To make the Five Ten Trailcross GTX, Five Ten has taken the relatively new and radical looking Trailcross platform and added a Gore-Tex membrane to make a waterproof and breathable upper that claims to render cold, damp feet as a thing of the past. Sealing up the ankle is a neoprene gaiter with a hook-and-loop closure, so dirt and water can’t simply run down your leg and into the top of the shoe.

The latest Five Ten Trailcross GTX utilises Gore-Tex technology to make it potentially the best mountain bike shoes for British mountain biking flat pedal fans.

Five Ten Trailcross GTX shoe need to know

• Price: £150 / $TBC
• Weight: 900g (size 43)
• The correct sizes are available in 3.5 to 12.5, 13.5, 14.5

It’s a more dual purpose shoe than some of Five Ten’s offerings, intended to work equally well on rugged hike-a-bikes where comfort and grip comes at a premium. To do this there is more toe lift engineered in to the sole, along with mapped flex points throughout and specific ridged tread patterns at the toe and heel for enhanced traction. But at the heart of the Trailcross GTX remains Five Ten’s acclaimed dotty Stealth Phantom rubber sole, so there’s no need to compromise on flat pedal security. Five Ten even claims the sole is non-marking, so kind on smart wooden floors as well as natural surfaces.

Water pooling on the upper of the Five Ten Trailcross GTX shoe

Five Ten employed the services of athletes such as Darren Berrecloth in the development of the Trailcross GTX shoe. Darren, whose home is among the damp forests of Vancouver Island in Canada, said this of the new shoe: “The Trailcross GTX is by far the best all-around flat pedal shoe I’ve slipped on. Whether I’m riding sloppy trails or hiking through British Columbia’s rugged terrain, this shoe keeps me warm and dry. Flat out love it!”

Gore-Tex logo should be a warning to water

First Impressions

When we tested the Trailcross LT (low) shoe we remarked on the different fit to more familiar Five Ten models such as the Freerider Pro – the Trailcross revealing a more slender fit with a boxier toe cap. There’s also less overall foot stability, with the more flexible upper allowing some twist. But less of an issue with the mid-height XT version, and even less so with the high top Trailcross GTX, so we don’t see a lack of support being an issue. The sole is impressively grippy when riding, even coming from other Five Ten shoes, perhaps due to it not being quite as stiff overall as something like a Freerider Pro. And yet it’s really comfortable to walk around in – once the upper has broken in.

Stealth Phantom dotty rubber sole is the benchmark in flat pedal grip

While the Trailcross XT has a neoprene sock that stops just below the ankle, the GTX extends all the way above, with a split side and Velcro closure. This adds even more support to the shoe and seals out the elements from above, although it makes it slightly trickier to pull on. Our brand new GTX shoe definitely feels stiffer than our broken in Trailcross XT, so we’ll have to see whether the Gore-Tex membrane has added any stiffness to the upper or it just needs to be bedded in.

Five Ten Trailcross GTX and XT side-by-side showing the Gore-Tex membrane in action

As you can see by the side-by-side image, the Trailcross GTX’s Gore-Tex membrane provides an effective barrier to water, with droplets pooling on the surface and rolling off rather than being absorbed straight through as it did with the XT. While this is a good indicator of performance, we’ll have to wait for some rain to test how well it works in the wild.

Look out for a full test on the Five Ten Trailcross GTX soon.