Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA Flat Pedal Shoe

If you’re a flat pedal rider and you’ve been around the sport for a while, you’ve probably ridden a Five Ten shoe at some point - chances are pretty good you’ve stuck with them too. Long the ONLY option if ultimate grip was your number one requirement for a flat pedal shoe, the legendary Stealth S1 rubber still sets the bar today as far as stickiness and feel go. Competitors have arrived though, and there are now other options that perform as well, notably Specialized with the latest iteration of their SlipNot compound. Fox also gets close with their Ultratac rubber, and they were also the first among these three pack-leading brands to offer a BOA-equipped version of their shoe. Not to be left behind, Five Ten addressed that particular situation earlier this year, with the introduction of the Freerider Pro BOA – we’ve been putting it to the test for a few months now, and we’re here to tell you what we think of it. 

Five Ten Freerider Pro BOA Highlights

• Regular fit
• Micro-adjustable dial-based BOA® Fit System
• Abrasion-resistant synthetic upper
• Reinforced toe cap
• Textile lining
• Midsole drop: 7 mm (heel: 24 mm / forefoot: 17 mm)
• Black/Red with STEALTH S1 Rubber (Five Ten’s stickiest rubber compound)
• White/Gum with STEALTH Phantom Rubber (a non-marking version of STEALTH S1)
• Contains at least 20% recycled content
• MSRP: $170 USD (currently on sale for $128 USD at adidas.com)

Initial Impressions

The Freerider Pro has become an extremely popular flat pedal shoe among trail riders and more heavy-duty shredders alike, all won over by the solid construction, great feel, and of course, that all-important grip. The BOA version builds on the very same platform, simply exchanging the traditional laces for a BOA dial. If you’re not familiar with it, a BOA dial puts tension on a cable that runs through a series of loops, with a number of clicks in the dial providing micro-adjustability. To release the tension, simply pull up on the dial and pull your foot out.

The midsole and the construction of the toe-box don’t change from the regular version to the BOA, and of course the outsole is still the legendary Stealth S1 dotted rubber that has made the brand what it is today in the flat pedal world. As for the uppers, the tongue is attached on one side to make sure it stays centered when you crank down the BOA dial, and the opening is a little bit offset to one side as well to place the lacing system in the correct spot.

The internal construction appears identical to the laced version, and there is the same Ortholite insole as well. TPU reinforcements around the toe and heel areas provide for a little extra abrasion resistance.

On The Trail

Slipping into the new shoe we were met by a familiar feeling. It did seem like there is a tiny bit more space around the middle of the foot and the toe area, and the padding felt ever so slightly less plush compared to the regular, laced version, but any difference is subtle at most (maybe just the new-shoe-feel at work too). The BOA system makes it very easy to get in and out of the shoe of course, although we will say that it sometimes makes it harder to find the same tension sweet spot between rides. With laces, you get a “memory effect” where you can sort of feel when each loop of the lace slips into its previous place, this phenomenon is not there with BOA so you go off the pressure on the foot each time. We found that we would sometimes need to add a little tension once the ride got going and the foot started to move around a bit (this is not unique to this shoe BTW, it is common with the BOA system in our experience). Also, because the opening on the laced model is right over the middle of the foot, it’s easier to relieve pressure in this area, whereas the BOA version is more snug here – one of our testers felt this during testing and commented on it. You may also sometimes find that you need to manually tug a bit on the lower loops to even out the pressure – something that Fox has worked around by using two BOA dials on their shoe (although we should note that the Fox BOA shoe is significantly more expensive compared to the non-BOA version, while the Freerider Pro BOA slots in at just $10 USD more than laced version).

On the trail, the grip produced by the Stealth S1 sole is phenomenal – as good as it gets in the flat pedal world. Only Specialized has managed to fully equal this level of tackiness in our opinion, with Fox slotting in juuust a little bit behind. In terms of feel, the Freerider Pro has always been among our absolute favorites as well, with a great mix of power transfer and feedback from the pedal. The midsole is plenty stiff and will support your feet for long days out on the pedals, and there is enough protection to deal with pretty rowdy riding too.

When things get really rough, and you’re looking for maximum protection, Five Ten also makes the Impact Pro and the Impact Pro Mid with full ankle protection. The Freerider Pro offers less protection than those options, so it’s up to you to pick the one that suits your needs. We use the Freerider Pro a lot because it offers slightly more feedback from the pedals compared to the more heavy duty options and it covers a wide variety of riding scenarios, but as mentioned, if you need more protection there are options available

 As for longevity, the construction of the Freerider Pro has steadily improved and we get good mileage out of this shoe in general. It deals with wet conditions better than some of the older models, although there are also dedicated rain options available if you frequently ride in monsoons. The outsole will eventually wear out, but this is the price to pay for the excellent grip and in our opinion none of the options that claim to significantly improve the lifespan of the sole offer nearly as much grip, so that’s another trade-off you need to be aware of when making your decisions.

What’s The Bottom Line?

There’s legit competition now, but Five Ten still holds the best-in-class spot (albeit shared) when it comes to grip. The Freerider Pro BOA adds a touch of convenience for flat pedal riders looking for a little extra finesse in their shoe, and we for one welcome more BOA options for the foot out flat out crowd in general (after many years spent complaining about being left out in the cold when our clipped-in brethren have been enjoying the BOA benefits for so long already). If the ease of getting in and out of the shoe appeals to you, it’s well worth the extra $10 USD that Five Ten is asking for the addition of the little dial. Traditional laces still do a great job as well, so it’s really up to you – it’s nice to have the choice now and both the laced and the BOA-equipped versions remain among the premier offerings for all kinds of flat pedal shredding, from trail riding to the park.

More information at: www.adidas.com.

About The Reviewers

Johan Hjord - Age: 52 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Nils Hjord – Age: 21 // Years Riding MTB: 13 // Height: 5’9” (1m80) // Weight: 185-pounds (84-kg)

Always committed to having fun on his bike, Nils likes to keep his wheels in the air almost as much as on the ground. Although he enjoys going fast and is no stranger to burping his tires off the rim, he has dedicated most of his riding time to mastering manuals and making his tabletops flatter – but that doesn’t mean he can’t put the hurt on his wheels through a high-speed rockgarden too, when needed. Good thing his dad is a full-time Vital staffer with access to lots of bike parts that need testing!

Photos by Johan Hjord