Old Gold: Dakine Slayer Knee Pads

Oct 21, 2022
by Samuel McMain  
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The mass-produced soft good that defined seven formative years of riding.

Some people have skeletons in their closets; I have dead pairs of Dakine Slayer knee pads. Like skeletons, my stinky old knee pads are the remnants of the past, reminders of my formative years of riding. Yes, these are my actual pads, complete with whatever dirt, sweat and blood samples they picked up along the way. Why keep these ratty old things around when I have much newer, less gnarly knee pads? Why subject myself and anyone who dares open my closet to a visceral, carnal, olfactory time capsule? It’s simple: I love every pair of Slayers too much to part with them.

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The OG Dakine Slayer. This particular pair of pads spent a winter shuttling in Thailand, summer suffer festing in Montana and weekend heli biking in Canada.

The Slayers and I first met back in 2015 at the Kingdom Trails of northern Vermont. It was early October and the mid-autumn chill hung crisply in the air. This was the then-annual edition of the Bike Magazine Bible of Bike Tests, hosted on a picturesque estate complete with an antique mansion, well-manicured grounds and a rustic barn perfect for storing test bikes and gear. Everywhere you looked there were vivid oranges, yellows and reds as deciduous flora welcomed the coming winter like an aging phoenix. These colors paled in comparison, however, to the deep matte black and crystal grey of the set of Slayers nestled atop a pile of soft goods, perfectly illuminated by a ray of light that swam with the dust of bygone era. From the second I laid eyes on the Slayers, I knew we were meant for each other.

Okay, that may all be a bit of an embellishment. I was just a lowly unpaid intern then, left to grovel at the meager remains of gone-through gear left behind by the editorial staff. Luckily, Dakine had sent more than enough Slayers, so while they were mostly snapped up like maple-syrup-slathered hotcakes, I was lucky enough to snag a set for myself. Little did I know that the Slayers would turn out to be one of the most influential pieces of kit I would own for the better part of the next decade—and that’s not an embellishment.


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For a pedal-friendly kneepad, the Slayer can take a heck of a beating as well.


I come from a big-bike upbringing, having owned mostly dual-crown bikes prior to 2015, and I spent most of my riding time hike-a-biking and shuttling. But things were changing, both for myself and for the mountain bike industry at large. Suddenly, bikes with bigger and bigger travel numbers started climbing well. Like, really well. At the same time, mid-travel bikes started becoming seriously good at going fast downhill.

This paradigm shift called for a complete revamp of riding kit. Bikes like the Kona Process 111, Yeti SB4.5 (the bike that got me hooked on short-travel 29ers) and Transition Smuggler could pedal anywhere a traditional XC rig could, but they could also hang with the kinds of bikes most riders didn’t bother pedaling very far on.

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I’ve been riding in the Slayer since 2015, currently on pair number seven, my last pair as the OG pads have been revamped.

Brands have always worked to make pads that could be pedaled in, but demand for all-day comfort was rising simultaneously as demand for better protection was. The market was struggling to provide a type of lightweight, pedalable pad that offered enough protection for serious sending. Most of the early attempts had fragile spandex materials and poor fits that needed constant fiddling. I have two silver-dollar-sized scars on the tops of both knees from ill-fitting pads sliding out of the way during a crash.

Before I found the Slayer pads, I was rocking full-on DH pads for most of my “trail rides,” particularly the RaceFace Ambush pads that featured D30 and side-opening so I didn’t have to remove my shoes to put them on. This worked well enough but wasn’t ideal. They were hot, heavy and chaffed like salty sandpaper.

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The new pad is quite good, but loses the perfect balance of pedalability and protection the original struck.

Enter the Slayer. The Slayer wasn’t the first knee pad of its kind, but it was the first pad I found that actually aligned with the demands of the exploding trail-bike era, that fit me like a glove. Like modern trail bikes, I could climb and descend in them all day without compromise.

