First Look: Dakine's New Drift Flat Pedal Shoe - Pond Beaver 2021

Apr 9, 2021
by Daniel Sapp  
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Dakine recently teased a flat pedal shoe and now we have more details. The Drift is a classic style flat pedal shoe with a soft rubber outsole designed for riders looking for extra grip from pedal to shoe without having to clip in. The patten of the tread is designed for on-the-fly adjustments and Dakine's DK FlexRide shank is made to be supportive and stable.

The upper is a durable PU with a perforated foam tongue for heat and moisture exhaust. There are reflective elements on the collar to provide additional safety and visibility in low light conditions. The toe box is designed to be roomy for extra comfort and the anterior padding is shaped to lock the riders' heel in place.

The EVA midsole utilizes Dakine's DK FlexRide shank technology for a firm, supported, and secure feel on the pedal but it flexes in the toe for more comfort in walking off of the bike.

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The rubber is Dakine's proprietary DK UltraGrip compound and it is said to have been years in the making. Dakine believe it is an ideal balance between grip on the pedal and long-lasting durability. We haven't had the chance to try it for ourselves yet - once we get a pair in for testing we'll be able to see if those claims hold true.

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The Drift is available in three different colors, Black and Camo in men's sizes and Grey in women's. Sizes available are men's 7-13 with half sizes in 7-11 and women's 5-11 with half sizes in 5-9.

The shoe sells for US $139.99 / Canada $179.99


Photos by Alexandra Erickson






Pond Beaver 2021


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Reviews and Tech Pond Beaver 2021 Shoes Dakine


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110 Comments
  • 196 2
 That’s dakine of shoe I’ve been searching for
  • 7 8
 I see what you did there.
  • 54 1
 I’m not soled on these yet, but I’m not tied to my 5.10s either.
  • 12 1
 That's some Stealth puns.
  • 3 7
flag bikeryder85 (Apr 9, 2021 at 13:56) (Below Threshold)
 If someone would have toed me that Saline would come out with their own shoe I wouldn't have believed it
  • 4 10
flag bikeryder85 (Apr 9, 2021 at 13:57) (Below Threshold)
 Dakine*
  • 5 1
 Dakine for apparel, Camelbak for hydration and Ride Concepts for shoes. I'd 'demo' these shoes to feel how that soft rubber is like. Interesting.
  • 1 0
 was this embargoed? it's not even on their website lol
  • 6 2
 @lehott: A contraceptive doubling as a shoe....Brilliant!!
  • 1 5
flag SvenNorske (Apr 9, 2021 at 18:25) (Below Threshold)
 I thought Dakine had gone out of business. Glad they are still rocking.
  • 14 0
 @curendero: you're thinking of Crocs. Definitely the best form of birth control.
  • 7 0
 @shredddr: These shoes will be available and our website in the coming weeks
  • 12 0
 Nice straight laced answer from Dakine.
  • 2 0
 @SvenNorske: They recently closed their offices in Oregon and consolidated them into their California HQ.
  • 2 1
 @lehott: yup! RC shoes are one of the few viable options to 5-10 for flats
  • 2 1
 @Molesdigmyjumps: New Crank Brother Stamps destroy 5.10’s and this coming from a 5.10 lifer!!!!
  • 2 0
 These puns really have me gripped
  • 1 0
 @dakine: Will there be a clip version available in the future ?
  • 1 0
 W@curendero:
  • 1 0
 @broehla: that is something we are looking into but wanted to start with flats for now
  • 1 0
 I couldn't see it myself.
  • 1 0
 @dakine: why do MTB shoes always end at size 13? Is that the end of the world for MTBers?
  • 53 0
 I need these to look a bit more like a geriatric shoe or I do not believe they are truly for mountain biking.
  • 11 3
 Needs Velcro
  • 1 0
 I don't know, I think that was their design goal. If you look around the heels the shoe material seems pretty thick and I assume that's for support on your feet, but if you look near the lip it gets thinner for comfortableness and looks I guess.
  • 2 0
 @HB208: Well said!
  • 12 0
 @Panzu: comfortableness?? You mean comfort? Aw, screw it, comfortableness is my new word of the day.
  • 50 0
 It is a nice looking shoe.
  • 44 2
 Yo, shoe people - I get that y'all feel the need to show off all the "features" in your marketing copy. But how about adding just one sentence that tells us whether your shoe is made on a narrow or wide last, and whether the toe box is low or high volume? Unless, of course, you want to go full New Balance on the whole thing and just make the damn things in different widths, but hey, I'm not even asking for that. Just tell us whether it fits narrow/medium/wide so those of us who don't have an "average" foot know whether we should even be interested.
  • 17 12
 Because it's not quite as simple as that. You can make a shoe that is narrow in just the x,y direction by adding volume to the last in the z direction. Also A LOT of people don't know their own foot morphology and can conflate a sensation on a certain part of their foot as something that isn't true. One of the easiest examples is a climbing shoe called the TC Pro. It's a pretty wide shoe as far as climbing shoes go. But because of the tongue construction a lot of people feel pressure on a part of their foot that is the same sensation you get when a shoe is too narrow and squeezing your foot laterally.
  • 3 0
 Would love to see heel height published as well.
  • 5 0
 Is it stupid to want a re-solable goodyear welt MTB boot? Just pad out the inside slightly, no stacked heel, and your done.

