Race shoes with soles as treadless as a South American salt lake simply don't belong in the mountains. After all, there are specialists for that: touring shoes. They are designed to combine the stiffness of a click shoe with the comfort of a coarse-tread hiking boot. At least that's the ideal. Touring shoes are usually just a compromise between the two worlds. However, we wanted to find out whether it is a successful or a lazy compromise in the case of 14 test models suitable for touring. The prices of the test candidates range between 80 and 160 euros. We took a close look at the models on extensive test rides. Power transmission, comfort and grip on running sections were the main focus. We also measured the sole stiffness in the laboratory. Some models can certainly compete with race-orientated shoes without having to compromise off the pedals.
These test results of these MTB touring shoes can be found below as a PDF download:
Bontrager SSR Multisport, 84.99 euros
Diadora Globe, 79.99 euros
Five Ten Maltese Falcon, 120 Euro
Gaerne G.Etna, 101 Euro
Giro Rumble, 89.95 euros
Lake MX100, 99.95 euros
Mavic Alpine, 95 euros
Northwave Dolomites 5/8, 149.95 euros
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek V, 119.95 euros
Scott Trail Boa, 99.95 euros
Shimano SH-MT53, 109.95 Euro
Specialised Rime MTB, 149.90 euros
Suplest Offraod Alpine, 159.95 euros
Vaude Trailhead Low AM, 100 euros
BIKE is also available as a digital edition.
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
