J
J. Perry
January 29, 2024
Good shoe-Detailed review
I have been biking for close to 30yrs of my life but have always been nervous to go with clip-less shoes. I tried on several other pairs of shoes and could not find one that fit well. My right foot is slightly smaller than my left and is between a 46-47. The left foot fits the 47 perfectly. Some of the boa shoes would not stay tight just from walking around the store during try on.I found the privateer version of this shoe at a local shop and the 46 fit the length of my feet overall, but I had a lot of rubbing on the top of my big toe toenails. I tried on a 47 and it was slightly loose on the right foot, but the toe box was perfect.I opted to order the VR90 in a 47 instead of the privateer as it comes with toe spikes (I race cyclocross), travel bag, extra laces, and three different arch inserts. I swapped to the max support since I have high arches.Upon trying it on at home the right foot was still a little loose and I was slightly nervous. I was able to do some fine adjusting thanks to the laces. I decided to try it anyway and mounted some Crankbrothers cleats to match my Crankbrothers mallet pedals.My first ride was 10miles with a steep 600ft hill climb, some max effort sprints, and some bunny hops to clear some curbs. This shoe felt great and I didn’t notice any slipping in the heal. I probably could have tightened the right shoe a little tighter but I left it a little loose because I didn’t want it to cut off my circulation. At the end of the ride I did have a slight hot spot in the ball of my right foot which I think was caused by having the shoe a little loose. It was 70 degrees and my feet never felt overly warm or sweaty.My opinion is go with this shoe over the Velcro or boa shoes. The privateer would have probably been fine but I liked the accessories. The laces are really good for daily in the right tightness and they never loosened up of the entire 10miles. The cleats do not need any shims to help clear the grips and they feel comfortable to walk in on asphalt.
✔ Verified Purchase
T
Thomas Scimone
February 23, 2024
Wow! Just Wow!
I have paid sooo much for bike shoes, the options on the market are dismal, boring and the same. Not these shoes…they are sharp, well designed and great quality.For the price you get a lot! I have a $300 pair from London and these compare to that, Excellent quality and design. They fit well and look great in person.The only thing I regret was buying a pair for $300 before I saw these.
✔ Verified Purchase
"
"chkmiller"
March 08, 2019
Laces are the way to go
No pressure points, super snug where I need it, no heel slip, grippy vibram sole.I have one very narrow, and one very fat foot. Previous Sidi and Specialized trail or CC shoes didn't get fit right for both extremes without pressure points from ratchet. Boa straps were better but not as good as laces.Tying these take me about 20 seconds longer than the ratchet or boa on other shoes. After they are tied, it takes an additional three to four seconds to tuck the laces under an elastic strap - very easy.I'm considering buying another pair to has a reserve - they bring me joy.
✔ Verified Purchase
R
Rob Gasbarro
May 28, 2020
Laces rock
Riding for 30 years - owned tons of great shoes and I’m a CPED. Feet are my profession. Pros and cons to these. I love laces. Agree that they’re still the best way to manage volume in a shoe. Euro sizing is the best way to size a shoe and these are spot on. With that said, these run a little narrow compared to most people’s standards. This shoe does not have a vet defined metatarsal head. Also, TEIJIN does NOT stretch. So don’t expect a break in. Otherwise, they’re very forgiving, the soles are STIFF!! :) ... and the full vibrant is awesome. Insanely well made. I don’t think it’s a $300 shoe at MSRP but $199 is a good value.
✔ Verified Purchase
N
Nick Huston
August 13, 2018
Giro's Top of Line Mountain Shoe - 2 Servings of Buyers Remorse
I would like to start this review by saying, I love Giro products. I have spent probably $3,000 in Giro Accessories over the years, including MANY pairs of cycling shoes - Privateer, Privateer R, Carbide, VR70s, VR90s and more.The Giro Empire VR90 shoes suffer from some of the absolute worst quality control, I have seen in any of Giro products thus far. I have now returned 2 pairs in less than 30 days for negligent craftsmanship. My first pair featured nearly a full inch of seam on the back of the heal that was not stitched closed. My second pair that I have just returned, many of the sections of tread block on the bottom of the shoe had their bonding fail and started to fall off, resulting in a floppy uneven walking shoe and perhaps my last Giro purchase.I understand that cyclists beat the hell out their shoes and we ask a lot, but I have had multiple pairs of Giro shoes last over 2 years without any of the issues mentioned here.Truly inexcusable for a top of the line, flagship product.
✔ Verified Purchase
Durable, comfortable shoe without the brakeable tightening system.
Great shoe. Works well on hike-a-bikes and has held up to foot to rock contact. I was reluctant to go back to a laced shoe but the laces have not come untied or fallen out of the lace strap once to my surprise. I see why they get the good ratings. The color actually looks great to me but some others certainly don't care for orange camo. The one thing to remember. If you install the spikes, use a regular spanner and not the included tool. I lost one because the plastic tool makes it hard to torque the spikes in properly.
✔ Verified Purchase
A
A friend
October 10, 2023
Used
Supposed to be new but someone put their cleats in and clearly had some rides in them. Major fail.
✔ Verified Purchase
