (equivalent at 28,4cm foot) and 12 uk size (equivalent at 29,3cm foot). My foot is 28,8cm measured with a summer sock, somehow wider at toes and i bought this shoes for winter time when i will wear a thick cycling mtb socks. What size it will be good for the length of my foot ? 11 or 12 ? Or the size chart for Five Ten from Adidas site it's a joke ? I don't need small shoes but not clown shoes. Thank you for your help !
 

hainman

Member
Apr 8, 2021
74
42
Glasgow
Mine turned up today
Went with a Uk 10 and tried on with normal socks and sealskinz and they fine perfect
Due to getting really cold feet and hands I always layer up on socks
These will work perfect
 

Flo

Member
Sep 16, 2020
108
14
Romania
Gre
Mine turned up today
Went with a Uk 10 and tried on with normal socks and sealskinz and they fine perfect
Due to getting really cold feet and hands I always layer up on socks
These will work perfect
And your normal size is Uk 10 ? Because in five ten size chart the uk sizes has smaller foot centimeters....is weird. My 28,8 cm looks like uk size 12
 

NULevo

Well-known member
Nov 7, 2019
539
341
Nottingham
I used adidas sizing too, and ordered a size up as I like to wear thick socks. I usually wear a 9 in normal shoes but went for a 10, which is what I did with my Bontrager Flatlines. The Flatlines are a perfect fit, so I thought going up a size as some people had suggested would mean the adidas 10's would be about the same.

Well the 10's arrived and they were a little tight, fine with thin socks, but not thick ones. Physically the were longer than the Bontragers even though they were tight, so back they went for a size 10.5.

The 10.5's arrived and the first thing I had to do was fight a cat to get to them:

1629832551995.jpeg


Once I got to try them on they fitted perfectly, just like the Bontragers. Physically they are much bigger than my normal shoes and the Bontragers, but I think thats down to their construction and built in protection.

I've yet to try them out on a ride, and test how waterproof they are, I'm hoping they are as good as YouTube video.

@Doomanic commented about sizing up and ending up with clown shoes, well its a close call! :unsure:

I'll have to get use to their size, SHMBO says they look 'Chunky'. Anyway here's a pic to try and show just how big they are in case anyone's interested:

1629834026921.jpeg
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
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Weymouth
These boots look good.............a couple of points worth keeping in mind.
1. Goretex is only as good as the way in which it is incorporated into a shoe. I have had several Goretex boots which are anything but waterproof. Saloman and ECCO are 2 brands whose GTX shoes/boots have always been totally waterproof for me.
2. Goretex does not have a very high resistance to any water pressure so relies heavilly on the outer material of the shoe providing that resistance.

I will be interested to see here how they perform over the course of a full winter. I currently use the leather boot version of the 5 10 which are not Gortex but provided the leather is treated appropriately are completely waterproof. The Trailcross looks like a worthy successor pending longer term feedback
 

Rahr85

E*POWAH Master
Sep 6, 2020
495
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nottingham
I'm hoping they hold out as i can't really be bothered to try them out until they are actually required. My ride concept powerlines are too good to not use when it's not soaking wet (because they take forever to dry out)
 

Bomble

Well-known member
Nov 11, 2018
661
386
Yorkshire
That’s my concern. The toes are wet, but quite a lot of the sock wasn’t. I wondered if water was getting through the toe box somehow.

I’ll try giving them a good dunk tomorrow and see what happens… and dig out some light grey socks for reference!

Any update mate?
 

Zaskar20

Active member
Aug 17, 2021
140
133
UK
Mine came today - £97.50 with the code I shared in an earlier post.
Ordered half a size up and they’re perfect. Enough room for winter socks or a decent toe wiggle with ordinary socks. (y)
 

Flo

Member
Sep 16, 2020
108
14
Romania
a half above your foot in cm ? Because i measure my foot and i have 28,8cm and i order 29,3cm aka size 12 uk.
 

Zaskar20

Active member
Aug 17, 2021
140
133
UK
a half above your foot in cm ? Because i measure my foot and i have 28,8cm and i order 29,3cm aka size 12 uk.
I’m normally a U.K. size 11 and I ordered a U.K. size 11.5
No measurements, sorry.
 

