Wearing skate and freestyle inspired flat pedal shoes is one of the ways I like to cruise through winter.
They’re kind of like my winter flip flops, but they also allow me to transition from my long board and BMX bike to my mountain bike, to the bus, to my ski hill parking lot, dog walks, all in one pair of shoes.
Yes I said ski area parking lot…they’re butter to throw on after prying off ski boots, and with the new Freerider EPS from Five Ten — a classic and personal favorite from crag to flow park — the addition of 400 grams of Primaloft synthetic insulation means my kicks are warm and dry and breathable through basically any weather. The Freeriders are made for fat biking, flat pedal mountain biking, skating, blasting through icy puddles, maybe bike commuting, dive-bar hopping in Crested Butte, you name it.
They’re designed for cold weather riding with Five Ten’s Stealth S1 rubber (you may already be familiar with it from their other downhill bike shoes) with pretty much unbeatable traction and durability in a freestyle shoe; a one-piece leather forefoot with no seams to leak or let in cold (also gives them their contempo style); and a gusseted tongue to keep snow and debris out.
There’s more insulation in the sock liner than the shoe body, and the footbed is not only insulated, but heat reflective. Oh, and the Primaloft is breathable…reducing dirt bag funk when couch surfing your way around the PNW. Do remember that the soles are sticky for pedals and general use, but they aren’t hikers, there’s no lugs.
Five Ten’s new Freerider EPS comes in both low-top and high-top models: $140 for low, $150 for high. Both are worth the bread but personally I am loving the high tops…on-trend and extra ankle protection for biking and being a dumb ass and extra warmth for where I spend most of my time.
It’s not rocket science necessarily, but it is a shoe you can get a lot of practical milage out of, and we like that. I plan to take these shoes to far flung ski trips this winter as well, rocking them with jeans, should be perfect for lots of walking and going out on the town, just like my flip flops in the summertime.
Available now online and at bike shops nationwide.