Five Ten Danny Macaskill
Sole: Stealth S1 Dotty
Size Tested: 10 U.S.
Blister’s Measured Weight: 792 grams /pair
MSRP: $130
Reviewer: 5’9” 155 lbs
Days Tested: ~ 15 days
Test Locations: Montana, British Columbia
Intro
After repeatedly risking his wellbeing for our viewing pleasure, Danny Mac finally gets a fresh set of kicks with his name attached to them. The Five Ten Danny Macaskill is a shoe that’s meant to work well on the bike as well as off it.
The styling is relatively understated, which means that no one’s going to look at your feet weirdly if you’re wearing these out at the bar for post ride beers.
Design
The sole on the Danny Mac’s is Five Ten’s “Stealth S1” rubber, which is a bit less grippy than some of Five Ten’s other options, but it’s more durable. Again – good for off the bike purposes since they’ll last longer than a Five Ten that has the softer Mi6 rubber. The Danny Mac’s still have Five Ten’s traditional “dotty” pattern on the sole, which means slipping a pedal is still pretty unlikely even with the harder rubber.
The Danny Mac’s aren’t particularly stiff, nor are they intended to ward off puddles and mud – they’re definitely intended more for the dirt jump crowd and less for the trail bike / DH crowd. That said, our local dirt jumps are in disrepair, so my time on the bike with them was spent downhilling and they still worked pretty well.
As you’d expect, grip was solid, and even when my foot got bounced halfway off the pedal, it stayed put. For trail riding I prefer the sole pattern of the Freeride Contact (with the smooth section under the ball of the foot) since it allows me to reposition a little easier, and for DH purposes, the Danny Mac doesn’t have anywhere near the protection of something like the Five Ten Sam Hill model. But for dirt jumping, the easier flex and comfy fit, combined with the dotty pattern on the sole makes the Danny Mac a much better option.
Fit
Fit on the Danny Macaskill is pretty similar to my Five Ten Freeriders, although the toe box on the Danny Macs isn’t quite as tall. Lengthwise, I’d call them true to size. Width wise, I’m roughly a C width, and most Five Ten’s, including the Danny Macs are a smidge wide for me. I can wear them comfortably, but if they were a little narrower, they’d work better for me.
Bottom Line
I wore these at Interbike, and according to the little pedometer thing on my phone, I walked 71.5 miles in them in 5 days without any blisters. And riding them, they did exactly what I wanted them to – stick to the pedals. Of course, it goes without saying that my feet looked awesome the whole time. So if you want something that works well for dirt jumping, street riding, or just cruising the urban wasteland (on or off the bike), the Danny Mac’s are a great choice.