Flo

Member
Sep 16, 2020
108
14
Romania
My pair is here. The shoes is size 12 uk , my foot measurement 28,8cm. size 12 must be 29,3cm foot in the five ten chart size. But look at this : The back of the insole is 29,5 cm and the front side is 30,3cm. In normal european size i wear 45 size, here we have a 47,5cm size from five ten. Same problem was with a boots frok Salomon : 46,5 cm was to tight for me. My foot is a little wide on the front and the Five ten is on the limit. I have almost half a cm or a cm in the front of the shoe. I keep that for a thick winter socks. Also i can't stand that my foot to be tight in the shoe and i don't know how i will deal with a almost 1 cm extra in the front when i will ride my bike. And at 47,5 size they don't look like a clown shoes. Maybe if your foot in no to wide. I'm waiting the cold season to weare them.

20210827_163115.jpg


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Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,568
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Weymouth
My pair is here. The shoes is size 12 uk , my foot measurement 28,8cm. size 12 must be 29,3cm foot in the five ten chart size. But look at this : The back of the insole is 29,5 cm and the front side is 30,3cm. In normal european size i wear 45 size, here we have a 47,5cm size from five ten. Same problem was with a boots frok Salomon : 46,5 cm was to tight for me. My foot is a little wide on the front and the Five ten is on the limit. I have almost half a cm or a cm in the front of the shoe. I keep that for a thick winter socks. Also i can't stand that my foot to be tight in the shoe and i don't know how i will deal with a almost 1 cm extra in the front when i will ride my bike. And at 47,5 size they don't look like a clown shoes. Maybe if your foot in no to wide. I'm waiting the cold season to weare them.

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shoe measurement is not your footprint, it is the length from the end of your toes to the furthest point of your heel. To measure your foot length accurately you need to stand with your heel against a vertical surface and then mark where your toes end on the horizontal surface. The insole measurement on the bottom of the insole takes account of room required at the back of the shoe to accomodate the heel.
 

Stiggy

Member
Aug 9, 2020
40
14
Bolton UK
Bought to replace a pair of solomon which are great but water constantly tracks down and in the opening and they take ages to dry. Best walking boots I’ve ever owned though!
I used the code, gone half size up, will report on “leakyness” soon as shouldn’t take long since I live in the Pennines...
 

p3eps

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
Dec 14, 2019
1,982
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Scotland
D5DEAF13-A6A7-4F4F-91EA-20EA79AFC8D7.jpeg


Here’s my comparison. A 5:10 Freerider in a 9.5, the Trailcross GTX in 9.5, and an Adidas Adipure golf shoe in 8.5 (all UK sizes).
The ruler is 100% square (although it doesn’t look it!) as it has the same gap at either end.
The shoes are all pushed right back against the skirting.

The Freerider and golf shoe both fit my foot perfectly, and the Trailcross is slightly bigger - but the 9 in it was a bit snug and wouldn’t have worked with thicker socks.

Physically, there’s not much in it - and the Trailcross being slightly bigger matches up with the fit. It just shows that the 5:10 sizing is a bit off!
 

SwissMountainLeader

Active member
Mar 10, 2021
105
477
Switzerland
These boots look good.............a couple of points worth keeping in mind.
1. Goretex is only as good as the way in which it is incorporated into a shoe. I have had several Goretex boots which are anything but waterproof. Saloman and ECCO are 2 brands whose GTX shoes/boots have always been totally waterproof for me.
2. Goretex does not have a very high resistance to any water pressure so relies heavilly on the outer material of the shoe providing that resistance.

I will be interested to see here how they perform over the course of a full winter. I currently use the leather boot version of the 5 10 which are not Gortex but provided the leather is treated appropriately are completely waterproof. The Trailcross looks like a worthy successor pending longer term feedback

I work as an International Mountain Leader so I spend a lot of time in outdoor footwear. I have been extremely sceptical of goretex in footwear, in fact for a lot of the life of goretex it's not been brilliant across the board. By now, in clothing it's pretty good now although some other materials are as well.

