An awesome new shoe brand, in stock at Inspiral Cycles, from the people who know shoe rubber better than anyone.
18/02/2023 – words by Gary
Lots of you will know that FiveTen was bought by Adidas a few years ago. Adidas sell shoes as a commodity, and want to sell shoes in large volumes to big chain stores. They’re not particularly interested in selling small quantities of shoes to independent retailers like us. That’s big business, that’s what happens. But with big business there’s other things that happen too.
So I was really happy to be approached by the folks at Unparallel. The same guys behind the original FiveTen brand, the same sticky rubber, even the same factory that they used back-in-the-day, but with an improved range of shoes that are really rather good.
We’ve had our first delivery of Unparallel shoes, I’ve been riding them for a few weeks now. I’m pleased to report that they’re ace!
6 years ago I had some FiveTen Impact VXi shoes. These got discontinued despite the fact that they were the grippiest and best mtb shoes that FiveTen ever made. Stiff sole, sticky rubber, plenty of protection for your toes, good fit.
The Unparallel Dust Up shoes take me back to that special place, but they’re even better.
The Velcro strap is positioned perfectly to keep the laces tidy and clean, the still-unbeaten sticky rubber compound now feels even grippier thanks to a waffly tread pattern (which means you can also walk in mud without falling over), there’s a good solid toe-box for protecting your tootsies, the sole stiffness is a perfect balance between pedalling efficiency, foot protection and feel, there’s enough padding for comfort – but not so much that they soak up 2Kg* of water when they’re wet. And they dry out ok too.
* water absorption of shoes has not been scientifically measured!
The Dust Up shoes are my favourite flat pedal shoe ever. No question. I’m comparing against the 7 other pairs of flat pedal shoes that I have at home.
Out of everything that we sell in shop, it’s the rubber bits that get me the most excited. Because if your tyres don’t grip the ground, or if your feet don’t grip the pedals, then everything else is superficial. Enhance your control, go faster and be safer.
For DH, Enduro and trail riding. Stiff sole, grippiest rubber, good foot protection.
Available in men’s and women’s sizes from size 3.5/36 to 12.5/48
For riders that prefer a more flexible sole, for more comfort when walking, or for better feel of the pedals. These shoes also work better with pedals that are less spiky.
Available in men’s and women’s sizes from size 3.5/36 to 12.5/48
Extra ankle protection for jibs and tailwhips.
Round button tread pattern helps to disengage the pedal for deliberate foot-off manoeuvres.
So pop into Inspiral Cycles to try some shoes on, and feel free to ask us questions to get the lowdown on other stuff that makes a genuine difference to your ride.
We’re full-time bike geeks, we love the tech, but more importantly we’re interested in finding out what works for us, and what works for you.