The key to the Slayer’s success was not the impact protection itself, but rather the material Dakine used. While many lightweight pads use thin Spandex blends that breathe exceptionally well and move with your every pedal stroke, that kind of material rips easily and doesn’t hold the pad in place well. The Slayer used a much thicker, robust fabric. It isn’t nearly as stretchy, breathable or smooth as Spandex—they actually take five to 10 rides to break in before becoming comfortable. However, it offers a key attribute that few other trail pads can boast: support.

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The heavier materials of the Slayer, as compared to other lightweight knee pads, still breathe well yet are much more durable and protective.

The Slayer hugs your leg like an overly attached golden retriever. Once you heat them up and get a little sweat going, the pads simply do not move around. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to crash-test the Slayers and not once have they slipped off or failed to take the bullet for my knees. On the harder hits, I’ve walked away with friction burns in place of split flesh and bone. I’d call that a success.

I’m convinced that their ability to stay in place so well is why they can get away with using a relatively lighter-weight build than other hard-hitting pads. The actual impact protection insert, a D30-like material called DK Impact, is pretty slim and small compared to other pads, yet because it will always be in the right position in a crash, Dakine can use less of it and shape the material to be more conducive to pedaling. The sides are relief-cut to allow full knee articulation, expanding with a straight leg so as to not impede movement, then coming back together to form a full bowl over the knee cap when the leg is bent (and most likely the position your leg will be in during a crash). How effective is this? I’ll put it this way—none of the excessive scarring on my knees came to be while wearing the Slayer.

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The DK Impact insert rivals big names like D30.

The final secret sauce to the Slayer is their high-cuff cut that extends up to the middle of my thigh. There’s a silicone gripper at the top cuff as well, which keeps the pad in place and totally eliminated the dreaded knee pad Gorby gap. The Slayer was one of the first knee pads to use the high-cuff design, as most pads of that era were far too short and relied too heavily on some sort of cinch strap. Simply having more material and friction higher up the thigh kept things in place just much more effectively.

This all added up to the best mid-weight, hard-hitting knee pad that I could actually pedal in all day and trust to keep me safe in high-speed, high-consequence terrain. I’ve lost count of the number of big rides I’ve spent in these pads, often clocking upwards of 10 hours of uninterrupted use without any discomfort. Even in deep-summer heat, the Slayer remains the best blend of comfort and protection I’ve found. While other pads may be more comfortable to wear, or offer more protection, the balance the Slayer strikes is unparalleled.

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The closest kneepad I’ve found to the Slayer is the new Chromag Rift. Time will tell how that relationship pans out.

This is why I was heartbroken when Dakine discontinued the OG Slayer a few seasons ago. The Slayer was the kneepad that made the long-distance, trail bike era more accessible to me. They relieved the small mental burden of uncomfortable knee pad-chaffing and made all-day sufferfests in the deep country of Montana less suffery and more festive. On long dry-season shuttle days in Thailand, I could put them on at 7 a.m., wear them until 6 p.m., and still not dread putting them on the next day. These are marginal gains maybe, but added up over years of riding, it’s easy for me to see how much more enjoyment I’ve had on a bike.

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The flexible, honeycomb-shaped impact insert can just be seen here through the outer fabric. It easily conforms to the knee and breaths very well.

There’s a new version of the Slayer now, but like most sequels, it’s not the same. It’s beefed up, and while still an excellent knee pad, it lost the delicate balance that made the original Slayer perfect. Since the OG’s death, I’ve scoured the earth for any last pairs that might still be out there. Currently, I’m on my very last pair, number seven. Every ride we go on together is one ride closer to the end, the time when this last set joins its retired brethren. I’ve been doing my best to avoid that day, however, choosing to ride in one of my many other knee pads picked up in a preemptive search for the Slayer’s successor.

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The Slayer is dead. Long live the Slayer.

I’m sure I’ll find another pad to fill the void the Slayer will leave. The Chromag Rift and I have a budding relationship, but I still dread the day I have to face that reality. I’ve found my knee pad match, and I don’t want to be back on the market. Plenty of fish in the sea, they say. I just want more of those old Slayers.




