Even though I have had exceptionally good luck with Giro
shoes I researched extensively before taking the plunge on these. I also held out for a deal. I had a pair sitting in the cart of three
different online retailers off and on for four months before the pricing at Bike
Tires Direct finally dropped below my “pull-the-trigger” threshold.
I’ve had other Giro shoes and have been impressed with
them so my expectations were high.
Out of the box the Empire’s look serious. They come with
a shoe bag and the Giro foot bed fit kit which is among the best out
there. A spare set of laces lets you
determine the level of flash you want. One set to match the shoes (black) and
another to match the accent color (screaming yellow in my case). I am old skool. I stuck with black.
When I laced them up I was initially unimpressed. They
fit okay in the X, Y and Z coordinates but they did not provide the glove-like
fit I was hoping for. The uppers were on
the cusp of stiff and they almost felt “clunky.” I also had to lace them up a
bit tighter than I wanted to keep my heel from moving. As expected, they were remarkably light and
stiff. I began logging miles right away. “Well, we’ll see” I thought to myself.
Even lacing them tight I didn’t have any red marks on the
tops of my feet when I took them off. All
too often with shoes that have a buckle I would take them off and there would
be a red line where the top strap had been. Other times the red stripe was
where the middle strap was. With laces the pressure was spread so evenly that
it never bothered me.
With each wearing the shoes gradually formed to the
contours of my rather normal shaped feet. I realized I didn’t have to lace them
as tight as I had at first and soon I stopped thinking about them
altogether. A month in and I was
impressed. They just got better and
better with each ride. The classic lines and simple looking upper (as opposed
to a mesh and leather-like combo) make them appear deceptively low tech. Don’t be fooled.
The power transfer is impressive and flex is nonexistent.
The carbon sole (Easton EC90) provides both the stiffness and vibration
absorption. There are small vents in the
sole under the toes covered with a metallic mesh that provide airflow. Despite
only small perforations in the uppers I never have been too hot in these.
Perhaps it gets back to the adage that heat comes from friction and if nothing
is moving inside the shoe (because of an exceptional fit) then there isn’t any
excess heat being introduced into the shoe.
While I am speculating on how they keep my feet comfy in hot weather
what I do know is they have never felt hot.
Like so much in cycling, what it all gets down to is fit.
If a shoe fits it is comfortable and you can ride in them longer and harder.
These mold to your feet over time and feel fantastic. This is where I would usually tell you that
what fits me might not fit you. El Chefe
has a pair of these and although his feet and mine are on the opposite ends of
every spectrum there is, he is in also love with his because of the great
fit. His story also involves the shoes
adapting to his feet over the course of several rides.
Unless your feet are shaped so odd that gawking is a
frequent occurrence - I am pretty sure that after an initial break in period
you will also find them awesome.
I am lucky enough to have the lace up mountain version of
these Giro shoes. Those shoes are stiff
like these so while they are great for mountain biking and gravel rides the lack
of flex means they are not well suited to Cyclocross racing or any hike-a-bike
situations. Both of these shoes have
convinced me that laces may look like a step backwards but in fact are awesome. I can’t say laces are the next big thing
because they are already here so that makes them the now big thing.
Five of Five Evos!!!
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