I've very briefly entertained the idea of starting something like this but quickly realized I've got no money to throw down that bottomless money pit.
  • 8 3
 @NorCalNomad: not sure why you're being downvoted. Anyone who fits ski or snowboard boots can tell you that most customers have no idea or the wrong idea about what fits them. Trying shit on is the only way to really tell.
  • 3 0
 Really lets be honest the one line we are all looking for in the marketing copy is:
Grippier than 5-10s!

Oh... pig ... up... air... flying?
  • 1 0
 This
  • 4 0
 YES - agree totally - 5-10's seem to have got narrower since 2019,!!
  • 2 0
 @drakefan705: "Why are you booing me I'm right"
  • 3 1
 @drakefan705: or educate your customer base
  • 42 0
 Somehow, anytime a flat pedal shoe manufacturer talks about balancing durability and grip I immediately think it won’t have enough grip.
  • 10 0
 Well people would complain that 5.10 C4 rubber wouldn't last long enough, then the cried it wasn't sticking when they made their harder compound. It's almost like people don't understand compromise when it comes to performance.
  • 4 2
 @NorCalNomad: once you start talking about $200 shoes there should be minimal compromise.

"R&D iSnT fReE" right? Some of us are expecting the development part that we are paying out the ass for. If I'm dragging 5 figures worth of gear/kit into the woods everything should be comfortable and effective.
  • 7 0
 @RonSauce: You really think Vibram, Michelin, 5.10, Ride Concepts, etc are ALL holding back some magical rubber formula that grips as well as 5.10 C4 yet wears out at the same rate as Vibram Mont? You make that and you could absolutely dominate the biking, climbing, mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and other sports market. Again you're asking F1 performance with the life of an ECO tire you'll find on a Nissan Leaf. THERE IS A REASON YOU HAVE TO COMPROMISE.

