I’m sure that many of you have become addicted to wearing your five ten’s as much as I have. I don’t think I could even ride worth a damn without them anymore. They have almost spoiled me to the point of no return. I’ve had a pair of the Five-Ten Impact high-tops for the past almost two years. Every ride I have been on, they’ve been right there with me, keeping me attached to my pedals beyond belief. I remember when I first got them that I had to get used to riding with them. It wasn’t the normal “place foot on pedal and slide around until it was positioned right”. It was more like “you better get your foot placed in the correct spot the first time because there is no sliding around”. These shoes have amazing grip. Over two years of riding my shoes are still in good condition. The soles have began to wear a bit thin, the toe area has started to come apart from the shoe itself, the laces have broken, but thats it. What can you expect from a shoe when its never worn in a casual setting. These shoes are worn only in the worst of conditions. Constantly wet, muddy, being drug across rocks, hiking through rough terrain, etc. These are work shoes basically….that happen to keep you connected to your bike.

I finally broke down and got a new pair of the Impact 2’s. I wanted to try out the low tops this time. I had the high tops previously thinking that they would provide a bit of ankle support. More of less they just provided ankle protection from your pedals. The new Impacts have gotten a bit of an overhaul from the previous style. Well, these are the Impact 2’s. They have a bit of a more casual look and feel to them. The material used for the uppers of the shoe seem to be a bit thicker and will hopefully be a bit more durable over the long haul. They have what reminded me of a Skate shoe tongue. Super thick padded tongue with a wide lace profile. This makes it very easy to have the shoe fit snugly on your foot without having to cinch the laces down all the way and cut off circulation to your feet. The toe area also looks to be reinforced a bit more that the previous model was.

Grip is brought to you by Stealth Rubber. Stealth Rubber partners with a number of companies providing soles for their shoe lines. There are six different compounds to fit whatever need have have as far as traction goes. From wet, slimy rock to super hard, dry rock, its guaranteed that there will be a compound for you. The Impact 2’s come with the S1 Compound. The compounds are also color coded, in case you can’t read. Here is the description that Stealth Rubber provides about the S1 compound.

The ideal rubber for hiking shoes because it provides maximum shock absorption – far more than any average rubber outsoles. Its also highly durable and stickier than any other hiking shoe rubber on the market. Stealth S1® is somewhat softer than C4®, but equally durable. Every time you step on a sharp rock, the Stealth® soles are able to take some of that force, rather than reject it.

Two things in this description stick out to me. The soles provide maximum shock absorption and they are stickier than any other shoe rubber on the market. Anything that can take some of the shock absorption from my knees is greatly appreciated. Anything that will keep my feet glued to the pedals is also greatly appreciated. Only the test of time will tell how these shoes will hold up. If they’re anything like their predecessor I only foresee great things to come. These even come with two sets of laces. One set of white for those that like to look snazzy, and a set of black for those who like to lay low and not be noticed. Either way, you’ve got a backup set of laces for when one breaks. Go buy a pair. You won’t regret it.