Five Ten Danny MacAskill Shoe

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When you have Danny MacAskill on your athlete roster, you’d be missing out if all you did was to slap his name on a few posters and call it good. Five Ten took full advantage of the Scottish sender and had him help them develop a shoe that would give Danny the performance he needs on the bike – and the casual looks to blend in while on one of his many street missions. Did they succeed? Read on to find out!

Five Ten Danny MacAskill Highlights

• Durable, easy care and casual looking leather upper
• EVA midsole for shock absorption and anatomical support
• Ortholite insole
• Full tread Stealth® S1™ dotty rubber for durability and friction
• Colors: Scarlet, Black/Grey, Carbon Black, Royal Blue, Grey Stone
• Sizes: US 4 to 14
• Weight: 536g each (Size 9 US)
• MSRP: $130.00 USD

Initial Impressions

Let’s get this one out of the way from the start: when our “Scarlet” red sample showed up, it was pretty loud. As in, “wow, look at my red suede shoes” kinda loud. Now, we don’t know this for a fact, but we’d bet Danny is more likely to reach for any one of the 4 other colors that his signature shoe comes in, certainly if “blending in” happens to be on the riding menu for the day.

Looking past the decidedly not stealthy red, the shoe itself has a very low-key design to it. In black or grey it could easily pass for just another high street loafer. The overall construction appears of high quality and the cut of the shoe is sleek, with only the thick Stealth S1 rubber sole hinting that there might be more to this one than meets the eye.

Although slim in appearance, the Danny Mac features quite a lot of strategically placed protection. The tongue is padded, and there’s protective foam all around the ankle and heel. The insole is from Ortholite, which adds a bit of cushioning in this area as well. The toebox and heel area are reinforced, and there is an EVA midsole for extra shock absorption and support. The front of the shoe is made from a single piece of leather, with just a few holes for ventilation (the holes are covered with a water-resistant fabric on the inside to make sure you can get through a wet Edinburgh day without soaking your feet). The sole is stitched all around the toebox.

On The Trail

The fit of the Danny Mac is just right. Tight but not too much so, it was instantly comfortable. The heel/ankle area features a lower cut than on most typical riding shoes, but although we at first thought this felt a bit odd on the foot, it never translated to a lack of support. The laces are short but very effective, just snug them up and the shoe won’t budge.

The sole is stiff enough for pedaling, but soft enough for hanging around all day. For reference, it feels just about in between a Freerider Contact and an Impact VXi. The performance of the S1 sole needs little introduction, if for some reason this is the first you hear of it, know that it is pretty much the very best compromise between grip and longevity currently on the market. The tread pattern used on the Danny Mac is the same as on the new Freerider Pro.

We have ridden in the Danny Macs everywhere from the pump track to the trails, and we found it to be a very versatile shoe. The grip is tenacious on any pedal, and the shoe offers more than enough stability and support for any kind of riding. Naturally, it wouldn’t be your first choice for muddy trail rides (certainly not in RED SUEDE…), but the shoe is up for that too. Similarly, aggressive riders would look for a shoe with a slightly higher cut in the ankle area, and/or more padding. Pick your poison! (From left to right below: the Danny Mac, Freerider Pro, Impact VXi, and Impact.)

Things That Could Be Improved

The ankle area could be raised ever so slightly, to give just a tad more protection here. Splitting hairs here though - the Danny Mac hits the design brief nail on the head in our opinion.

Long Term Durability

This is a First Ride type of review, so we have not yet put in the miles required for a full longevity report. However, Five Ten has made good progress in the longevity department recently, and the Danny Mac appears to be sturdy enough to put up with quite a bit of abuse. When it comes to the sole, S1 rubber is harder wearing than Mi6, which should also contribute to keeping these shoes running for a long time. We’ll come back and update this article should further testing reveal any shortcomings.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Creating a shoe that looks casual enough for spending a day on the town yet performs well enough for a rider of Danny MacAskill’s caliber was never going to be an easy task. Five Ten and Danny have pulled it off remarkably well, with a street and pub-worthy shoe that provides the kind of grip and support Five Ten is known for. A great choice for those who like to spend all day in their riding shoes – just don’t get the Scarlet Red version if you’re looking to blend in!

More information at: www.fiveten.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Review by Johan Hjord // Photos by Johan Hjord and Tal Rozow