Background information
New mountain bike trails in Montafon built with know-how from Engadine
by Patrick Bardelli
Endura MT500 Burner Flat – when mountain bike shoes live up to their name
19.8.2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Pictures: Manuel Wenk
This MTB shoe makes a great first impression. Finally, a design that doesn’t make me gag. That’s it for the looks. But can the inner workings of Endura’s MT500 Burner Flat keep up?
Admittedly, I’m a bit superficial at times. But hey, aesthetics shouldn’t be dragged through the mud, even if you’re just mountain biking. If your biking skills aren’t making you shine – yep, that’s me – then at least your equipment should. Which brings me to MTB shoes. As a rule, they’re plug ugly. At least that’s my opinion. The design of these shoes reminds me of the janitor who worked at the school I used to go to. It brings back memories of the way he’d strut about the schoolyard in his clunky olive-green or black shoes like a vain peacock, as if he were the Sun King Louis XIV himself. Le roi c’est moi – I am the uncrowned king of the school.
Days long gone or not?
Times change and I’m hoping janitors and school caretakers do, too. Only MTB shoes remain hideous. Except for one pair by Endura, I find. «Burner Flat» from the MT500 collection also passes as a sneaker you could wear around town without getting funny looks. Having said that, this model looks best in its natural habitat – in the forest on a mountain bike.
Hitting brand new trails with the Endura MT500 Burner Flat
I spent a few days in the Montafon region for a piece I wrote about trail building in Austria. There, I visited a construction site above Schruns Tschagguns. Here’s the article if you want to learn about the ins and outs of building a mountain bike trail:
There, I was given the opportunity to try out parts of the new trails. So I slipped into my new MT500 Burner Flats by Endura and gave them a go. The shoe is available in the flat pedal version as well as the cleat version with 2-hole standard for clipless pedals.
The upper is made of perforated fabric panels for improved airflow and a quick-dry lining. However, the outside stayed dry during the most part of my visit to Montafon. There were only a few drops of rain for a very short time. And the inside? Nothing to complain about here. Even after wearing these shoes for a full day, my feet were nice and dry.
The sole is made of a so-called Sticky Foot rubber compound, which improves grip on the pedals. Endura has also incorporated a toe cap and heel reinforcement in the shoe, which should provide extra protection against injuries. The fastening system of the MT500 Burner Flat consists of laces and velcro. In addition, the shoe tongue is designed to prevent dirt from entering. By the way, the tongue weights around 900 grammes per pair of shoes.
First impressions: beautiful inside and out
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve only worn Endura’s MT500 Burner Flat for one day so far. Therefore, I can’t tell you how the shoes perform in the long run. I’ve also mentioned that I quite like the design. It’s the first pair of MTB shoes that doesn’t evoke images the janitor who worked at my school back in the day. That’s a good thing, in case you were wondering.
A further plus is that my feet were dry even after several sweaty hours of biking. The laces in combination with the velcro fastening provided good stability; the specialised, medium-soft rubber sole great grip on the pedals.
So can the «inner values» of the Endura MT500 Burner Flat keep up with its looks? At first glance, my answer is: yes, they can.
Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
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