Endura makes some of the best mountain bike clothing, regularly winning our group tests and scoring highly with real riders for its level of support and customer service. If only it did shoes, we’ve always thought. Step forward the MT500 Burner, a flat pedal shoe designed by Endura from the ground up, now meaning you can clad yourself head to toe in Endura if you want. It’s aimed at usurping the best mountain bike shoes from the likes of Adidas Five Ten, Specialized and Crankbrothers.

Endura MT500 Burner clip shoe

There are three shoes in the new Endura footwear range, this flat pedal Burner and a clipless version with the same upper, but a stiffer last, slot into the premium MT500 range. And then there’s a more BMX-inspired Hummvee Flat Pedal shoe for dirt jumps, BMX, trail riding, pubbing or anything else you fancy.

• Endura MT500 Burner flat – RRP £119.99 / $149.99 / €149.99
• Endura MT500 Burner clip-in – RRP £129.99 / $159.99 / €159.99
• Endura Humvee flat – RRP £89.99 / $119.99 / €99.99

All feature something called StickyFOOT, Endura’s own rubber compound, with the MT500 versions getting dual compound soles featuring stickier rubber in the pedal contact area, and harder wearing material at the toe and heel. The Hummvee gets the grippy stuff throughout, in keeping with its intended use as an all round shoe

Endura MT500 Burner flat shoe

The two MT500 shoes get posher uppers and insoles, and that’s really the key difference going on, besides the price. Specifically, those uppers feature a water resistant combination of welded panels and there’s reinforced stitching and an EVA midsole. Look inside and you’ll see a funky looking insole with something called Sole Stimulant, a collection of raised dots Endura says will improve proprioception (your understanding of where your body is and how it’s moving, sensed by neurons within the muscles). In short, the idea is to boost your contact with the pedal and let you be at one with the bike. There’s also a Metatarsal button to spread your toes out and a supportive arch. To cap it all off, the range comes in a huge spread of sizes, from 5-12 including half sizes in the middle spread.

Can Endura make a better shoe than Five Ten, Ride Concepts or Specialized? It’s certainly got the pedigree in terms of mountain bike kit, and after its acquisition by shoe brand Pentland four years ago, it’s got the footwear experience too. Look out for a review soon.