By James McKnight

Published: Wednesday, 02 March 2022 at 12:00 am


When looking for the best mountain bike shoes, there are numerous options. To figure out which pair is right for you, the first decision you’ll have to make is whether you want to go with flat-pedal or clipless-pedal shoes.

Our in-depth buyer’s guide will help you choose, as well as provide some information on the foundations of a good mountain bike shoe.

You’ll find all the best mountain bike shoe reviews on this page, and whether you ride cross-country, trail, enduro or downhill on flat or clipless pedals, we’ve ridden and rated the best mountain bike shoes on the market.

To make things easier, we’ve split this list into different types of mountain bike shoes:

These categories aren’t fixed, and many of the shoes are compatible across riding disciplines, but it’s a good place to start if you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for.

The best mountain bike shoes in 2022, as rated by our expert testers

Best mountain bike shoes for trail and enduro 

  • Shimano ME7: £179 / $200
  • Crankbrothers Mallet BOA: £180 / AU$330 / €200
  • Giro Chamber II: £130 / $150
  • Scott MTB AR Boa Clip: £160 / $180 / €180
  • Bontrager Foray: £120 / $150 / AU$200 / €140
  • Endura MT500 Burner Clipless: £129.99 / $159.99 /€159.99
  • Scott MTB Elite BOA: £125 / $140 / €140
  • Shimano MW7: £190 / $275
  • Specialized 2FO Clip 2.0 shoes: £140 / $160 / $220

Best XC mountain bike shoes

  • Fizik Infinito X1: £325 / $400 / €350
  • Shimano XC501: £140 / $170
  • Specialized S-Works Recon: £340 / $425 / AU$500

Best MTB flat-pedal shoes

  • Five Ten Freerider Pro: £120 / $150 / €140
  • Five Ten Impact Pro: £125 / $160 / €150
  • Ride Concepts Hellion Elite: £130 / $140 / AU$255
  • Specialized 2FO DH: £145 / $170 / AU$250 / €160
  • Specialized 2FO Roost: £110 / $120 / AU$220 / €110
  • Bontrager Flatline: £120 / $129.99 / AU$229.99
  • Endura MT500 Burner Flat: £119.99 / $149.99 / €149.99 
  • ION Raid II: £85
  • Ride Concepts TNT: £140 / $160 / AU$300
  • Ride Concepts Vice: £90 / $100 / AU$205
  • Shimano GR5: £80 / $100 / AU$119
  • Shimano GR9: £120 / $160

Best mountain bikes shoes for trail and enduro riding

Trail and enduro shoes tend to have solid, robust designs that can withstand a battering. The soles are stiff, but not so stiff you can’t take part in a bit of hike-a-bike. Many look like flat-sole mountain shoes, but others are more similar to typical clipless XC shoes.

All the shoes here take cleats for clipless pedals. Keep scrolling for our selection of the best flat MTB shoes.

Shimano ME7

5.0 out of 5 star rating
"Best
The Shimano ME7 is a thoroughly accomplished trail shoe.
Immediate Media
  • £179 / $200 as tested
  • Impressively versatile
  • Protective and resilient

Shimano’s ME7s are some of our favourite trail shoes, having scored a full five stars in recent testing.

We found them to provide the perfect foot position for pedalling and descending, and although there’s enough stiffness to make the most of skinny XC pedals, they also flex enough for hike-a-bike escapades.

The outer flap and neoprene ankle gaiter combine to make them and their lace closure resistant to the ingress of mud, grit and stones.

We also found they’ll keep your feet comfortable in all but the coldest of conditions.