Shoes don't last forever if you want top performance.
  • 1 0
 @NorCalNomad: But its weird that no-one wants to offer a really grippy shoe, rivalling 5.10s and telling the customer up front "won't hold up as long as our more durable offerings. Be aware of the compromise!" and calling it the "ultra racing pro performance xy"
  • 2 0
 @theobviousfaker: 5.10 did when they put their Mi6 rubber (softer than C4) on one of the freerider models a few years back (forgot the name) Wink
  • 1 0
 @NorCalNomad: I never asked for MORE grip than standard 5.10s Wink I thought we were talking about other brands?
My go-to shoes right now are some random Adidas Terex with a flat 5.10-Stealth sole that I found on sale. Apparently these are "water" shoes, whatever category thats supposed to be. But Adidas doesn't do that anymore and most 5.10 shoes suck for other reasons despite the good rubber.
I have tried numerous other brands and they all sucked. I don't need my bike shoes to last 5-10 years, neither do I expect that from my tires. But it seems that no one wants to offer that. Well, I will deal with that problem when I need new shoes again.
  • 15 1
 Another shoe that doesn’t protect against the weather... we have enough.
Please consider filling the glaring market gap left by Adidas stopping production of 5.10 Freerider EPS. Every ride my feet are wet with low-top EPS’ (even with pants overhanging) b/c I can’t find hi-tops.
There are far more Michigan clipless winter shoes than PNW flat pedal winter shoes... there can’t be more people riding bikes in snow than there are bikers riding in mud/wet.
  • 1 0
 Try high top waterproof approach shoes. Approach shoes were the starting point for the OG 5.10 Impacts and still share a lot of the same "guts" just with a more outdoor look than skate look to them. Also the majority of the mtb market (sorry PNW and UK y'all are not the majority) doesn't go out and ride in wet/muddy af conditions.
  • 13 1
 Sorry, I’m not buying camo shoes - I’d never find them...
  • 11 2
 Wonder if they fly people up to hoodriver to get product and action shots these days
  • 4 2
 Of course they do, they cant get any shots from downtown LA... Wonder how this fits into their lifestyle portfolio?
  • 4 0
 Look at the water bottle and bike... I am guessing no haha!
  • 6 1
 @Motoracer31 No, but we did have to rally Matthew Slaven up from Portland, Hannah Bergemann was in town visiting her parents, and our filmer/photographer duo Tyler and Alex had to drive across the river from Underwood.
  • 3 10
flag mvonflotow (Apr 9, 2021 at 23:09) (Below Threshold)
 @dakine: What a power move: keep the allstar photo/video duo in Hood River so you look like you're still in the loam, but sewer pretty much all of the rest of your staff.
  • 7 0
 Finally a company that gives a damn about the planet making mountain bike footwear! I'm a clipless rider but I still love this!
  • 8 0
 Let me take a wild stab in the dark - it's not as grippy as 5-10 and there's STILL no lace velcro - no thanks.
  • 4 1
 Exactly. After the last few years, and all the comments, 'wish listing', I still can't comprehend why now shoe company makes a serious flat pedal shoe with similar lacing features (no Velcro or at least Velcro lace covers.
  • 3 0
 Ya, just got some crank brother stamp speedlace shoes thinking they were just that, velcro and as grippy as fivetens according to pinkbike. Maybe they got some super rubber version for testing but they aren't even close. I will still ride with my clapped out, 6 year old fivetens then wear these brand new $150 shoes.
  • 5 2
 A flat pedal shoe with Boa system would be ace!
  • 3 2
 @bman33: for every person who wants a velcro strap there are 20 people complaining about the shoe looking orthopedic. For every person who wants boa there are 40 people complaining about it breaking. Don't complain about not being heard while turning a deaf ear to others.
  • 1 1
 No too Velcro, I like the convince but it wears out too fast , specially in muddy wet condition, just elasticated laces will do, never need to undo them, they never come loose and wrap in pedals and they don't wear out like Velcro - elasticated laces as std bike industry peeps
  • 2 0
 @lehott: I have the high top pearl izumis and they have: goretex, velcro top strap, boa lower, and for me have been more than grippy enough. A perfect shoe in my view. That having been said, I like to adjust my feet a lot which is why I don’t like 5.10s. I run TMacs so to me is a perfect combination FWIW.
  • 1 1
 @bman33: Ive never got my shoelaces caught in a 1x setup without velcro. However my shoelaces did get mangled when i had to switch to my backup bike with 3x.
  • 1 0
 @bweller81: I am meant to clarify, looking for shoe lace covers for those who ride in wet/mud occasionally similar to some Shimano have. Easier to keep clean and dry.
  • 5 1
 Every company says "the toe box is designed to be roomy"... but they are never roomy enough for my EEEE feet. Can someone make an actual wide width flat pedal shoe, not just a "roomy" toe box.
  • 9 0
 You might wanna call up a farrier with feet that wide dude, damn. That’s gotta be a real pain in the ass finding good shoes.
  • 6 1
 i dont think any shoe company is going to devote their time to making a product for 0.001% of the population
  • 1 0
 I think there is a law that any company makes a shoe wide enough for a foot also has to make a thin flexible sole. You can get shoes from Xero, Lems, Vivo etc that are great for walking around but the soles are way too thin to think about riding a mountain bike in.
  • 1 0
 @tttyyler: I've been wearing MukLuk shoes for a couple years for the width and comfort, but I can feel every pin in my flats.
  • 1 0
 @sjma: I think it's really a pain in the Sole.
  • 1 0
 Roomy is an essential, one thing I found out this winder is roomy toe areas help massively in keeping toes warm during winter riding, good sock with roomy toes area beats any fancy gear,
  • 4 1
 "The patten of the tread is designed for on-the-fly adjustments"

--patten, noun: a shoe or clog with a raised sole or set on an iron ring, worn to raise one's feet above wet or muddy ground when walking outdoors

So close, and yet so far!
  • 2 0
 After reading reviews from all the shoes that get released.... situation is getting kind of ridiculous.

