Shoes are an often overlooked piece of gear for mini-shredders and can make all the difference in their comfort and enjoyment on the trails. A proper set of MTB kicks will protect their piggly wigglies from trail debris, help their feet stick to flat pedals, and provide an order of magnitude more support than flexible joggers or school shoes.
Born and bred in the NSW Snowy Mountains, Sendy Gear makes MTB kit specifically for the grommets, and the Shred Sole are flat pedal shoes designed for little feet.
With sizes available from US 3 – 8, these lace-up kicks are built around a reinforced toe box that offers enough protection to prevent toes from being stubbed at high speed on rocks and roots — or crashes.
There is a deep supported heel cup which, in combination with the laces and velcro strap, locks your little one’s foot into the shoe. The strap also doubles to manage the ends of the laces and keep them away from hungry chainrings. Sendy includes two sets so they can be colour-matched to your grommet’s kit and extend the life for hand-me-downs to younger siblings.
The soles are made from what the brand calls Mega Grip rubber. This high-density rubber offers plenty of purchase and hexagonal lugs on the toe and heel that transition to round in the pedalling zone, which are reminiscent of what you’ll find on the bottom of Five Ten shoes. Visual cues aside, they give something for pins to hang onto, keeping your little shredder’s feet securely attached to the pedal platform.
Retailing for $99.95 AUD, they are priced in the middle of the range compared to similar offerings from Ride Concepts and Etnies.