Author Info:
samskuatch avatar

Member since Aug 6, 2009
13 articles

66 Comments
  • 19 0
 I’ve been pretty happy with 7idp Sam Hill lites as a pedal friendly trail pad. Most days I don’t notice I have them on. Only problem is the material of the sleeve is very delicate. Have a couple small holes developing from thorn snags and pedal pins. Pretty hard to get a balance of breathability and durability I imagine. Also nitpicking but I wish they were all black without big blue logos. Try to avoid being a billboard whenever possible.
  • 9 0
 7idp Sam Hill Knee are great to pedal in (don't want the lites) and level 2 protection. Don't know what more to ask for. Sure they are a bit warm but that's fine with the protection they offer, still way better and less warm than other pads offering the same protection
  • 3 0
 I have a set of 7idp's too - usually when we are climbing I leave them down around my ankles so no issues with climbing in them but for my recent Moab/Fruita trip and our even more recent colder weather I've been climbing with them up and they work just fine. The sleeve material is definitely fragile (mine have some dodgy guy-sewing repairs on the chainring side) and I do find that some days climbing the top works its way down my leg but otherwise I love them.
  • 3 0
 Yeah, I tried Dakine Slayers but could not get the fit right despite trying two sizes. 7idp Sam Hill fit me perfectly and are holding strong after 3 seasons of riding, except holes on the back of the calf caused by pins. Also they saved my knees multiple times.
  • 1 0
 I had the Sam Hill Lite's and they were so thin that I still had beat up knees. I heard the regular Sam Hill pads are much better, but I haven't tried them. Instead, I got the IXS Flow Evo+ pads which are great
  • 1 0
 Just don't bang your knees and they're awesome. I have some for sale here.
  • 1 0
 First crash on those it ripped the whole pad out on the Sam hill ones, comfortable, just lower durability imo. I've had my dakine slayers for 4 years and have had them resown 2x. Crashed 8 times.
  • 2 0
 @pistol2ne: Honestly, this would have to be huge crash since the front of Sam Hill's is pretty tough.
  • 1 0
 @lkubica:
Yes I've had Sam Hill pads for a few years. Perfect fit for me and super comfortable.
  • 1 0
 Funny how it all comes around. NOW the “OG” is hip. Lol.

Kids…….
  • 1 0
 @leftypumpkin: not a permanent fix and unsure if you know this but 7idp will always give you half off new pads for something as minor as holes from pedals.
  • 1 0
 @lkubica: side, it's weak material on the side. That's why I like tougher stretch less knee lading for normal rides.
  • 9 0
 I think I have 3 or 4 pairs of those Slayers.....probably my favorite of all time. Yes a little warm and would like a little side protection but they stayed put and had great protection you could pedal all day in. SixSixOne recon advance have taken their place and not a bad replacement.
  • 3 2
 the problem is you need 4 pairs to last a full season
  • 8 0
 I hope there are more reviews of older gear or at least long-term testing of gear (multiple years). I know it's not always possible, but I'm the type of person that likes buying a quality piece of gear that lasts for years.
  • 5 0
 My Roach brand Cordura forearm and elbow pads are 24 yo and only lately starting to not fit perfectly/ show signs of wear. If I get the same life span from the second pair I bought 10 years ago and put in storage, I will be 70, at which point i will not be riding as hard.
If you find any article of clothing, especially footwear that fits really well, buy at least 2 pairs/sets.
  • 7 0
 Thanks for the support, great to see all the love here.
Have any of you tried the Slayer Knee Sleeve? www.dakine.com/collections/bike-protection
This is my personal favorite these days.

