For those of us looking to keep our feet firmly on the pedals without resorting to clipping in, Giro’s skate inspired ‘Jacket’ mountain bike shoes make a great upgrade from your regular kicks.
Our roving tester, racer and reporter Juliet Elliott has had a set of the Giro Jacket shoes on her feet for a month or two. Here’s what she made of them.
Features:
- £99.99
- Low Profile Design
- High Quality Synthetic Leather Upper
- Laced Closure With Lace Keeper Strap
- Internal “Bootie” Contruction
- Vibram MegaGrip Rubber Outsole
- EVA Misole With Poron XRD Heel Cushioning
- Molded EVA Footbed
- Aegis Anti-Microbial Treatment
- Weight: 416g (Size 42)
What are the Jackets all about?
In keeping with the look of the product, the shoes feel exactly the same as normal trainers and are comfortable to wear all day long, both on and off the bike with no breaking in. My 39s came up true to size and were a good fit, with a snug heel cup and enough room in the toe box for my toes to wiggle. There’s a little padding at the top of the shoe (below the ankle) that further enhances the feel.
The uppers are made from a microfiber material that wears well and has good waterproofing – my feet stayed dry on all but the very wettest rides. Perforations on the top and side of the shoe are designed to allow moisture to escape, but as I tend to suffer from cold rather than hot, sweaty feet, I can’t verify this. The shoes are lightweight and the material cleans up well – after a quick wipe down they looked fresh, though its hard to get mud out of the perforations.
Got sole?
The sole feels good and stiff when you’re riding. Cushioning in the midsole ensures comfort and a Poron® XRD™heel pad claims to ‘minimize the impact of hard landings and bailouts.’ Of course, it’s really hard to prove that kind of thing, so all I can go on is that fact that my feet felt comfortable, and that the stiff sole didn’t result in hot spots on my feet.
The Vibram® MegaGrip™ rubber outer solegrips well to flat pedals. Its subtle, in that you don’t feel that you’re feet are glued on, then you get to the end of the day and realise your feet haven’t bounced off at all. I managed to adjust the position of my feet on the fly, which I like – some shoes make such a thing rather difficult. Off the bike, the shoes seemed to grip just fine when trotting about on rocks and mud.
Looks wise, Giro’s Jackets are on the money (£99.99 RRP). My only complaint would be that after wearing them for a while, they begin to turn up a little at the toe, which makes me think of clown shoes. The pair that I tried are a pretty unusual colour but the clean, simple design still looks good despite a personal preference for the pair in black with a gum sole.
The Word:
“A solid choice. Giro’s Jacket mountain bike shoes look and feel good and perform well.”
