Fox Racing enter the ever-competitive shoe market with some help from the Syndicate, in the form of their Union shoe range.
Fox Racing have launched their Union range of shoes and Pete was lucky enough to get a run out on the Union clip pedal ahead of the release.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- Ultratac outsole
- Glass-filled nylon shank
- Extended cleat slot
- Welded, one-piece upper
- Lace and velcro strap
- Moulded, reinforced toe cap
- Size 4.5 to 13 UK sizes (Half sizes 7 to 11.5)
- Black, Grey, Mocha or Red colours
- £159.99 RRP
- FoxRacing.co.uk
Straight out of the box, the Fox Union shoes look like they cut the mustard. A long, wide cleat slot, one piece upper, laces with a chunky lace flap and a matte leather-type finish. They don’t feel weighty in the hand either. A set of Crankbrothers cleats were attached in no time at all and away we went.
I opted to give these shoes a run out on the longest ride I’d done since late Autumn, usually a good test of new kit as any foibles will soon come to the surface as the day runs on. I opted for a size 7 or Euro 41 and they were comfy enough for my thin feet with a normal sock.
Almost immediately I forgot I was wearing them. It was just like any other bike ride. The long cleat slot makes for easy engagement of the cleat, the shank is stiff enough to get the power down without being uncomfortable, and they simply allowed me to crack on with the job in hand. That being, negotiating the rocks and boulders that came at me at speed on a Lakeland classic.
With any good Lakes ride, there will be a hike-a-bike, and again, I didn’t have to think about what my feet were doing. Grip was excellent throughout and I never felt the dreaded rising heel that signifies I will have no skin left there by the end of the ride. A stumble into a stream meant wet feet and quite quickly too, but twenty minutes later I wasn’t concerned about my wet feet. So they clearly drain and dry fast enough.
What do we think?
A stride into the shoe market is never going to be an easy one, but Fox, with the Union clip have created an excellent gravity shoe that performed well from the get-go. Sizing is spot on for slimmer feet and they were comfy despite being soaked from the start of a big day, all the way to the end.
They’re also not stupid expensive either.
We love:
- Comfy as
- Good grip
- They don’t look remedial
Could do better:
- We’ll have to let you know