For footwear, after holding out I did get some goretex trail shoes (not entirely by choice). My experience is that they're not a lot more waterproof than the non-GTX version of the same shoe with a normal waterproof spray and I've got another 7 pairs of the same shoe. The GTX versions still need care, some cleaning and re-proofing. The Gore official advice is (or was) not to use treatments but a specialist like Nikwax says their treatments are fine and they're right in my experience.

The GTX versions of my work shoe do breath better and are more comfortable in hot & dry climates. For me that breathability is the real advantage so I am coming around to the idea that GTX in footwear is useful :)

As for the sizing, I've looked at the chart and read these posts, as far as I can tell the CM sizing is likely correct and being mapped to larger UK and EU sizes than is normal. We'll see,! was reading this post before ordering some :)

Incidentally, since I have a few trail shoes & I do use them on the bike. Vibram have several sole patterns, the "Approach tread" is visually similar to the Trailcross tread and has a high area of contact which is good on pedals. That pattern is way better than the more common lugged vibram pattern.
 

Stiggy

Member
Aug 9, 2020
40
14
Bolton UK
So following my first couple of rides in I thought I would do a brief review.
Firstly they do come up small, I've never ordered larger than 8 and in fact sometimes 7.5 UK across all brands including many pairs of Adidas trainers over the years (Im 54 and started with Kick and Samba). Although I do have wide feet and felt very pinched in the 8's the length is also fine with a little "wiggle room". Returns are easy and prompt if you order direct off Adidas so buy your normal size plus a half size bigger is my suggestion.
Pros:
Well constructed.
Good overall quality of materials.
Rugged looking, stealthy and no bright "features"
Decent toe and ankle protection.
VERY grippy on flat pedals (DMR Vault with spikes).
Decent grip on mud and rocks (significantly better than standard 5:10's).
Seem decently waterproof (not extensively tested yet).
Good seal around the sock/ankle (my main reason for buying these).
In short they have transformed my riding style and I'm positive they will keep my feet dry and warm in the sunny Pennines!
Cons:
Sweaty ankles due to the Neoprene material of the seal...
Cost, however if you use the link here you can still get them for £105 including delivery before Sept 30th!

Incidentally I first ordered the 5:10 Free-rider Pro Primeblue which didn't offer enough protection or off bike grip for me so I "donated" these to my son and he absolutely loves them! IMO the Primeblue versions are easier to clean and stealthier looking that the Standard Pro's but more importantly the discount code works on these but not the standard ones!
 

Zaskar20

Active member
Aug 17, 2021
140
133
UK
First Ride, first impression.
I wore today on my commute. It was lashing down with rain and the ride was 30 minutes through many a large puddle. I did wear over trousers, so although the ankles were covered, all the water that came off the bottom of the trousers more or less went onto the boot.
At the end of the journey my feet were bone dry.

I like the fact that the footprint on the Trailcross is narrower that the Freeriders I’m used to. They feel less ‘clumpy’ in comparison.
The soles are excellent and when planted on Hope pedals the foot is so secure and is not going anywhere.

My only slight niggle is that they are difficult to put on, mainly due to the narrowing opening at the neoprene ankle.
 

Flo

Member
Sep 16, 2020
108
14
Romania
I agree. Difficult to put on and that's not ok. i'm waiting colder days to test them because yesterday we have 32 celsius degrees.
 

The EMF

🔱 Aquaman 🔱
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Nov 4, 2020
1,268
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South East Northumberland
good shout I was kinda thinking about this…..

btw if you want these cheap buy them quick £105……..

65TT-73FC-3DXL-9PDC7 on the adidas site

This is a personal code not a genetic one……I’ve ordered a pair and only got 20% off for signing up. Obviously I got in touch with Adidas and when they arrive I’ve to get in touch to talk about after sales discounts???
120 bar still happy at that 😃
 

Rahr85

E*POWAH Master
Sep 6, 2020
495
1,058
nottingham
After a very wet cannock chase on my first time testing these i did end up with damp feet but i attribute this entirely to water running down my leg, so wearing these in truly wet conditions i guess i'd need to find a way to limit anything running down the inside.
 

carlbiker

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Sep 15, 2020
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leeds england
After a very wet cannock chase on my first time testing these i did end up with damp feet but i attribute this entirely to water running down my leg, so wearing these in truly wet conditions i guess i'd need to find a way to limit anything running down the inside.

