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If you want to be fast, you have to suffer. Marathon racers know this only too well. Because only when your lungs are burning and the lactate is flooding your thighs will you have a decent time on the results list after the sprint finish. To ensure that the energy used is not wasted unnecessarily, stiff soles must transfer the power to the mountain bike click pedals with as little loss as possible. The carbon-soled top models from the manufacturers would naturally be the first choice. Even under the hardest pedalling, they only give way by a few millimetres. This is also confirmed by our stiffness test in the laboratory. However, the high-end pedals quickly cost up to 400 euros and are generally not really suitable for everyday use. We wanted to know whether marathon riders can also reach the finish line with mid-range shoes and pitted ten models up to 160 euros against four models up to 400 euros.
Even at first glance, it becomes clear that the race class has changed a lot in recent years. Really light models with really stiff soles and a sporty fit can only be found to a limited extent in the affordable price range. Where, until recently, lego-stone-like blocks on the soles ensured contact with the ground, coarse tread blocks made of grippy rubber now bite into the terrain. The manufacturers have recognised that the marathon courses are becoming increasingly demanding and are aware of this: Everyone pushes at some point. You certainly won't win a trophy on foot in these expensive shoes, but at most you'll get blisters. The stiff soles prevent the shoes from rolling when walking. So if the upper material is firm enough and adapts to the foot properly, you can also make good progress with less stiff shoes.
Incidentally, it's hard to find a shoe with strengths in all areas. A coarse profile made of grippy rubber also increases the weight. In contrast, supple and therefore comfortable upper materials lose out in terms of power transmission. This explains why many shoes are close together in the final judgement. Finally, comfort should not be underestimated. Because as long as the body is occupied with pressure points or has to deal with pain, it will hardly be able to call up its full performance. There's no getting round the fact that you need to try them on extensively at the retailer when buying shoes.
Find out where our models have their strengths in the test. You can download the complete comparison test of 14 pairs of MTB race shoes from BIKE 5/20 as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 euros.
Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, hundreds of thousands of euros every year.
You will find these RACE SHOES (140-160 euros) in the test
- Bontrager Foray
- Cube Peak Pro
- Fizik Terra X5
- Gaerne G. Hurricane
- Giro Privateer Lace
- Lake MX1 76
- Scott MTB Team Boa
- Shimano SH-XC501
- Specialised Recon 2.0
- Vaude Snar Advanced
We tested these high-end race shoes (€360-400)
- Scott MTB RC Ultimate
- Shimano SH-XC901 S-Phyre
- Specialised S-Works Recon
- Suplest Cross Country Pro
You can find this article in BIKE 5/2020. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
