What Are the Best Women’s Mountain Bike Shoes?

Last Updated on August 7, 2022

More and more people are getting hooked to mountain biking because it’s fun, healthy, and a great way to explore new places without bringing anything other than your bike, a few essentials, and of course, yourself.

This is why mountain biking isn’t just anymore a sport reserved for the lads but also the lady riders out there. It is then important for this new breed of women to wear the right gear, most especially shoes.

In this article, we’ll be showing you what the best mountain bike shoes for women are so that you can maximize their benefits and ensure safety, comfort, and enjoyment for the more slender and petite foot shape of women mountain bikers.

Adidas Five Ten Sleuth

Adidas has merged with Five Ten, the leading mountain bike shoe brand. And with this comes the ever more reliable Adidas Five Ten Sleuth, a women-specific mountain biking shoe with a flat pedal.

If you’re looking for a bike shoe that can also double down for casual wear, then this one’s for you.

It features a low-cut style that makes it suitable for any occasion. The soles are made for maximum grip thanks to its Stealth Marathon outsole coupled with the classic dotty tread pattern.

What’s great about this is that you can enjoy the benefits of a mountain biking shoe without compromising the looks you need to wear on casual occasions.

Prepare for great flat pedal control that ensures utmost stability on even the roughest trails. It’s a do-it-all-shoe that comes with that low-profile street-style vibe.

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Giro Gauge

Giro is a staple name in the realms of mountain biking apparel, especially when it comes to mountain bike shoes. One good example of their excellence in this field is the Giro Gauge.

It is an all-out clipless pedal shoe that combines the benefits you can get from clipless riding and flat pedal riding, thanks to the reliable grip provided by its lugged rubber outsole.

Surrounding it is a tread pattern common in most trail running shoes, which also makes this a great trekking shoe that you would most likely need during epic rides and in unrideable terrain.

The upper area is made from synthetic fiber, while the lower sections come with a breathable mesh fabric to ensure comfort and airflow. The inner shank is made from stout injected-nylon

What makes this clipless mountain bike shoes stand out among other brands is its Thermo-bonded armor which gives it the breathable feeling coming from its mesh pattern. It also makes the shoe more lightweight and durable because of the added reinforcement.

It also has two-bolt cleat compatibility, which makes this an ideal mountain bike shoe if you’re into cross-country mountain biking.

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Adidas Five Ten Freerider Pro

Here comes another Five Ten masterpiece, the Adidas Five Ten Freerider Pro. This is the top-of-the-line flat pedal mountain biking shoe of the brand.

It is built for those who want to ride on flat pedals when racing enduro and downhill tracks. It focuses not only on pedaling efficiency on platform pedals but also on enhancing impact coverage.

It also has a synthetic upper structure that makes it dry quickly when soaked with water or mud.

The soles are cushioned, the outer layers are water-resistant, and the outsoles are made from Five Ten’s exclusive Stealth S1 rubber that is coupled with a Dotty tread pattern for maximum grip and stability.

If you’re into gravity riding and you want to do tricks and ride concepts such as hit jumps, drops, or dab when hitting corners, then this one is what you need.

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Giro Riela

The Giro Riela is another noteworthy trail shoe for women that features a clipless shoes pedal platform.

If you are into cross-country biking and want to focus more on long-distance rides while ensuring high speeds and pedaling efficiency, then this is what you need.

It features the classic three-strap closure common on most road biking shoes. However, this one’s built for the offroads as it provides more durability with its robust build.

You can adjust it on the fly with its quick-release enclosures and have the freedom to tinker with its wide range of adjustment options.

What’s more, it provides comfortable support ride concepts and the more promising two-bolt cleat compatibility.

This means that you won’t have any problem using it on the trails because you can easily clip in and clip out from its EVA footbed whenever you want without exerting too much effort.

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Adidas Five Ten Freerider

The Adidas Five Ten Freerider is a more budget-friendly option of the Freerider Pro model. But don’t take this lightly because it also has the same benefits as you would get from its Pro counterpart.

What sets this apart from the pricier model, though, is that it has a more casual appearance because of its suede outer fabric.

It features Five Ten’s exclusive Stealth S1 rubber that provides a high-friction grip, whether riding your mountain bike or hiking with a grippy sole on unrideable trails.

A Five Ten Freerider cannot be called as such if it doesn’t have the classic dotty tread pattern that adds even better pedal traction to whatever pedal you have.