As mentioned a little earlier in the thread, sealskinz hydrostop socks, job done! I had that crap drizzle stuff all day at Skiddaw none stop, the only thing that was dry were my feet 😃
 
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The EMF

🔱 Aquaman 🔱
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Nov 4, 2020
1,268
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South East Northumberland
After a very wet cannock chase on my first time testing these i did end up with damp feet but i attribute this entirely to water running down my leg, so wearing these in truly wet conditions i guess i'd need to find a way to limit anything running down the inside.

I’ll be wearing my Fox Defend pants above the 5 Tens plus my ShowersPass waterproof winter socks so hope fully that’ll help no end coz I hate cold feet……doesn’t stop me getting into the hills though 🤙
 

Zaskar20

Active member
Aug 17, 2021
140
133
UK
Most of the neoprene ankle is not waterproof so I would say anything other than trainer socks has the possibility of getting damp or wet.
I think I may invest in some waterproof socks.
 

Terence

Member
Oct 7, 2021
18
11
Ludlow
I didn’t realise how difficult it can be in the bike world to buy functional waterproof shoes? I’m new to EMTB this year trading in my horse to ride two wheels. I bought my first pair of Five Ten Freerider shoes at the beginning of summer and soon bought my first pair of Sealskinz socks the combination worked just great but with winter on the way I thought I should buy some real waterproof boots/shoes. I found these on the Adidas website and thought bingo , perfect..how wrong could I be. With the addition of Gore-Tex you would expect these to work just fine , well they do to a degree the shoe part but under the laces and ankle it’s a textile neoprene material and if you ride through puddles on the trail this is where the water hits thrown up from the front wheel and you will have wet feet. The sales jargon and images on the Adidas website in my view are misleading and I quote, Gore -Tex waterproof , breathable technology keeps your feet dry no matter the conditions ..! Well this is not the case. Adidas have been good, my first pair were exchanged for a larger size, they were then exchanged when that pair let in water and they thought there may have been a quality issue and my my replacement pair were just the same with wet feet after a 22km trail ride. They have agreed to a full refund so my search along with it seems lots of you out there continues to find suitable wet weather foot ware.In the horse riding world we were/are spoilt for choice it’s a shame in the flat peddle MTB world it’s very different.!

image.jpg
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,568
5,060
Weymouth
Well done for recognizing the reality!! It is impossible to use a goretex liner in a shoe without cutting it into sections and then there are seams and those will let in water unless taped. Some companies appear to be able to do a better job than others but merely saying the shoe is GTX lined really tells you nothing. It is usually the case that Goretex is only used in the shoe box and so that excludes the tongue unless the tongue is fully attached to the shoebox.....even then it will be a separate piece and therefore there is a seam. Notwithstanding all of that goretex has a very low threshold of resistance to water pressure anyway so it is relying quite heavily on the material of the shoe to withstand most of that pressure; and its ability to prevent water ingress is compromised if the material is folded........e.g the flex point of the toe cap to the rest of the shoe.
Goretex can be effective combined with other suitable materials in a jacket for example, but then there are several other waterproofing/breathable membranes that do not carry the Goretex premium price.

I have found Goretex can be effective in walking boots...but only the best brands do it successfully...most fail! The good boots still require careful and constant treatment of the outer boot material....the best being leather. On a walking boot waterproof trousers can adequately cover the top opening of the boot but for more vigorous hiking the trouser will always ride up...........the same applies when sat or pedalling on a bike. The answer for hiking is to wear gaiters.
If you want guaranteed dry feet and boots on a bike, wear wellington bootsor something like stableyard muckers, plus waterproof trousers!! If you only want dry feet and not worried a bout the boot getting soaked, use waterproof socks with a waterstop membrane at the ankle.
 

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