The Stealth rubber is a cut above anything else here and is also slow-rebound, so you just feel more stable on the pedal, even in the wet. And you’ll probably want to – the Rally is pretty good for cold-weather riding because of that durable upper material. Specialized pulls from the trends seen through over 100,000 foot scans as part of the RETÜL fit system. I started by answering the weight and stiffness question before jumping into the meat of the question here. Our top picks for 2024 below fall into three general categories: lightweight cross-country (XC) designs for extended and non-technical rides, trail shoes that can handle moderately rough terrain, and downhill models for the harshest trails and biggest jumps and drops.

Fizik gets around this challenge by just leaving BOA dials off the design and instead uses an innovative system of big straps and Velcro. As well as more general grip, the Elite version of the Hellion has anti-bacterial lining to help ward off the dreaded ‘cat urine’ aroma that oft arises on riding shoes after a season of proper usage.This latest generation adds more vertical volume at the toe but as soon as you start to head towards the back of the shoe everything narrows out. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs. It's light but it's also so open that you'd better make sure you are wearing something stylish from the best cycling socks list. A lot of cyclists turn to indoor training for the winter months, but for those who don’t mind a little cold and wet misery, we recommend checking out Five Ten’s Trailcross GTX shoes.

It’s sticky but not quite as good as FiveTen’s famous Stealth S1 Dotty rubber that adheres to the Freerider Pro.Way back then, and now, the idea is to use a seemingly simple construction to make the lightest most exacting shoe possible. So if you’re svelte of foot, tackle a bit of hike-a-bike, and you want maximum grip, the Trailcross XT is the one. The upper provides a stable and positive feel, is supportive and soft, and integrates perfectly with the foot for improved pedaling efficiency and. We also did a simple flex test to check feel, and some off- the-bike hikes to gauge comfort and check for heel lift.