Submitted by
bandit350
a Cross Country Rider
from asheville, nc
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2009
Strengths: solid, simple shoe
Weaknesses: tend to stretch during the ride so they need to be tightened after a mile.
Bottom Line:
good, simple shoe. good size toe box compared to similar shoes. i am not a racer and don't want racer shoes. i had to dremel part of the tread to work w/ my time z pedals and still love them. no issues. i'd probably prefer 3 velcro straps instead of 2 and the ratchet (seems like everyone thinks that is a value added item).
Similar Products Used: 661, diadora, shimano shoes
Bike Setup: yeti 575, just sold a coilar
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Shamus Yandle
a Weekend Warrior
from Roswell, GA
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2005
Strengths: Take them back to a Pearl Izumi Outlet Store if you had any problems with them!!
Weaknesses: The sole sucks!
Bottom Line:
This is a follow up of my post below. If you had problems with the soles on these shoes, take them back to a Pearl Izumi Outlet Store. I had these shoes for 2.5 years and the sole on one the shoes was pretty much dettached. I just rode with it like that (DON'T ASK). I mean I wore the heck out of these shoes. On a trip up to the mountains which drives right past an Outlet Store. I stopped in and showed them the shoes. And they gave me a brand new pair of the Vortex equivalent. The Vortex shoes sucks!!!! But I was really impressed with Pearl Izumi sticking behind these products. Thumbs down to the older Vortex shoes, but two thumbs up to Pearl Izumi!!! The new shoes don't have the problems with the soles. Giving 2 flamin chilis for value but 5 flamin chilies for Pearl Izumi backing their products!
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Isis, Manitou Minute 2 fork, Avid mechanical disk brakes, XT and XTR components.
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Submitted by
Ari
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver, Colorado, USA
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2005
Strengths: Excellent shoe. Lightweight, yet stiff, and breathable.
Weaknesses: As happened with many other reviewers, the sole came apart from the shoe.
Bottom Line:
I really liked this shoe, but for the sole separating from the shoe itself. However, after seeing other reviewers note the same problem, I contacted Pearl Izumi, and they gave me full warranty. I just returned the shoes to a dealer and swapped them out, even up, for a new, 2005 PI Vortex II. Have only ridden with them once, and not sure I like the one velcro strap and ratchet system better than the old three velcro straps system. Seems that the older version fit snugger. BUT, kudos to Pearl Izumi for acknowleding the defect and agreeing to replace with new version at no cost, with no questions asked. I will be a PI customer for life. Will post review on the new model after use for a while.
Submitted by
Calvin
a Cross Country Rider
from Nor Cal
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2004
Strengths: Shoes fit wide feet with such comfort unmatched from other brands. comfortable, ratcheting system tigtens nicely. good traction. Good looking all black shoe.
Weaknesses: The rubber lugs on the bottom were supposedly designed for any kinds of cleats, but I had to cut it for put frog cleats on. One spike came off as I was trying to hike up a bike during a race
Bottom Line:
Great, awesome shoes that I would deifinitely buy another pair. And the price of theses shoes are half the cost of sidi's new, so I can buy 2 pairs of these, and no problems with shoe falling apart nor sole or lugs coming off.
Strengths: Great shoes. Cool design. Comfortable. Very light.
Weaknesses: None that I know.
Bottom Line:
These shoes are great. They are made of very flexible material, so they actually fit my wide feet. Very light, very cool, very comfortable. They clip in great and have good traction in dirt. What more could you ask for?
Submitted by
Chad A
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Rapids, MI USA
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2004
Strengths: Brand new design from last year, all black is cool. Affordability, ratchet system, good fit, VERY comfortable, great venting system. Also the best value in this price range. Nice stiff sole, race quality stiffness really.
Weaknesses: Only weakness is that one cleat plate broke when installing the cleat screws. My LBS promptly replaced this and I was on my way in less than 5 minutes. Thanks!
Bottom Line:
This review is for the new 2004 model shoe. The color is now all black and they have 2 velcro straps and most importantly a ratchet at the top. This is what really holds the heel in and makes a shoe fit in my opinion. They are the most comforatble shoes I have ever owned, period. I looked for a long time for a replacement for my Nikes which I paid $250 for 4 years ago. Nothing comes close in this pricerange, nothing else has the ratchet or stiff sole that these do. I race and am more than happy in my shoes. I did have to trim the sole on the shoes, but this was pretty easy. The rubber is actually pretty hard this year and the soles seem very well attatched. I have 300 miles in them with no complaints at all so far. In fact my feet are better off now than with more expensive shoes. Probably best for the high performance rider/racer on a budget. Also good for beginner/intermediate riders as a first shoe, might as well get something stiff to work into.
This is a follow up to my post directly below. Pearl Izumi returned my call and told me to take it to any PI dealer since they have a lifetime warranty....a week later I have a new pair of the improved Vortex shoes. So the story goes....defective product, they fix the design/assembly, and they give me a new pair...all customer relationships should be this positive. Thanks PI. My new ratings are based on the shoe staying in one piece.
Submitted by
michael hsu
a Cross Country Rider
from austin
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2004
Strengths: Wide footbed last. I bought these as a less expensive option to Sidi Mega D 4s or the Carnacs they replaced...oops. Nice stiff platform.
Weaknesses: Decent fit, but the shoe didn't hold my heel as well as other shoes have in the past making walking sections a bit more difficult. Sole delaminated at the heel on one shoe after not much use, maybe 30 rides.
Bottom Line:
Bad assembly. Everyone knows that this is where MTB shoes come apart....you'd think that they could've gotten it right. Others and newer models seem to be improved...I seem to have been a beta tester for a new product. Really dissappointed in PI, typically good stuff.
Similar Products Used: various Sidi's, Shimano shoes, Answer shoes, Carnac shoes
Bike Setup: Spyder, Fox 80 with tires and a handlebar...just about everything you need to go ridin'
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Submitted by
Nic lanzarone
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2003
Strengths: Super comfortable, no pressure points from this shoe
Weaknesses: Judging from the no. of reviewers with sole peel off problems I'd say you could get stuck with a bad production batch!
Bottom Line:
At this stage I am really happy with the shoes performance. I have used them regulary and am very hard on them. Very stiff sole, nice and light for long rides. great comfort. look good, great tread, removable studs up front, shed water well thro well placed mesh panels.
I probably would not have bought this shoe had I read the reviews below. But I have to say that SO FAR I am wrapped.
Submitted by
Shamus Yandle
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2003
Strengths: Stiff shoe, comfortable fit
Weaknesses: Poor construction
Bottom Line:
These shoes suck! Do not buy them. I bought a pair from the Pearl Izumi Outlet store. When I got a few miles away, I opened the box and noticed that the sole on one of the shoes was starting to come off. I turned around and drove back to the outlet and they exchanged them for another pair that looked better. Well, then after about 7 or 8 rides on them, one of the soles started to come off as well. I'm never going to buy another pair of Pearl Izumi shoes again.
Bike Setup: Wolf Creek titanium hardtail, Kooka crank, Avid Arch Rivals brakes, etc
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Submitted by
Dan Weiss
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2003
Strengths: Cool colors.
Weaknesses: Stitching came apart after ONE ride!
Bottom Line:
Pearl Izumi should not be making shoes. I bought this pair which literally unstitched itself during my first ride. I then exchanged this pair for PI's next best model. AND again, the stitching came apart. I attribute both occurences the result of a poorly made shoe. Save your money and buy Sidi.
