Five Ten founder Charles Cole, inventor of Stealth rubber, dies aged 63

Charles Cole, founder of sports shoe brand Five ten and inventor of the sticky Stealth rubber beloved by rock climbers and flat pedal users, has died aged 63, having had a huge impact in action sports thanks to his inventions and astute marketing.
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As an accomplished rock climber with numerous first ascents to his name - many at the 5.10 grade that gave the company its name - his invention of the super sticky Stealth rubber had a huge impact on the climbing scene and revolutionised the flat pedal riding market too.
The first mountain bike shoes with Five Ten's signature rubber landed in 2000, when Jeff Steber approached Charle Cole to create a flat pedal specific downhill shoe. Although rare and much prized, they developed a cult following and signature editions from flat pedal DH race icons such as Sam Hill quickly followed.
The shoes quickly spread beyond the downhill scene and it's fair to say that they generated an upswell of interest in using flat pedals for trail riding, leading to today's packed flat pedal and shoe market, including a broad range of clipless Five Ten models.
This huge success in cycling and other sports eventually led to Charles Cole selling Five Ten to Adidas in 2011, retiring a few years after. He leaves behind his wife and three children.