The velcro strap lace closure ride concept is made from leather, while the upper section is made from premium textile, adding a more premium feel to this more affordable variant.

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Shimano SH-RP1

The Shimano SH-RP1 is another contender to the list of best mountain bike shoes for women.

This features a very versatile 5-hole outsole pattern that provides proper grip when you’re out hitting rough trails or even jumps and drops.

The nice thing about this, though, is that it features compatibility on both SPD two-hole cleats and SPD three-hole cleats, which are common for road bikes. This makes it a great all-rounder, especially if you also ride on asphalt.

It’s very stiff which makes for great pedaling efficiency, but it’s also very light. The sole is reinforced with fiberglass to make it even lighter than most mountain bike shoes.

It features a double velcro strap closure that provides a snug and comfortable fit. This has a durable construction as it’s made from premium synthetic leather.

If you’re into getting a shoe that reduces energy loss on long-distance rides, then this is what you need, as it easily provides that benefit with its stiff sole, custom-fit build, and versatility for mountain biking and road cycling.

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Giro Riddance

Giro Riddance is another top choice if you are looking for the best flat pedal mountain biking shoe for the ladies.

It boasts Giro’s exclusive Vibram rubber that gives it excellent grip and traction, whether it be on your flat mtb shoes platform pedals or the ground beneath.

This makes it a great choice if you’re the kind of rider who’s fond of dabbing on sharp corners. It is even regarded as the shoe with one of the stickiest outsoles.

If you want to boost your confidence on the trails regardless of the track difficulty and terrain, then this would make a perfect fit for you.

It features one of the best ride concepts because they have its Megagrip rubber that dampens vibrations and ensures that your shoe will stick to your pedal pins no matter how gnarly the trail gets.

To make things even better, the Riddance also comes with a full-length EVA midsole and smart tread design.

This is coupled with a microfiber upper that adds durability without compromising the much-needed breathability and airflow required for long-distance offroad riding.

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Adidas Five Ten Hellcat

Adidas Five Ten is undoubtedly a top pick in choosing the best women’s mountain bike shoes.

Another shoe that managed to bring them an even better reputation is the Adidas Five Ten Hellcat, an all-out enduro and downhill clipless mtb shoe that’s built for the rowdiest of trails.

Its standout features are its wide platform and abrasion-resistant build that adds up to its durability.

But what sets this trail riding shoe apart from its competitors is that it is a clipless pedal shoes that can double down as flat pedal shoes.

The grip of these clipless mtb shoes is made possible thanks to its Stealth C4 rubber outsole that can provide added grip and keep your foot from sliding even if you haven’t clipped onto the cleats during a critical and gnarly root section or rock garden.

This is your best bet if you want to get the security of a ride concepts clipless pedals shoe but want the freedom and versatility that is only present in flat pedals mountain bike shoes.

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Adidas Five Ten Trailcross

Here is Adidas Five Ten with another contender to the best mountain biking shoes for ladies, the Adidas Five Ten Trailcross.

What sets this apart from other shoes in this list is that it is flat pedal shoes that resemble the many features present only in trail running or hiking shoes.

This gives you the freedom and flexibility that is only present in trekking shoes. However, this shoe brings it to you in full throttle in an all-out enduro and cross-country shoe for trail riding.

It is light and comfortable even if you wear it throughout the day. This makes it a great buy if you plan to have an epic ride or just want to go out and explore the mountains with your bike.

You won’t have any problem taking this out on an adventure because it’s a very comfortable hiking shoe.

Aside from that, it’s also very breathable because of its air vent mesh fabric on its outer stretch. This has the same Stealth rubber compound found in all Five Ten shoes.

This mountain bike shoe has a velcro strap lace closure system and a phantom dotty outsole alongside a secure toe box made from premium rubber.

If you want a feel-light mountain biking shoe that gives you the freedom of movement you need, whether on or off the bike, then the unisex shoes called Adidas Five Ten Trailcross is what you need. It’s great for downhill, enduro riding, and bike park laps.

Most flat pedal shoes tend to be so bulky because of their wide shape. Well, this shoe is different because it has a sleek and foot-shape conforming build that is unique for downhill riding mtb shoes.

Verdict

The best mountain bike shoes for women are:

Concluding all of this, you can see that there are a lot of choices out there if you’re looking for the best women’s mountain bike shoe.

Just make sure you weigh the pros and cons, know the features, and pattern it to the kind of riding you do so you can make the most out of your mountain biking adventure.