Five Ten has overhauled its Kestrel shoe range giving it the XC and downcountry treatment. This is the first shoe from Five Ten that has a performance-orientated design, rather than trail or gravity.
Five Ten needs no introduction in the mountain bike space. The sticky rubber pioneers revolutionized mountain bike shoes and have since made some of the best mountain bike shoes for riders looking for gravity-orientated footwear.
While they have branched out into other areas, namely the adventure market with shoes like the Trailcross CL, until now they haven't ventured into the cross-country or best gravel shoe markets.
Five Ten felt that the existing Kestrel range overlapped too much with their popular Hellcat range, this opened up the opportunity to focus the new Kestrel Boas on downcountry, XC, or gravel riding.
Five Ten has been on a planet health kick recently and like many of the new Five Ten shoes, the Kestrel Boa's feature a synthetic upper with seamless overlays that are made from at least 50 percent recycled content. The closure is handled by a single Boa Li2 dial and two hook-and-loop Velcro straps. There is a reinforced toe box for protection and plenty of scuff protection along the edges of the shoe.
Five Ten says the sole is the stiffest that they have ever fitted to a shoe, the Kestrels use a full-length plate and reinforced with glass fiber. The outsole uses Five Ten's Stealth Marathon rubber and features a pillar tread around the toe and heel that should offer ample grip when walking.
The shoes come in sizes between EU 36 - EU 55 and have the option of two colors, either Core Black or Black / Impact Orange.
Full pricing and availability are yet to be confirmed however the shoes are currently retailing for £200 on Five Ten's UK site, we will update once full pricing is available. We have a set in to test, so stay tuned for a full review on Bike Perfect soon.
