Submitted by
ilakano
a Cross Country Rider
from clayton, ca
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2004
Strengths: Very stiff sole, responsive. 3 straps allow for customized fitting.
Weaknesses: A little heavy
Bottom Line:
Since I paid only 23 bucks for them, they are a bargain. For some reason, my feet fit the Addidas lasts very well. Lots of comfort with the big toe box and stiff sole.
Submitted by
Todd Handelman
a Weekend Warrior
from Kensington, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2003
Strengths: very rigid sole, good ventilation
Weaknesses: difficult to get in and out of, you have to completely disengage all three velcro straps just to slide your foot in or out...the price you pay for a secure fit. the grip tabs on the end of the velcro straps fell off...this actually makes it easier to work the hook and loop straps.
Bottom Line:
good support and snug fit, but a pain in the ass to put on and take off. No blisters or hot spots.
How complicated can a mountain biking shoe possibly be?
Similar Products Used: specialized, green and brown...don't remember what the model.
Bike Setup: 1998 GT Rebound, rock shocks jett, cane creek thudbuster suspension seat post, spd pedals, riser bar, end bar/pegs.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mike M
a Cross Country Rider
from NW Arkansaw
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2002
Strengths: When you are strapped in, you are really in. Definitely won't ever come off if you don't want them to. Decent looks, fit, feel. But...
Weaknesses: The top velcro strap/top of the tounge area is located way too far up the foot for me. Can't hardly bend my ankle without pain. A bit tough to get on (I could live with that though).
Bottom Line:
Only took 30 seconds to tell these shoes wouldn't work in any way shape or form. The top strap tries to amputate my foot if the angle between my foot and leg is less than 90 degrees. Ouch. Sending them back. Too bad, in every other aspect they seem great. I really liked how secure they felt, no way they were coming off. Some of road shoes I have used would come off like slippers. Seems kind of odd these shoes were so far off since most shoes (non-cycling shoes included) fit acceptably.
There is a reason why Performance has these on sale.
3 flamers for value, 'cause they might fit and work well for somebody. 1 flamer for overall rating 'cause of the one glaring problem with the fit.
This is for the Gradient II's if that makes a difference.
Similar Products Used: Ancient Sidi Revolutions, Diadora's and Specialized lace-up road shoes from the mid-eighties.
Bike Setup: Several bikes.....
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Woodinville, WA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2001
Strengths: Value, flexibility with fit due to laces and velcro closure, stiff and comfortable, reflective strips for visibility at night without looking gaudy, greatlooks
Weaknesses: hard to find
Bottom Line:
My Sidi Dominators served me long and well. I was in the market for some new shoes. I read the review it got in Mountain Bike magazine and kept a note of it in the back of my head. When it came time to shop I remembered the Gradients and thought I would try them out. They were hard to find. Performance used to carry them. Luckily, the Adidas Store in Seattle carried them. I tried them on, they fit well and so I bought them. What I like is that you can adjust the fit by fiddling with the laces and velcro closures. My first couple of rides I had a little hot spot on my right shoe. With a little adjusting of the laces the shoes are a perfect fit. It seems the review below mine never took the time to adjust his shoes and hastily made his review. Just like anything you have to spend the break-in time with any product for correct fit. Great shoes. Too bad they don't keep the same color for 2001.
Bike Setup: Klein Attitude Comp, SID XC, XTR, Chris King Headset, Bontrager Wheelset
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Sean
a Cross Country Rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2001
Strengths: stiff strong body.
Weaknesses: The sole has these 2 rubber thing beside the cleat and its in the way while in the trail when you have to put your legs down... the shoe is also extremely uncomfortable, heavy and alot of padding which makes cleaning and drying of the shoes very long...
Bottom Line:
i guess if you are a hardcore rider this shoe is not for you... when you do heavy offroad, these shoes will sting like crazy... i guess for begineers this would be a very value for money shoes but if you get higher, get northwave or sidi... nike is also not bad...