-Gabe
  • 3 0
 Yep, love 'em. I have 2 pairs, so I can always have one pair washed and dry.
  • 5 0
 The rifts really are great. got them after tearing a set of slayers and the material/padding makes them low-profile/no slip but still plenty protective on the kneecap and upper shin. definitely going to fall apart quicker than slayers do though
  • 1 0
 They can last, after 2 years the only thing which isn't like new is the silicone stripes are twisting outside a bit, nothing else, fits still the same. Definitely the most comfortable pads I've ever had
  • 5 0
 After crashing excessively and bleeding profusely on a BC bike trip I walked into a large bike shop and used their bathroom sink to clean up my bloody knee and have my bike repaired.
While waiting I tried on about 10 sets of knee pads. (On the good knee). And settled on these dakine slayers as the pads that fit way better than the rest andwould stay in place while not being awful to pedal in.
since then I have to agree with the article… They have been fantastic through countless crashes and hot days pedalling. That was 5 years ago…many crashes .and zero blood from knees. No chafe, no blisters. Great pads
  • 1 6
flag SHLee28 (Oct 21, 2022 at 16:43) (Below Threshold)
 And the other 9 pads were left at the lbs with blood stains…
  • 4 0
 @SHLee28: maybe read his sentence where he points that he was testing on the good knee...
  • 8 0
 Jeff Hanneman RIP
  • 4 0
 What is it with people not washing knee pads? Bang it all in the drum together shoes, Google's, helmet liner, body armour, hip pack the lot
  • 1 0
 Amen brother! I’ll often have the piss taken from ride buddies for being too clean…I’m like, I own a washing machine, it’s not hard
  • 3 0
 Funnily enough the greatest damage to my Slaters was inflicted by the roughness of the washing machine drum !! Current new Slayer is an awesome piece of kit. Has to be fresh and clean tho !!
  • 1 0
 I put my helmet, knee guards and gloves in the shower and rinse it before I get in. By the time the water is hot the sweat has been washed off and the hang them up. When I sweat a lot I'll do the same with my backpack. I haven't replaced helmet pads in years. Used to be happy if I got two years out of a set of helmet pads.
  • 2 0
 I loved the slayers. Something happened with them at some point though. I got two warranty replacements back to back that the stitching just ripped out of after a handful of rides. After the second set, Dakine didn't seem interested in talking to me anymore. Probably just my bad luck, or hell maybe even a bad batch, but I eventually moved on to the IXS flow. I do miss my slayers though....
  • 2 0
 "There’s a new version of the Slayer now, but like most sequels, it’s not the same. It’s beefed up, and while still an excellent knee pad, it lost the delicate balance that made the original Slayer perfect."

I agree 100%
  • 2 0
 I've worn a bunch of different knee pads from a bunch of companies (Poc, 7Idp, Dakine Anthem, G-Form, Fox) and my main gripe has been the fragility of the material on the back. It's super frustrating when a perfectly good pair of pads becomes useless because the thin backing material tears from simply pulling them off and on or from pedal pins as others have mentioned. I've settled on the Fox Enduros (not Enduro Pro) because their back material is thicker and they tick all of the boxes for me (not too mention their incredibly reasonable price). I have a feeling that anyone who likes Dakine Slayers would like Fox Enduro knee pads.
  • 1 0
 Had these pads... picked up the ones with yellow highlights because no one wanted them and they were on sale. Loved them while they were good, but then after about a year and half, they stopped staying up. By that time, many pad manufacturers had caught up. But ya, they were a great pad at the time!
  • 1 0
 I still use the Dakine Slayer 1.0s. The design and coverage is good, but can be a little rough on the skin. The stitching and material are coarse. I definitely have gotten some hot spots and irritation from them on longer rides. I just hope they make them more comfortable against the skin. Perhaps put a liner inside or tape all the inside seams.
  • 1 0
 Big ups to Dakine, one of my favorite brands by a mile. Everyone glorifies the "old days" of every brand, and maybe there's some truth to it with Dakine, but they still make great products at a really really good value.