The fact that the shoes that Five.Ten made years ago were better in comparison on to what they are making now. Competition is making sub-par stuff and everyone is asking twice the ammount of money for the same shoes i bought 6-7 years ago. I would like to understand this phenomenon. Of making shittier products but asking more money for them ... Is it because people buy them anyways?
  • 9 5
 Shoes are already too wide! Toe boxes are too roomy! This post paid for and approved by narrow foot crew.
  • 4 0
 A good looking MTB shoe. Are those allowed?
  • 1 0
 Why does no one make a size 15 shoe? i just wanna stick to my pedals a bit better is it really to much to ask for a shoe thats just a little bigger.
  • 1 0
 Bump. Fake news. These never showed up on the Dakine US website for sale. I emailed Dakine and could not even get a confirmed release date.
  • 3 0
 The industry has def stepped up the shoe game this product year
  • 1 4
 Pssh... I was looking to buy shoes this year and cant find a single company that is making a nice shoe...uggh
  • 1 0
 Hmmm, no lace cover, no raised inside ankle protection, what makes this any different from a regular outdoor shoe with "sticky" rubber on it?
  • 1 0
 I'd like to have seen more grip on the heel area to help when walking downhill (as in track inspection) on slippery surfaces.
  • 1 0
 5 10 bring back the freerider elc with decent colors and will be a hit. Just needed more toe protection. Fit and lace cover were spot on.
  • 4 2
 Flats with Velcro would be nice. I don't want to tie my shoes either.
  • 1 0
 Regardless of performance, these look good.
Am I infringing the rules here?
  • 3 2
 Step 1: Read post
Step 2: Think of pun that incorporates the brands name
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit?
  • 1 0
 Step 3: become famous
  • 1 0
 You forgot the step where further down the comment ladder someone uses a real old South Park reference.
  • 1 0
 Anybody notice the huge wrinkle in the shoe on the picture of the rider taking a step? Kinda odd...
  • 2 0
 Looks like a giro shoe..... and a session.
  • 1 0
 i like the look but synthetic uppers ? No way. leather or canvas is all i own .
  • 1 0
 Weird how hes on a yellow Devinci Troy and then a yellow Tranny Sentinel. Yellow bike field test?
  • 1 0
 Would it be that hard to make $50 shoe?
  • 5 7
 Based on how much dirt is caked into the tread in one of the photos I wouldn't want to use these for much hike-a-bike, winter rides or trail building. Too bad because they look nice.
  • 5 2
 um have you looked at he bottom of your 5.10's , no different.
  • 4 2
 @fabwizard: first I would have to wear 5.10s...
  • 1 2
 Meh - toe cap looks plasticky. Other than the tan camo print, looks like another pair of skater shoes. Guess another company that just follow along for the cash grab.
  • 1 0
 Specialized says the Dakine's stripe is derivative of Vans.
  • 1 0
 Why are almost all mtb shoes fugly as sin
  • 4 4
 So many shoes these days.Four nine musnt be as good anymore
  • 1 0
 Good looking shoe
  • 1 0
 No size 14. I'm out.
  • 1 1
 With feet that big, how do you find condoms that fit?
  • 7 0
 @Jvisscher: Condoms are for sailors.
  • 1 0
 @brassinne: I feel your pain. Every time I see a new shoe release, I leave disappointed.

As someone who also wears clown shoes if you know a good alternative in a size 14 I'm listening...
  • 1 0
 @i-kerr: So far my favorite shoe is the shimano gr7. I got those in a size 48 euro. US size, for some reason, says 12 inside the shoe. Which isn't correct. But they grip well, and I really like the built-in "sock". Saves me from getting debris inside my shoes while riding.
  • 1 0
 Five Ten makes size 14. Kona wah wah pedals are also great for giant feet.
  • 1 0
 @brassinne - I'm also a 14 and have worn custom shows for more than 20 years. Just picked up a pair of the new Ride Concepts Hellion Elites (haven't ridden yet) and also noticed the 5.10 Frerider Pro Primeblue also list a 14.
  • 1 0
 @Edgibson: Unfortunately they aren't available where I am in Canada in a size 14... and adidas won't ship internationally so I am out of luck there. Will have to look into the Shimano's
  • 2 0
 @musgravecycles: do you know any that make a 15?
  • 1 0
 @Odezi: Ride Concepts
  • 1 0
 These look sick! Big Grin \m/







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