I only have my 1 pair of bike shoes, Shimano TR - 51s, which i use for both tri racing/training and group riding. I am planning to do a few road races/events this year, and want to purchase a lighter/stiffer and better fitting shoe.
I would like to give business to my LBS- which carries Sidi, Giro, Mavic
I have tried on the Sidi Wire - they fit really well, but at $500 are expensive
From previous threads Giro Prolight SLX have great reviews - any negative experiences with?
Thoughts on Giro Empire - read a review that ventilation may not be great, but they look awesome and are unique (plus are only $275)
Opinions on any of Mavic’s offering, specifically Huez or Zxellium?
I realize there are a few threads on reviewing specific shoes, but this thread is an opportunity to consolidate views and experiences.
It depends on how serious a road racer and what kind of road events you are doing.
I am a pure roadie, coming from shimano R310 ( and for my part time triathlon dabblings, a shimano TR70). great shoes.
Like you, I’m considering the sidi wires, the ergo3, and the mavic zxelliums. no experience with the giros, though.
things to consider when buying a road shoe:
will it last long? here, sidis are unbeatable. sidis may be heavier and cost a bomb, but their lifespan more than repays that investment. I have friends riding on 8 year old sidis. sidi shoes have replaceable almost everything, so they are great in this respect.
stiffness - two things to consider here. the upper, which can’t be too soft, and the sole. stiffness is rather subjective, so I’ll let you judge this for yourself. i find the mavics, while light, tend to have too pliable an upper.
comfort- subjective to fit. sidis tend to run abit tight in the midfoot, but here its subjective too.
warmth: if you ride in cold weather, you may find the mavics abit too cool .
adjustability: on the road, in longer road races, you may want the ability to loosen/tighten your shoes to avoid hot spots or prep for a sprint. here, the preference for on- the fly adjustment is subjective. some may prefer the velcro/ratchet, some may prefer a boa lace. here the giro empire pretty much loses out.
insoles. mavics and sidi pretty much have crap insoles. better to replace them with something aftermarket. specialized and bontrager may be better here.
cleat adjustability and stack height. can you get your cleats in the position you want on your shoes? some people have trouble with this on sidis. stack height on the mavics is really nice and low, which is great. if you ride speedplay, go for speedplay specific shoes.
ultimately, all these top of the line shoes have something going for them. I woldn’t be too concerned about weight for a shoe, rather fitting , clead adjustability, stiffness, and being able to adjust on the fly.
personally, I’m leaning toward the sidis ( I can get them cheap, so thats perhaps a factor.) they are ex, but you will be riding them for a long long time.
Make sure you get the shoe that you feel fits you best.
The Giro ProLights SLX’s are unbelievably light. They have that sensation when they are first in your hand after you pick them up, of being unbelievable. Although this is a road shoe, the set up of the straps, is such that you could get in and out of these on the fly easily, thus they can double as a tri shoe nicely. Anything of the road shoes with a ratchet mech, starts to become a bit of an issue for triathlon use.
I am a big Specialized S-Works, fan. Been riding in them for a number of years and love them. The Boa closure mech is amazing.
The carbon sole of my Zxelliums cracked near the toe after about a year of use. One of my teammates had the same experience. About 10 other guys on the team didn’t have that issue. On the bright side, Mavic replaced our shoes with a 2012 model at no cost (we got the shoes in 2011). As mentioned above, a custom insole (our team uses Sole) might be a good idea for these mavics. Especially if you are used to Specialized shoes.
According to my teammates that switched to Giro shoes, they fit more like the Specialized do. So far the Giros have been really well liked by our guys. Even the guys that loved the Mavics say that the Giros are more comfortable.
I have Sidi shoes for cross/mtb. They seem to be wearing well. They fit my feet great. The insoles are very thin, but I haven’t had a problem with the comfort or feel of them.
I have not extensively used Sidi’s but have with the other two.
I rode in Mavic shoes (zxelliums) for a couple of years, very light very stiff and very breathable. The didn’t fit my feet at all though. I had the rubber pieces break off the sole on one pair, and the cord things on the straps wear out over time. If they fit your feet they could be awesome, but they never fit mine.
Giro’s I road in last season and really enjoyed. The fit was very good and fairly adaptable with the arch supports and HV option. I was in the Trans and they were just barely stiff enough, no hotspots but noticeable flex when climbing or sprinting. Having seen their higher end models they do seem to be quite a bit stiffer. The clasping mechanisms worked really but the “rubber” (more of a hard plastic) pieces on bottom seemed to wear down quickly.
I’ve since switched to Bont’s which are stiffer than anything else I’ve ever worn and fit better (only reason I wouldn’t call Giro’s fit impeccable is that the Bont’s are a different league of glass slipper type fit for me after moulding). In the end try lots of shoes on, and make fit your biggest goal (IMO), nothing saps power like not wanting to push into the shoes because your foot hurts.
I have used the Giro Prolights for two years now. Really nice shoes. The insoles are good, the straps tighten down well, and there is a lot of cushion in the foot area. But, I’ve never worn them without socks, and I’m not sure how well they would work in a transition setup. But, for a road racing shoes, they are awesome.
I only have my 1 pair of bike shoes, Shimano TR - 51s, which i use for both tri racing/training and group riding. I am planning to do a few road races/events this year, and want to purchase a lighter/stiffer and better fitting shoe.
I would like to give business to my LBS- which carries Sidi, Giro, Mavic
I have tried on the Sidi Wire - they fit really well, but at $500 are expensive
From previous threads Giro Prolight SLX have great reviews - any negative experiences with?
Thoughts on Giro Empire - read a review that ventilation may not be great, but they look awesome and are unique (plus are only $275)
Opinions on any of Mavic’s offering, specifically Huez or Zxellium?
I realize there are a few threads on reviewing specific shoes, but this thread is an opportunity to consolidate views and experiences.
Have at it roadies.
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I have the Giro Prolight SLX’s, and they’re amazing. Insanely light, super-stiff and really comfortable. The customizable insole is also really great. And get it in white!
**nothing saps power like not wanting to push into the shoes because your foot hurts. **
Huge!
Seriously. The whole shoe pedal contact point is surprisingly given short shrift by both triathletes and cyclists. They’ll obsess endlessily about aerodynamics or weight or frame material, but then go cheap, where all of their fitness, and power is transferred to the bike!!
It’s interesting to note that when they can outside of team sponsor obligations, I notice that many ProTour riders will stay with the cycling shoe from team to team. This is becoming less so as all-in sponsors like Specialized, and Shimano who have extended their brands to footwear, extend their contracts with the teams to footwear!
Point being with this - take your time with cycling shoes, to find the best fit and functionality for you! Again, this is where your hard earned fitness and performance is transferred to the bike!