Submitted by
gil
a Cross Country Rider
from Tustin
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2005
Strengths: nice looking shoe
Weaknesses: everything. I've had the shoe for less then three months and they are already falling apart. I ride alot and these shoes can't take the beating like my old shimanos. It's time for a new pair of shoes but I'll make sure they are not Pearl Izumi.
Bottom Line:
This shoe is more for a beginner or a weekend warrior..it's a cheap shoe for a cheap price.
Submitted by
Byron Williams
a Racer
from Bismarck Arkansas USA
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005
Strengths: Stiff, good placement of the cleats. Fairly light. Three velcro straps. Was able to find a comfortable position for the spds.
Weaknesses: Dont unclip and try to stand on the pedal with the center of the shoe. It is as slick as glass. Not the most comfortable shoe I've worn for sure. Heel slips up and down when you walk. Not sure if it was the really stiff bottoms or the no half sizes that caused that.
Bottom Line:
I was out of town and forgot my shoes last weekend, I bought these so I could ride. Decent shoe for the price. If you have a really wide foot or high arches,I would look for something else. They did work well in a pinch though.
Weaknesses: mid section is very slippery, tongue is too big (unless you have abnormally wide feet)
Bottom Line:
Very good value for money, much better than anything else on the market at the same price. The stiff sole is great for piling on the power. Big treads also great for deep mud and relatively waterproof as well though dont cook your feet in summer either!
Biggest gripe is that in the mid section, its like hard shiny plastic and when unclipped on techie sections, its like ice skating when trying to use the middle of the shoe to pedal!!
I trimmed the tongue on my ones as it was too wide (I consider myself as having wider than normal feet as well)
Submitted by
Eric
a Racer
from Wilmington, DE, USA
Date Reviewed: October 5, 2004
Strengths: Good open, long-lasting soles with traction in mind. Very stiff sole transfers energy efficiently. Easy triple velcro straps that have held up to two seasons of off and on. Great durability. I can clean the shoes and they look new!
Weaknesses: Have toe spike holes, but no toe spikes. Harder sole material can be slippery. Heel cup tends to slip up and down, but could be due to no 1/2 sizes available. (I have 43 (10 US) but wear a 9.5 shoe) The lack of any front toe spike leads to sliding in mud. The shoes are a bit uncomfortable and do not fit the form of the foot well.
Bottom Line:
Great entry level shoe! Not heavy. Durable and good for mud traction. Have worked well as a racing shoe for me, although long rides cause numbness in my feet. It think that has to do with improper sizing. Buy these if you are cost conscious, but want a shoe that will give you longevity and work well. Great value, but better sole compound along with toe spikes included would increase the overall. A better fit would also increase the overall as well.
Strengths: strong sole to the shoe, and great treads on the bottom. no real problem with slipping when walking across mud (I've tried already).
Weaknesses: my feet get a little numb after long rides, I'm hoping it's cause I"m still breaking them in. Also I had a screw fall out of the one side (cleat), but I'm pretty sure that's case I didn't tighten them enough. Problem solved if you just reaf on the screws
Bottom Line:
fairly nice shoes. While I've been wearing them for a few months, I've only ridden with them once or twice. Both times my feet got a little numb, but I think that's more cause I've been off my bike for so long, it happens to me every spring. So bottom line, they have excellent traction, and a strong sturdy sole (which is very good with the pressure applied by my Eggbeaters, disperses it a little). All things combined, a pretty nice shoe.
Submitted by
Ed Eberhardy
a Cross Country Rider
from Belleville, Wisconsin, USA
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2004
Strengths: Stiff sole, velcro, durability
Weaknesses: Flat footed, no cushion, looks, breathability,
Bottom Line:
These shoes are a great entry level shoe. I got them because they were cheap and i thought it would be cool to clip in as soon as possible. turns out they were made for someone who has no arch whereas my foot has quite a high arch. They're good shoes...just not for me. I get really sore feet if i'm in them for more than half an hour. I have tried a few different insoles and decided i'm going to just have to get new shoes. shoulda done research before purchasing....lesson learned!
Submitted by
Stephanie
a Cross Country Rider
from South Hadley, MA USA
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2004
Strengths: Price, color scheme
Weaknesses: Velcro closures, narrowness, uncomfortable on long rides
Bottom Line:
I bought these shoes in spring of '03...my first clipless pedal shoes. I was too chicken to put the pedals on my old bike (Marin), and it wasn't until late summer that I actually used the shoes and the pedals (which I now couldn't live without). Less than four months later (2-3 rides per week), and the velcro was SHOT! Rest assured...every person I tell the story to looks at me like I'm nuts and says "Your velcro was probably just dirty." How wrong they are, because the velcro was spotlessly clean...I'd be riding along and look down and my shoes would be un-velcroed! Also, the soles were stiff, which I liked, but my feet would hurt on long rides. I recently used them on my road bike as well, and that was a big mistake. My pigs were aching! I've since bought the Sidi Mega Dynamic for the road, and they were like putting on a pair of broken in sneakers...SO comfortable that I'm canning the PI and buying some Sidi MTB shoes. I think that the PI are too narrow for the width of my feet. I brought the shoes to the shop I deal with now (not Northampton Bike), and the owner contacted PI immediately, who honored them under warranty, so I got a pair of PI Vortex to replace them (at a cost of $10 to me). PI was really cool about the exchange. The Vortex are WORSE as far as comfort, but the velcro seems to be sticking (so far), although it looks just as chintzy as the Vagabond. Bottom line: I'll be waiting for my Sidi's to arrive. This one might be all personal comfort levels, but the Vagabond doesn't do it for me.