Been using a rift bag for 15 years. Well designed, durable product, much like these OG Slayers.
  • 1 0
 Wore Slayers on pedally rides for years and loved them. When my last pair was done I went and bought the new version which turned out to be redesigned and not for the better. After 10 rides or so I was done with them. Asked out loud if Dakine actually tests the products they put out anymore because if they did then how could they sell these pads. Switched to 7idp and haven’t looked back.
  • 1 0
 iI I could have been bothered to write an article about slayer pads, it wouldn't have been this good! Totally agree with all of these words. I was gutted when I discovered the new Slayers weren't like the old. Other than missing a touch of side protection the OGs were the best.
  • 2 0
 I also hoarded some of these, I am on my last pair and the right one is starting to sag. Great pad. Looks like 7idp Sam Hill is on the short list for next pad
  • 3 0
 I love my slayers. Every review of a different kneepad misses that new pad's biggest weakness: its not a slayer
  • 1 0
 Yep, I rarely stuff these in my pack anymore and mostly just wear them on the climb. I've crashed over the years of course, but have never wished for more. I'll be looking for an older version as well
  • 3 0
 I was a slayer fan and then I tried out the 7idp Sam Hill pads and have never looked back.
  • 2 0
 My OG Slayers were still my favorites ever. Good god they smelled deadly by the end though. Bring back the old Slayer with anti-stink fabric.
  • 4 0
 Yep sam hill with the extra padding on the side ..best pads out there
  • 1 0
 I have both the old and new versions and yes, the old one is the BEST. Opt for them whenever significant amount of pedaling is on tap. Then will give them a rest if it's a shorter ride and/or very rocky.
  • 2 0
 i love mine. Anyone got any experience with the slayer pro? If theyre similar but with a strap and side pads that might just be perfect......
  • 1 0
 So far out of half a dozen knee pads. My favourites are the IXS Trigger Race pads for park riding. Only negative is the back is very fragile. You look at them wrong and they will explode.
  • 1 0
 I have two pair of IXS. The Evos (my everyday) got better as they aged (4 years). My only gripe is they took a long time to break in - and regardless of age the mesh back panels are prone to stretch tears if you are not careful pulling them up. My larger 2021 IXS carves (Bike park/enduro) are heavier and larger with side knee and above knee padding and they are still stiff, but also prone to the stretch fabric tears in the back panels. Between the two models the elbow pads are about the same shape with the carves being a little larger. No sag in either and the stay up in all situations
  • 1 0
 2 seasons with Chromag Rifts, would not grab anything else. Yes it can be on the edge for park riding, but otherwise I can't say a word against them. Super comfy, stay where they should, put and forget.
  • 1 0
 I’ve had a pair for 5+ years and have been great that entire time. Definitely worn out by now, but still better than alternatives I’ve tried on.
  • 1 0
 Still rockin my Slayers I've had for like 4-5 years now. It'll be a sad day when they're finally dead. Best knee pads I've ever owned.
  • 2 0
 Dakine website visits for Slayers increase by 4000% in one day.... Can't be the only one to want to try these now.
  • 3 0
 Check eBay. Just got a new old stock pair on there for $40.
  • 2 0
 THANK YOU
  • 1 0
 I've been using my 2017 anthems. Not an issue with them. Solid and still have alot of life left. They make pretty solid stuff
  • 1 0
 Thank you @dakine for making the best knee pad. I too miss mine and always will.
  • 1 0
 Once saw a review of these here on PB and decided to give them a try. Definitely my favorite knee pad!
  • 1 0
 TLD Speed knee sleeve for me. perfect fit & light. only on rides longer than 5 hrs do i get a bit of chafe.
  • 1 0
 Ya, those sure look stinky! It seeped through the images on this web page! Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Nice soft goods reminiscing, reminds me of the original Sam Hill 5 10's, which were compromised when Adidas bought them out.
  • 1 0
 Can't +1 to this article enough - still holding on desperately to my last pair. Nothing has come even close for me Frown
  • 3 0
 Ion K Pact
  • 1 0
 Love my Chromag Rifts but wish I woulda sized up!
  • 1 0
 Best knee pad in the game
  • 1 0
 Can confirm, the slayer was awesome but the agent is much more gooderer
  • 1 0
 Loved mine forever too
  • 1 0
 made in Indonesia







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