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Click shoes with grip
Climbing over wet rocks or slippery trunks with clickies used to be a real test of courage. Fortunately, these days are over for many shoe manufacturers. Also thanks to branded soles from Vibram, Michelin and co. that make grippy kicks quickly recognisable.
Although the three mountain bike shoes shown here - Mavic Crossmax Elite SL, Crankbrothers Mallet E and Shimano SH-AM903 - rely on their own sole concepts, there is still plenty of grip underfoot.
The Crossmax Elite SL targets racers with its carbon fibreglass sole and low weight. The chunky TPU lugs dig deep into soft ground and are equipped with a micro-profile to prevent slipping even on slippery surfaces.
The new models from Crankbrothers and Shimano are hot tips for trail bikers. With a flat profile in the midfoot area, both shoes also work well on wide pedal cages. In the ball of the foot and heel area, however, the profile is coarser to generate more traction when running.
Shoes for gravel bikers: an alternative for cross-country and marathon racing?
Of course, shoe manufacturers have long since come round to gravel. But there is still no one gravel shoe. This is also due to the origin of gravel bikers: those coming from road bikes tend to look for stiffer models, while those switching from mountain bikes want a little more comfort.
This is where The Gravel from sports giant Adidas comes in with a somewhat special football look and high sole grip. The knitted cuff extends over the ankles and is designed to keep out dust and dirt. Available in six colours.
The Rapha brand, which is well known from road cycling, also relies on knitwear: the Explore Powerweave is sporty and modern with a carbon sole and Boa system, but is extremely expensive. Nevertheless, the high level of comfort and the grippy sole were already convincing in the test.
Stefan Frey, BIKE test editor: "If you're looking for efficient shoes for long tours, you'll also find them in the gravel segment in the future. A good alternative to classic cross-country shoes if you focus on the more comfortable models."
The Scott Gravel Pro shows that gravel can also be cheaper. At just under 140 euros, it costs less than half the price of the Rapha Explore Powerwave, but with its stiff sole and Boa system, it also leaves little to be desired.
An overview of the new bike shoes
- Mavic Crossmax Elite SL
- Crankbrothers Mallet E
- Shimano SH-AM903
- Adidas The Gravel
- Scott Gravel Pro
- Rapha Explore Powerweave
Adrian Kaether
Editor
