The lifespan of a pair of mountain bike shoes is directly related to how much you ride and the level of abuse you put them through. People who ride almost every day all season long may only get a season of use out of a pair of shoes, while those who ride less frequently or more casually should expect to get a couple seasons or more from a quality pair. Typically, the soft rubber of the soles is one of the first places to show wear as the pedal pins leave marks, grooves, and scars in the rubber. Similarly, the uppers of shoes may be prone to damage if scraped on rocks, logs, and shrubbery, and may break down slightly more quickly when used in wet conditions frequently.
Given the duration of our test period, we can’t comment definitively on the long-term durability of any of the shoes we tested. After a couple months of riding, they all showed minimal wear and we expect most models in this test to be reasonably durable given their intended use. The beefier models like the Ride Concepts Tallac Boa, Specialized 2FO DH Flat seem the most rugged and capable of handling the most abuse, while models like the Five Ten Trailcross LT and Specialized Method couple be prone to wearing out faster given the lighter materials used in their uppers.