Five Ten Kestrel Lace Clipless Shoe

I have been a clipless guy for some time now, and although I switch to flats when learning a new skill or just messing around, it is safe to say I am not going back to flats fulltime. I have tried the gamut of Five-Ten clipless shoes looking for the sweet spot between light and stiff for efficiency, and comfortable and protective for more DH style of riding. I have ridden with two generations of the Maltese Falcon, (enduroish shoe) the Hellcat (DHish shoe) and the Kestrel lace (XCish shoe). Although each had its merits, I have settled on the Maltese Falcon as it fits the best of both worlds in my opinion.

As for the Kestrel lace, I think that if you are looking for a shoe that is a bit more trail minded than a standard XC slipper, and that offers some additional protection and comfort this is a good fit. It does have more of an enduro look and feel compared to a carbon soled xc shoe, but has (in my opinion) a very stiff sole, which can be a pain (literally) on longer descents. My other gripe with these shoes, and most clipless shoes have this issue, is that with SPD cleats, the cleats are taller than the sole so they can be slippery if you step right on the cleat surface. This can cause an ice skating effect on slickrock and cause you to fall (ask me how I know). This is less pronounced compared to other clipless shoes I have worn, but still there. These shoes are my go to for commuting and light trail rides, or rides that have a lot of climbing as the stiff sole helps a bit there. They have held up surprisingly well, and show little signs of wear unlike some of my other shoes. I would recommend them to the everyday trail rider who wants something more substantial than a traditional clipless shoe, but does not wear them in the bike park every week as they will likely let you down for that style of riding.