Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA

Review by Kate Agathon

A few years ago, I swapped out my clipless pedals for flat pedals on my mountain bike.

Finding a flat pedal-specific shoe can be difficult to do when you have small feet (I wear a U.S. Women’s size 5). Finding a pair with the BOA® Fit System is even more of a challenge.

When a company whose cycling shoes I had worn for years discontinued the shoe, I was left scrambling to find a comparable pair.

Fortunately, the Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA® Mountain Bike Shoe has everything I was looking for.

Designed for flat pedals, the light weight mountain bike shoes fit my decidedly small feet and offer plenty of grip.

History and Performance

Long before Five Ten became the standard for flat pedal mountain bike shoes, they were taking the climbing world by storm.

In 1985, Five Ten was hyper focused on creating a climbing shoe with superior rubber for improved traction. By the 2000s, some mountain bikers had caught on and were using the Five Tens for downhill racing.

The rubber that provided superior traction on rocks, they discovered, provided similar traction on flat pedals.

Fast forward to 2026, and the ultra popular Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA® Mountain Bike Shoe is considered the best flat pedal mountain bike shoe available for its legendary grip and durability.

With the addition of the BOA Fit System option, they are more prized (no more laces getting caught in the crank arm) than ever. Perhaps the perfect flat pedal mountain biking shoe really does exist.

Look and Fit

I like the appearance of the black Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA® Mountain Bike Shoe: simple and understated. No loud graphics or trendy neon retro colors here.

The fit was true to size and the toe box left just the tiniest bit of space.

Despite the Ortholite comfort foam technology, the shoe wasn’t as plush as I’d like (cushiony mountain bike shoes don’t seem to exist).

Overall, the shoe fit quite well, thanks to the multi-directional BOA Li2 dial that allowed me to quickly make tighter or looser micro adjustments with precision.

Key Features

• BOA Li2 Dial with webbing lower guides and plastic clip upper guide
• EVA midsole
• Padded tongue for more even pressure distribution and improved breathability
• Easy-to-clean synthetic upper with textured toe and heel reinforcement
• Sticky Five Ten Stealth S1 rubber
• Classic Dotty tread pattern
• Constructed of minimum 20% recycled material
• Increased stiffness for improved power transfer
• Poron XRD shock-absorbing toe box protection

Performance

Thanks to its abrasion-resistant synthetic upper with textured toe and heel reinforcement, the Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA® Mountain Bike Shoe is incredibly durable.

My feet remained secure on the pedals on different terrain: flowy trails, rock gardens, roots, etc. and the sturdy toe cap protected from unexpected trail debris.

Usually, my shoelaces are perpetually becoming undone or have to be constantly readjusted (one of the main reasons I wanted to switch over to the BOA Fit System). That worry was eliminated with the BOA Fit System.

Thankfully, the BOA Li2 Dial maintained a uniform closure with tension distributed evenly. I thought the easy-to-reach side dial made it easier to adjust than a centrally-placed dial.

Finally, the dot pattern on the Stealth S1 Phantom Dotty rubber outsole was cleverly done, with strategically placed dots for the pedal pins to sit in between.

The times when I encountered steep, technical climbs, I admittedly got off the bike to do some hike and biking.

While the dotty rubber outsole works better on desert slick rock (back to those climbing origins), it does not do as well on varied terrain where deep lugs and an aggressive tread pattern are needed.

Overall Thoughts

I am delighted with the solidly-constructed Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA® Mountain Bike Shoe.

They look good, offer superior grip on my flat pedals, and I can adjust tightness quickly and easily.

The on-the-fly adjustments allowed me to avoid numbness or foot slippage by allowing me to easily dial in my fit with the BOA Fit system.

I found the synthetic upper was easy to clean and keep my shoes looking less worse for the wear.

When it comes to walkability, I liked the casualness of the outsole that could take me from the trail straight to the brewery for a post-ride beer.

I could loosen them up and set the dial (no fiddling with laces) at a comfortable place and forget about it the rest of the day.

The Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA® Mountain Bike Shoe is available in 13 sizes (U.S. Women’s 5 to 11) and two colors (Core Black and Cloud White).

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, and mom to her furbabies, Sansa and Benjen.

 

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment to her writing.

Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers. She and her husband, Paul, live in Summit County with their dogs, Benjen and Sansa.

Kate earned a BA in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving two terms on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.

The Dr. of Stoke has been part of the Engearment team since 2016.