Submitted by
Psycho Marco
a Weekend Warrior
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: May 13, 2010
Strengths: Very comfortable, looks, weight
Weaknesses: Sole, lasted about 5 months and then I bought Dragon soles which are more durable
Bottom Line:
Nice shoes, I´m looking forward to buying Mavic Fury´s next time. I think this ones are too narrow, and I think I could benefit from a little wider shoes.
They get scratched easily. But overall, I can recommend them.
Submitted by
Jorgex
a Weekend Warrior
from Almada, Portugal
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2006
Strengths: -SUPER!!!
Weaknesses: -extras are expensive over the years -NOT SO COMPATIBLE WITH TIME PEDALS
Bottom Line:
Could this be the best shoes ever made? Yes!!!
6 years of service with 3 new soles. 2 normal soft grey(40€ x2), this year dragon hard sole(55€) and 70€ in other pieces over the years.
I weight over 100Kg and i pedal around 4000km per year. Always working under mud, river crossing with the bike on my back and rocky uphill too. It's easier to destroy yourself in crash than these shoes. Believe me, i crash every 1000km and i'm amazed they are always ok while my shorts are full of holes and blood.
About the Time pedals, it will gently cut the removable sole when trying to put in/out your feet in the pedal, after that it will stabilize. There's no problem at all.
This product will improve your riding skills. If these shoes die for some reason, i'll buy SIDI shoes again.
Bike Setup: Giant escaper'92(hardtail), Time Attack pedals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Karl
a Cross Country Rider
from Bend, Oregon, USA
Date Reviewed: December 18, 2004
Strengths: Supa comfy! Once they're dialed in (literally), they're awesome. I use them for trail riding, but also for commuting and road riding. The buckles are great, as are the dial-in tighteners (don't know the real name). These shoes breathe very well in the summer, and the sole is pretty stiff. Comfy, comfy, comfy!
Weaknesses: The lugs...why the heck do they wear out so fast? They were ready to be replaced in 1 year's time, and that's lame. BTW, the name "SRS" is misleading; you don't actually replace the soles, you replace the tread of the soles, AKA the lugs. And you WILL be replacing them, unless you NEVER get off your bike.
Bottom Line:
A great shoe that has been discontinued and replaced with the Dragon. If you can afford them, get them...and expect to replace the lugs in about a year, if you ride a lot...I ride every day, trails multiple times a week, and when I ride trails, much time is spent trying obstacles over and over and over again. Be careful as the lugs wear; the cleat becomes exposed, and walking on them may force them up into the sole (this happenned to me).
Similar Products Used: Nike velcro-up shoes. They were OK, too, but I haven't bought anything from the sweatshop kings since.
Bike Setup: Ask me tomorrow...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
chill
a Racer
from heck
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2004
Strengths: (* for the Sidi Dragons )nice and lightweight, very secure system that holds your foot in place, the SRS is a good concept.
Weaknesses: The soles do seem to wear down fast, and the metal used in the factory bolts is cheap. In the time I have owned these shoes, I have had one of the screws break off in the sole, which basically means, they used cheap metal in the factory screws
Bottom Line:
The reason I got the SRS Dragons was because the Sole Replacement system was appealing. But since the screws can break off to where you cant even unscrew or tighten one, to replace the soles what good are they? In about a month of owning a pair, I do like how they feel, but when I was riding in rocky terrain, I could feel the oustide of my foot putting pressure on some of the rocks when I had to get off and walk, because the leather is kinda soft, allowing my foot to streatch to the uneven terrain. When I was walking I was thinking I could accidentally tear the sides of the shoe on a sharp rock if I did not watch out where I put my foot. Which I never thought about with my cheap specaialized shoes that lasted over two years. With these shoes I am thinking a lot about how and where I put my feet when I have to get off the bike. It kinda sucks... I sure hope the company warranty's them and does a free replacement or something. The shoes are failing and now I am going to see how their customer service is... Hopefully I will come back with a positive update... Two chills for the value b/c compared to my old 80$ shoes they don't even compare, the overall, three chills, b/c they might be able to fix my problem, and if so, I can replace the soles hopefully for a long time. With the money I paid for these, I expect for them to last at least three years, or as long as they make soles for them. If they discontinue the soles, then I would rate them even less
Similar Products Used: My previous specialized shoes lasted almost three years, I got new shoes b/c the soles were worn down to where my pedal cleat was scraping the ground
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
G McKshred
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottsdale
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2004
Strengths: Sidi Name & Rep, Rigid Sole, Great Fit, Easily Adjusted, Durable uppers
Weaknesses: SRS Sole blows. Going through my second set in 14 months. It's almost $50 to replace the sole too.
Bottom Line:
These are nice comfortable shoes. A little to expensive for what you get as the SRS soles are really too soft.
