In the test: The Adidas/Five Ten Sleuth DLX

The Five Ten Sleuth DLX bridges the gap between a mountain bike shoe and a casual shoe. Typical for 5.10, the Stealth sole is used, but the design is more reminiscent of a skate shoe.

We put it on and tested it for you.

🔎 General information about the Sleuth DLX

Products that can be used universally are often said to be able to do a little bit of everything – but nothing right. How does the Five Ten Sleuth, a crossover between MTB shoe, skate shoe, and casual shoe, perform?

The demands are not exactly modest – grip on the pedal, comfort, and style in the city. That's three wishes at once!

The cool skater-Look look has obviously already worked. 

The MTB shoe in city Look

The Sleuth DLX is mostly black, with some gray and gold accents serving as eye-catchers. The shoe definitely scores stylistically and is versatile, making you look good while eating ice cream in the city or on an after-work ride. 

The golden Adidas logo on the shoe tongue is unmistakable, since Adidas bought Five Ten, it simply belongs to the design. For this reason, the Sleuth DLX clearly has the look of an Adidas sneaker but also gets the 5.10 bike shoe genes with the Stealth sole.

Five Ten Sleuth Material Check:

The classic cycling shoe look and materials are completely omitted, the Sleuth is more comparable to a sneaker.

The upper material

The shoe is made of suede. Not only does it look good, but it is also extremely high-quality and robust. Of course, suede is not necessarily suitable for reckless downhill use in rainy weather, but for universal use on and off the bike, it is just right. Water droplets bead off effortlessly, and dirt can also be easily removed from the shoe.

The Five Ten Sleuth from below: The bike features are in the sole

The secret of the Sleuth MTB shoe: The sole

The sole of the Sleuth DLX is, as usual for Five Ten, made from the proprietary "Stealth" material. This one-piece molded rubber sole provides tremendous grip on the pedal, and it is extremely durable. The pedal pins can dig into the material, so the shoe stands slip-free on the pedals. At the same time, the material is so resistant that pins or cages do not tear holes in the sole.

📊 The Adidas/Five Ten Sleuth in the quick check

Our test MTB shoe in action.

👉 The Five Ten Sleuth DLX – our test

How do you test a shoe that should look good both on the bike and in the city? It's simple: We rode the 5.10 Adidas Sleuth DLX through the city on the MTB 😉. Ok, that's not enough. It wasn't easy for us, but for testing purposes, we parked the mountain bike here and there and walked a bit. Eventually, we ended up on the pump track (no idea how that could happen), to get everything out of the shoe with the dirt bike.

🏃 Can you run well in the Five Ten Sleuth?

Lo and behold... the shoe is really extremely comfortable. You walk as if you have a pure street shoe or sneaker on your foot. The sole is nice and soft, and the shoe rolls so well that you can walk completely normally. Normally, the sole of a cycling shoe is stiffened because it pedals more efficiently that way. That's not the case with this shoe; the wobbly and stiff feeling you get with bike shoes with a hard sole is completely absent here.

The golden Adidas logo is a seal of quality and an eye-catcher since Five Ten was taken over.

🚲 How does the shoe perform on the MTB?

The Stealth sole (a Five Ten patent) is known for its incredible grip, and it's the same with the Sleuth DLX. Once the pedal pins have drilled into the shoe sole, you have to lift your foot to change the position on the pedal. So you always have full control on the bike and can tackle challenging trails in this city sneaker without any problems.

Pleasantly: The Adidas Five Ten Sleuth DLX establishes excellent contact with the pedal.

Jeans and bike shoes? Absolutely plausible with this flat pedal/leisure shoe.

Despite its sneaker appearance, the shoe is suitable for long days on the pedals. The direct pedal contact is nonetheless suitable , as it offers a good balance between soft comfort and a certain firmness. The latter is needed to still have a good feeling in the foot even after hours in the saddle or on the pedal.

Only the ventilation could be a bit better for a shoe that is meant to be worn in daily life. We started sweating relatively quickly, even though we weren't exerting ourselves greatly. This results in a point deduction for wearing comfort.

Stylish city look and (almost) full MTB function. The Sleuth from Five Ten is a good mix!

✅ Our conclusion on the shoe

If you are looking for a universally usable bike shoe that is also comfortable and stylish in the city, then the Five Ten Sleuth DLX will absolutely delight you. The shoe has a super comfortable fit, is high-quality processed, and scores with the Stealth sole with enormous grip on the pedal. The contact with the bike is high, allowing for good control. We can absolutely recommend the Sleuth DLX as a multi-talent.

We have more tests around MTB for you in the Bike Blog:

• The Ride Concepts Hellion Flatpedal Shoe
• Test: Leatt DBX Flatpedal Shoe
• The Adidas Five Ten Trailcross Pro in the test
• The iXS Trigger AM Helmet
• Spank Spoon Flatpedal

 

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