Dakine Drift shoes

There is an abundance of shoes to choose from on the shelf these days. From your traditional skate style shoe to lighter and more supportive footwear and of course rugged flat sole shoes for gravity use. There’s a world of choice and that is a good thing, as your feet are one of 5 contact points on your bike, and certainly the place where you can put the most strength through how your bike is going to handle. Dakine have stepped up to the plate to deliver the Dakine Drift Flat pedal shoe. With loads of features and tech to their flat pedal shoe its definitely a dark horse amongst the array of options.

A closer look

Dakine is known for a lot of products in the mountain bike scene from their infamous shuttle pads to back packs, protection, the list goes on. The Dakine Drift mountain bike shoe has a bunch of tech and functionality to this shoe brings plenty of features to a classic look. Dakine have a supportive midsole for pedal stability, but it runs to the forefoot to allow for plenty of toe flex off the bike. There’s a reinforced EVA midsole plus another layer of EVA foam beneath the footbed to provide even more comfort. On the pedals the DK Ultra Grip Rubber outsole is said to provide plenty of grip on pedals or terrain.

I have been riding flats since day dot and like all flat pedal riders I have done my time on 5.10 shoes and it really has been a challenge to find that equivalent connection between the pedal and shoe. There are lots of nice touches with the Dakine Drift shoes. I like to have tidy laces and this is my first encounter with Dakine’s Tuckable Lace pocket. As the name suggests you can tuck you laces up into the tongue of the shoe to keep them secure giving your shoe a clean laceless look. Riding in wet and filthy conditions I could see this being a great feature beyond the aesthetics. 

Dakine use a perforated tongue to help with ventilation, as being a solid upper shoe, there isn’t much air flow or ventilation across the top of the shoe. Still, for those riding in a wetter climate the solid upper would be great for keeping your feet dryer. 

Dakine use a very roomy toe box, so that is spot on for people with wider feet that may suffer from squished toes. The toe box does have some stiffness to protect from impact. Not the firmest I have felt over the years but better then nothing for hopefully the rare toe to the ground impact.

On the trail 

Thanks to sole of the shoe being like an onion with its layers of construction for support and comfort, I found the Drift to be very comfortable no matter how long I was riding. Whether it is a quick power hour lap or for big days from breakfast to dinner, there is something to be said about having good footwear on. Not only does your shoe have to give you grip and confidence on the trail but for me I spend lots of time walking and standing in my shoes with camera gear and this is where the Dakine shoe starts to come alive. The thicker than usual comfort footbed innersole really helped give a bit more cushion. The in-house DK Flex Tech Shank which is the core provided plenty of stiffness for the shoe, which helps for all day support. I think Dakine have found that fine line, soft enough for comfort on and off the bike but stiff enough for flatter hard landings on the pedals that you don’t feel your foot fold around your pedal. I have definitely owned some really stiff shoes thinking that would be great for stiffness and support on the pedal but I ended up with aching feet every time. 

On the pedals, the DK Ultra Grip rubber proved to play just the right role as an important connection between rider and bike. This has a thicker sole tread to what you usually see on shoes but I think that is where a lot of impact absorption happens. I have had great grip in the past on pedals but as soon as I’m riding through braking bumps and holes, those forces cause my foot to bounce on the pedal. I’m happy to say that I didn’t have my feet bouncing on these sections of trail. Confidence is a huge part of being able to ride without hesitation into rough sections and concentrate on the trail, and the Dakine Drifts meant I could do exactly that, without needing to think about what my feet were doing. 

Verdict

The Dakine Drift is a classic looking flat-sole mountain bike shoe, that hides a whole lot of great features. They match comfort and stability for use on and off the bike, and also have excellent pedal retention. The solid upper has some ventilation help via a perforated tongue, but some may feel they could get a little warm in the steamiest of climates. If that sounds like you, Dakine also sell the Drift Vent shoe in fits for both men and women.