The shoes look good. Note that when fiveten stopped stitching the soles to the uppers (to make it look more contemporary, probably) that was also the time the soles started to fall off the shoes very often. Relying on adhesive alone just won't cut it in the mtb footwear world.
An eMTB may not do as much damage per compared mile, but more per compared time. Say you have a 1hr long lunch to go for a ride. On your normal ride on a normal bike, you’d do one loop. Now on the eMTB would you be able to fit two laps in during that time? Are people going to ride based off of distance or off of how long they feel like being out regardless of the bike they are on? I’m personally for eMTB use on any motorized trail, and any non motorized trail that the local riding...
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I don’t get whole “Jared Graves watch 2020.” The dude is legit fast and talented, but I find myself unable to root for him and Richie due to the lack of an explanation for their failed tests. While Maes’ situation was likely different, I thought he handled the situation admirably.