Similar Products Used: Northwave team and sidi dominator (or something like that)
Bike Setup: the bike with 2 wheels, a saddle, one handlebar and some gears...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Phill
a Cross Country Rider
from Ghent,Belgium
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2000
Strengths: Great shoes for a nice price
Bottom Line:
This shoes work fine zith ths Shimano-SPD-M545 pedals. I have to say that I tried many different shoes in the shop and that these are fitting very well for their price. also the grip is very good and also clicking is quiet easy
Submitted by
TechniKal
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin TX
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2000
Strengths: Good fit (for narrow feet), well built, stiff, comfortable
Weaknesses: A little on the hot side, no little 'thingy' on the tounge to attach to the laces to keep the tounge out of the way when putting the shoe on
Bottom Line:
Good shoe at a good price. All of the places I've had other shoes fail (heel cup, sole near cleat, toe) are reinforced in this shoe. It's also a good looking show without all the gaudy clown colors that seem to be prevelant on a lot of the cycling shoes out there.
Submitted by
Jonathan J
a Racer
from Wimberley, Texas
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2000
Strengths: Light, amazinglycomfortable, stiff, hold up well
Weaknesses: hard to find
Bottom Line:
I saw the review in one of the bike rags, so I thougt I'd try to find these shoes. They were rated as an incredible value at 100.00. I couldn't agree more. I had to go to Performance to get them, as i couldn't find them in any shop. The fit was dead on, and as comfortable as a high-end jogging shoe. Don't be misled by the comfort. These shoes are stiff and have excellent power transfer. I raced them three days after I got them, and I couldn't believe how they felt. 7 months later, they have held up well. I will buy another pair when I need to.
Similar Products Used: Specialized, Diadora, Shimano
Bike Setup: '99 Specialized Rockhopper XT all around, manitou fork, body geometry saddle
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Abner
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Louis, MO, USA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2000
Strengths: Comfortable Great fit & looks Reasonable price
Weaknesses: Hard to find (that may be due to my own ignorance, so I can't count off for that)
Bottom Line:
I got these as a replacement for my Nike Inyo Lows which even after a good 8 month break in period, still never fit quite right and made my feet hurt pretty soon after wearing them. I ordered them from Performance for about $109 including S/H and I have no complaints with their service. I'll have to admit I was a little skeptical with the thought of ordering the shoes online... didn't want to end up with 2 pairs of crappy fitting shoes. I get my package, open the box, and here are these two incredible lookings shoes. After trying them on, I was impressed even further. These shoes fit better and were more comfortable straight out of the box than my "broken in" Nikes. I also found out that they work better with my Shimano 434 pedals as well.. with very little adjusting and no fumbling around, I heard this super-loud "CLICK" for the first time. I hope that these shoes have the same durability as other Adidas shoes/products have. 5 flamin' chilis for this awesome shoe.
Bike Setup: 99 Specialized FSR Sport w/ Shimano 434 pedals, but soon to be a 00 Schwinn Rocket 88 Stage 3
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
BigRing
a Cross Country Rider
from Flowery Branch GA
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2000
Strengths: solid construction good fit laces and straps
Weaknesses: a little hard to get on straps could be longer
Bottom Line:
These shoes are a good solid product. Full lacing plus three straps keep them in place. Very well made. The straps are just a bit on the short side if you have a thick foot. My feet are on the narrow side and the are just long enough to catch with out making them too tight. With laces, straps, leather flap and a elastic band keeping the tounge inplace they are a little work to get on your feet. But once on they are very snug and well fitting. No heel slip like with my old Diadoras. Sizing is pretty much right on. Having two replaceable cleets in the front and the back put these shoes above all the others.When the rest are worn to the nub these will have plenty of traction. In the 100 buck category these shoes have to be the king and probablly better than alot of the hogher priced shoes. If you are thinking in the 100 dollar range for shoes. Buy these. I highly recomend them. 5 burnt chalupas for good solid performance, engineering and value.
So how do they rate from most weak/flexy to strongest/stiffest assuming 32 hole and disc application...
any idea?
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