Strengths: Good Price, Fairly Comfortable, Retention Straps work well
Weaknesses: Color(Baby Poop Brown), Heel Slipage
Bottom Line:
These are great shoes for someone who is new to clipless pedals. They offer better hike-a-bike ability than stiffer shoes, but don't give up that much power. Great shoe for the money. The only thing I don't like is the looks. More expensive shoes look better, but who cares about what you look like?
Similar Products Used: Sidi Dominator 4 Mesh(what I have now)
Bike Setup: 2001 Klein Adept Race, FSA Carbon Pro Cranks, Mavic Crossmax's, Avid Ultimate Brakes, All XTR, Eggbeaters, Easton Carbon Bars and Post, Fox Float 80X and Propedal Shock, Kenda Karma Tires
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Ricardo
a Cross Country Rider
from Duluth, GA
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2003
Strengths: rigid, 3 closing straps, plenty of traction, great price
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent shoe that I have no complaints about. They are my first pair of clipless shoes so I can't compare them to anything else, but they fit my feet like a glove, work great with my SPD Richey Comp ATB pedals, and I didn't have to shell out tons of cash to get them.
Bike Setup: proflex 4500 Shimano XT, RaceFace crank, Cane Creek wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dominick S
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson, Az, USA
Date Reviewed: October 24, 2003
Strengths: Stiff sole and three velcro straps all for a great price. I like the fact the shoe has a wide toe because others(Shimano) had too tight of a fit, so if you have a narrow foot may need to select another shoe.
Weaknesses: Nada(none) as far as I am concerned, but stiff sole doesnt well suited for people hiking around, but I believe the only time your feet need to be on ground when gravity calls and balance does not answer.
Bottom Line:
I am a beginner to MTB, though spent most of my youth on BMX tracks in Tucson on a Supergoose(shows my age!), and at this price really allows entry level riders spend more money on quality pedals instead of shoes. No sense of having $1000 saddle on a $10 horse!
Bike Setup: 4100 Trek,Shimano deore XT,and Crank Bros Mallet C.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew I.
a Cross Country Rider
from Greendale, WI USA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2003
Strengths: Shoes fit my wide feet. Price Velcro straps- no laces
Weaknesses: Yellow! otherwise, none
Bottom Line:
Great shoes for the money: they dont cost an arm and a leg. (It's even better getting the shoes on sale like I did) Being that I've got wide feet, it was hard finding a shoe that fit. After two rides totaling about 65 miles, the shoes formed to my feet. Bike specific socks help with proper fit.
Bike Setup: '03 Trek 4900 disc(demo) with stock parts including Bontrager racedisc wheels and Shimano deore m525 (hydraulic) brakes except shimano m515 pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tim B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Pearland, TX, USA Baby!!!
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2003
Strengths: I've only used these shoes a couple of times, having just switched to clipless a few weeks ago. I must say, though, that these things ROCK!! Fairly comfortable, they could MAYBE use an insert, but it's not a necessity. I have SUPER WIDE feet, and these shoes fit great. I bought them as a package from pricepoint with Time ATAC Alium pedals. So far, so good. No worries.
Weaknesses: None yet. I'll keep you posted.
Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a comfortable pair of clipless shoes and haven't won the lotto yet, this is a good way to go. I have nothing to compare to, so I can't say it's the only way, but it's definitely proven to be a good choice if you're making the switch for the first time, and if you have WIDE FEET!! Do it!!!! Keep the dirt side down!!!
Let me start by telling you that I am an idiot. I wrote the review below and got it oh so horribly wrong. At a cursory glance I ASSUMED you could put spikes in those littlle mouldings on the sole. What happens when you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME, in this case mostly ME!
Those little moldings are just because Pearl Izumi must use the same mould for their higher model shoes and just didn't include the metal threaded insert. (Am I assuming again?!)
Anyway, the review below is WRONG, in that respect at least. My apologies for casting any doubts as to the validity of Paul Francis' opinions or his abilities to review products or huck drops. In fact Paul is one of the best riders that I have never met.
Sorry to those who got all excited and emailed me asking how it's done. Let me repeat, I am an idiot.
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Brisbane, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2003
Strengths: Super stiff sole, looks fantastic, three velcro straps, bargain price, real leather upper, super comfortable, they DO have provision for spikes to be screwed in, super stiff sole
Weaknesses: The low price makes people think they are cheap quality, nothing could be further from the truth
Bottom Line:
These shoes are awesome. The stiffest sole you will ever see and not at all uncomfortable as a result. Velcro straps are very secure. Spikes can be screwed in to front (don't know what the previous reviewer was looking at!). I can't understand how they can do such a good shoe so cheap. Easily outperforms some shoes costing double. I cannot recommend this shoe highly enough.