The Rachet can clog in foul weather, but just rinse it out and place a couple of drops of oil on the mechanism pivot points. Makes it like brand new again.
Shoes rebound well from severely wet weather riding conditions. Held form and dried out to normal feel.
Synthetic leather did get scraped and scuffed immediately, but never did tear in 14 months.
Can be cool in cooler riding temps. I wear 2 pair socks with no problem.
Going with the Sidi Bullit next time - no SRS Sole (yae) - but no Rachet lock either (boo), which I prefer and have had no problems with.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Ground Control, Nike Poobahs
Bike Setup: Intense Tracer, Fox RLC Talas, Vanilla Float RL, Avid Mech Disc Brakes, Mavic X 3.1 Tubeless w/ CK Hub
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
from Canada
Date Reviewed: January 12, 2004
Strengths: Comfort
Weaknesses: non to speak of what kinda shoe should last 2 yrs mtbing
Bottom Line:
I liked this shoes they are very comfortable. I have replaced buckles and bent parts. No sole problems what so ever I read some in other posts. I was wondering why you would need the srs part as the shoes are wearing out and the sole is still fine. I find the sole material hard and slipper on wet wood. I bent the toe studs a few times but they straightened alright like lots of parts on bikes there are meant for that. I am looking forward to trying the dragons
Submitted by
Gordon
a Cross Country Rider
from Brighton, Sussex, England
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2003
Strengths: Glove like fit - due to spider and techo buckles Shoes dry out quickly when wet Feet stay nice and cool in very hot weather No Velcro to wear out Sole Replacment System - when the soles wear out you can buy replacement soles. Light Weight Stiff Sole
Weaknesses: Sole compound is much softer than non SRS soles - my old SIDI technos soles lasted 6 years - whereas the SRS soles are already very worn after just 6 month's of riding. Foot insole is too thin - But better than no insert at all as SIDI's used to be. Not a shoe for use in cold weather unless you wear water proof socks and and overshoe - venting that is so good for summer is not good for winter use
Bottom Line:
The Sole Replacement system is the only major thing wrong with these shoes - the compound is way too soft, but even with this fault I liked them so much i've bought another pair to stick in a cupboard for when these die.
As they are so comfortable i'm even still riding in the winter with overshoes and water proof socks.
If your want the best and have the cash to afford to buy new soles on a regular basis these shoes are tops.
I'f you ride routes which require a lot of hike a bike i wouldnt recommend these shoes due to the soft sole compound.
I would have given the shoes 5 Chilli's if only the SRS compound was not so soft.
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Truth 04+ Talas RLC Forx + Full XTR 04 Disk Groupset & wheels + Raceface Deux Stem and XY Post + Chris King Headset + Easton EA70 Bars + Terry Ti-Fly Saddle,
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
dan
a Racer
from hyannis
Date Reviewed: November 22, 2003
Strengths: better closure system than velcro straps
Weaknesses: potentially super soft compound soles.
Bottom Line:
I have two pairs of these shoes with two very different sole compounds.I just purchased my newest pair(but are 2001 model) with great care.the soles on my older pair are junk.absolutely too soft crap. but the soles on the newer pair looked different so I cafefully compared them to my dominators and older srs and they appeared to have harder compound so I bought them.well, thankfully the soles do in fact have a harder compound and are acceptable.they are a little softer than dominators but much harder than the useless soft soles. I prefer the closure system over velcro because velcro eventually wears out and won't stick . in the new 2004 sidi ads they mention new competition soles and this requires some careful attention before buying because YOU MUST MAKE SURE THE SOLES ARE NOT TOO SOFT!
Submitted by
Corey Miller
a Cross Country Rider
from Monument, Colorado, USA
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2003
Strengths: Stiff mid sole and strong upper.
Weaknesses: The outsole is very weak. Some people say "You shouldn't be hiking in cyling shoes" and I agree... BUT, if you can say that you never get off the bike to trek up some sick, nasty spots then you're riding Nancy boy trails! Push yourself harder and get of the sidewalks. The outsole is softer than a stick of butter and shreads instantly. The Dominators are a much better shoe.
Bottom Line:
Strong upper is a valid plus. The dial release is a bad set up and the buckles break off really easy (Unless you just ride on the sidewalks alot...). You can rip through the outsole in a flash.(Unless you ride on sidewalks alot...). Sidi makes some great shoes, don't get me wrong but this isn't one of them.
Weaknesses: The soles are absolutely useless. A 1km hike-a-bike section in a recent race all but finished off the front lugs.
Bottom Line:
Great shoes, but they need to make those soles available in a choice of hard or soft compound. My old SIDI Technos had stiff soles that lasted for years. I'm going to try putting in studs to see if that will protect those front lugs a bit.
Submitted by
Warren Worsley
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake, Utah, USA
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2003
Strengths: Great fit, easy to mold to your foot for proper spinning.
