Five Ten Impact VXi Clipless 2015
Reviews / Shoes
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At A Glance
Five Ten claim the VXi Clipless shoe is the lightest DH specific clipless shoe on the market, with a weight of 410grams per shoe (size UK9). Greg Minaar and other pro riders have had considerable input into the design of the shoes over the last two years.
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The styling of the shoes may not suit everyone’s tastes, but in the flesh they look a lot better and have some considered detailing.
The cleat box is nice and big offering plenty of room for adjustment on all four sides, this definitely aided cleat engagement into my Shimano DX Clipless pedals.
Another very simple but great idea is a series of horizontal lines on the cleat box, which makes cleat installation and alignment an absolute pleasure.
The outsoles are made from Stealth Mi6 Rubber with dotted tread, which grips nicely on the pedals and adds traction when hiking. The uppers are synthetic and appear almost impermeable to dirt. Another cool feature is the Raptor Tongue, lightly padded and stitched into the shoe, again helping to keep mud and slop out. The mid soles are compression molded EVA for cushioning.
On The Trail
Don’t be put off by the DH specific label in the Five Ten description, these shoes are light and comfortable enough for epic all-day missions. My first ride in these was in pretty muddy wet conditions, so a great test of their ability to keep the mud and slop out. They shed mud really well and, although they eventually got soaked after a few hours of successive puddle bombing, they did not gain as much extra weight as my previous Five Tens when soaked.
The lack of bulky material within the shoes construction also helps them to dry very quickly, ready to go again by next morning!
The soles have enough flex to make them comfortable around the toe end of the shoe, but don’t expect skate style trainers. The short Velcro straps help keep your feet locked in without having to do the laces up too tight, but I did find the range of adjustment on these straps to be a bit limited.
Overall
An excellent shoe, proving to be really comfortable, light and durable with some great technical features. Attention to detail around the cleat box aids pedal engagement and makes for a great bit of kit.
Buy Shoes onThis review was in Issue 32 of IMB.
For more information visit Five TenRelated
By Jim Egercz
Jim Egercz hails from South Africa where the weather is warm and the trails and dry and dusty. Odd then that he prefers the cold, damp weather of the UK! He’s a keen trail builder near his home in the South East of England and gets out to Wales and the Alps whenever he can. He’s been a guide at the Trans Provence and is talented bike mechanic too; if your bikes broken, "Jim'll Fix It!"
