Almost waterproof, the fabric part on the front and sides is waterproof(not tested with a pressure washer or firehose).
I have ridden these shoes in wet & winter conditions
ButIwanted to test it even further and up close, so I tested the 2016 FiveTen Impact high shoes,w ith water from the sink on full, the fabric part is waterproof
but the issue is the lip gives small gaps even when properly tight
so when the shoe moves there will be water there and come in.
so you will only get little bit wet in the worst wet conditions.
I got mine from chain reaction cycles,b ut the first time I tried i had to return them,t he stealth sole was not properly glued on,b ut the second time I received a shoe with properly glued sole,l ater I ordered Freerider ESP,F from Bikeshop.no and they were perfect:-)
Pros:
- the tongue stays in place, which makes the shoe more comfortable than the 2015 model.
- better laces than 2015 model
- the shoes only have holes for the laces in one place, unlike the 2015 model, which had fabric looks under the leather part and holes in the leather, but the 2016 model have holes that are reinforced with metal rings, which means there the issue with fast wearing laces is gone.
- As stiff sole as the 2015 model
- the shoes will fit with high feet with fat toes.
- Even more durable than the 2015 model, the new design ahs strong fabric, so the issue with the side of the shoe wearing, won’t happen,
- Good price
- the sizing is the same as 2015.
- Easy to tighten the laces, much easier than 2015 model, and re-lacing will be much easier if you need to, this is because of the big lace holes with metal rings.
Cons:
- apart from No reflective stripes or logos.
- not 100% water proof, but pretty close, But if you need this Five Ten Freerider ESP got gutted tongue which offers 100% waterproofing, I have them and I love ’em. make sure the tongue is straight, and make sure you have it as tight as you can without causing discomfort when you want to ride in the wet/and or rain if you have not got the ESP shoes yet.
Verdict:
Is it worth upgrading if you got the 2015 model? Yes I think so,the improvements are significant, but Fiveten offers replacement soles so if you worn out your old shoes you can fix them later.
this is a good shoe even better than the 2015 model, I absolutely can recommend this shoe.all the pros of the 2015 and none of the cons.
I love FiveTen shoes, in my opinion they make the best mtb shoes on the market, but I see more brands releasing new platform shoes, but none of them can compete with FiveTen yet.
FiveTen shoes Flickr group
mtbboy1993 