Weaknesses: The SRS system and buckles!
Bottom Line:
I bought these because they were on sale for just about the same price as the Dominator, big mistake! The SRS system as previously stated is horrible. After two races that had a hike-a-bike section I found the soles were becoming completely trashed. The screws are horrible and need constant tightening. I raced for once season on these and have to replace the soles already. I also found the buckle tends to attract any leaves or sticks that you pass through but that is more of a hassle. I really don't see much advantage of these over the Dominator.
If you are looking for a shoe that will never see any hard ground then these are great. If you are a rider who has to get off your bike at all, look for a better sole.
Weaknesses: Lugs on sole lack durability; buckles JAM!
Bottom Line:
Slickrock is NOT the place for these soles...they wear VERY quickly. Yep, the lugs are replacable, but I shouldn't have to spend $40 every 3 or 4 rides. Ultra and Techno buckles are excellent...for ROAD shoes, but are TERRRIBLE for MTB'ing. Frequently leaves, twigs, etc. jam these buckles. On more than one occassion this jamming caused me to spend way too much time trying to get my shoes off -- it is the pits to spend 10 minutes bent over or pulling your foot to your face so you can remove the debris. Go buy yourself some of THEE BEST shoes made: SIDI....just avoid the models with buckles.
Similar Products Used: Dominator; Specialized Team; Nike PooPah
Bike Setup: '03 Ellsworth ID; full XTR w/Velocity rims laced to Hayes hubs; Avid mechanicals
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
A.J. Trafton
a Cross Country Rider
from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003
Strengths: Comfort
Weaknesses: Maintenence, support
Bottom Line:
When they first came out I got em. These shoes are extremely comfortable even in 110 degree heat. There was a little problem with the microlocks but the company came through with just an email. Keep them clean, dry lubed and always open the bottom one first, (it's easier). Time has come to replace the soles (yes, they are soft, this is the Arizona desert) and one of the philips head screws is spinning around without coming out. It looks like there are nuts on the other side, not a machined plate. There are some good engineers in Italy, blind nuts with now way of holding them went out years ago...and philips heads on mtb shoe soles? So far the email at http://www.veltecsports.com/contact.htm has returned two messages: one saying thanks for contacting us; the other: undeliverable; both from veltec. If you take very good care of your very good equipment and want comfort out of your shoes, these are them. If you put your foot down on rough terrain these soles may be to soft. Hopefully they've replaced the philips screw/nut combination with an allen bolt and a machined plate system. It would be nice for the company to let the consumer know what can be done as it seems this isn't the first time for this. Perhaps I'm the first to have the nut spin. The ratings below would be much better if the shoe lasted more than one year. Can't get the screw out, can't put the new sole on, can't wear the shoe.
Similar Products Used: Mtb: Sidi Dominator 2, Sidi Dominator 4 Road: Sidi Energy 2, Genius 3
Bike Setup: 01 GT iDrive Team Race Edition, Easton EC70, MG60, CT2; Fox Float 100RLC, Float RC; Mavic CrossMax; Michilin Front S, XLS; Shimano XTR; SDG Kevlar; Polar S710; Odi Yeti Hard Core Grip
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
CK
a Cross Country Rider
from VA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2003
Strengths: Breathable Fast entry/exit Hard sole
Weaknesses: Sole lugs are soft and may rip off Internal fabric overlap Heel fabric wears away
Bottom Line:
I went through two pairs of dominators in 6 years and would've preferred those again. But I got a deal on the actions. They fit well, a little foot straining after a few hours on the bike though. Stitching/fabric overlap could be smoother inside. They breathe better than the dominators and may be lighter. The lugs haven't given me trouble but I've been careful and lately been using these shoes on my road bike. The inside fabric at the heel needs to be abrasion resistant because heel movement wears it out. I don't like the thick fishing line used for the lower buckles, although it does work well. Good value for what I paid but not at retail prices.
Similar Products Used: Sidi Dominators, Nike Poohbahs (remember those?)
Bike Setup: GF Supercaliber, Thomson post&stem, XT drivetrain, Cane Creek wheels
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
johnson
from wellington, MA
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2003
Strengths: beautiful looks, unbelievable adjustability and lightness. I wish normal shoes were made like this. I am tempted to unscrew the soles and wear them as tennis shoes. These shoes are unbelievable!!
Weaknesses: well...you know it would be nice not to have a philips head screw in the bottom of the sole. philips head screws are not reliable and the grid tends to get messed up easily. These screws are of high quality though, and I don't anticipate changing the soles at all since I'm not a racer
Bottom Line:
these are nice shoes. the only complain i have are the screws on the bottom - they ought to be allan head screws - but I don't anticipate changing the soles much. The adjustability and ventilation, lightness, and good looks of these shoes will be enough to give this 5 flaming fairies.