The Radavist

If you’re like me, you’re discontented with the mountain bike industry’s offerings when it comes to footwear. With most options looking like a mid 90’s skate shoe, they tend to feel bulky and heavy, which is not ideal if you’re the type that enjoys bigger backcountry loops with hiking usually involved.

The same can be said about gravel shoes, with most being adopted from ‘cross racing shoes. They’re narrow and not ideal for hike-a-bikes or long days in the saddle. This is all ATMO, of course, but I’m always on the hunt for the ideal in-between shoe for gravel riding and mountain biking.

Giro’s latest shoe, the Ventana seems to be the perfect in-between shoe for both activities. Can it replace your gravel and mountain shoes? Read on to find out.

Giro’s newest shoe, dubbed the Ventana, was designed to be comfortable on and off the bike during day-long rides or multi-day trips. The shoe is based on a heavy-duty nylon shank, developed for the world DH World Cup racing, combined with an injected EVA cushioning midsole, as well as a Sensor® rubber outsole. The Ventana relies upon the BOA system for closure, to provide a secure fit and when biking turns to hiking, the reinforced heel and toe box offer protection from scrapes and impacts.

Oh and those colors!

Now, I know it might sound silly to call a cycling shoe “gravel” specific but hear me out. Traditional ‘cross racing shoes have extra padding, extra stiffness and aside from deep treads to shed mud, are different than what you’d typically want for just riding dirt roads. Lots of companies have taken their ‘cross shoe line and expanded into less racing-oriented designs and while a lot of bigger companies have stout offerings, I wanted to shed some light on the Quoc Gran Tourer all-terrain gravel shoes here.

Products like this intrigue me. They pique my interest and pull at my heartstrings. Oftentimes, I find the cycling industry’s apparel offerings to be too wrapped up in the supergraphic, the superhero, the loud, obnoxious, and ostentatiously-designed garb most of us are forced to wear due to brand simply one-upping, building off of and straight biting-off of other’s designs. Personally, I want my cycling gear to emulate my outdoor gear. I want my cycling shoes to look like boots and honestly, most of the time while I tour and bikepack, I wear just that.

Fizik’s Terra lineup – their dirt-focused shoes – has trapesed about the tundra that is earth tones and laces for some time now but it wasn’t until their Ergolace X2 model dropped earlier this year that I was intrigued enough to reach out to the brand to review a pair. So, aside from a rugged aesthetic, how do they really feel in person?

Meshing hiking boot stylings and their road shoe functionality, Fizik’s new X2 mountain shoe line is quite the looker. With lacing, velcro and Boa closures, in high and low top, with great colors and stylings, the X2 line has something for everyone.

Head over to Fizik to check them out and see more specifications below.

Fizik’s newest shoes are marketed to gravel riding and are a part of the Terra off-road series. The Terra Powerstrap X4 is designed to have a close fit, with the quick and easy Powerstrap Velcro closure system to give your feet a secure fit.

These shoes have a walkable sole, touting a stiffness index of 6. They weigh 292g (size 42- 1/2 pair) and retail for $149. See more information at Fizik.

A few years ago, I rode the Kokopelli trail with some friends. I decided to take a single pair of shoes to lighten my load on my Knolly Endorphin (which is decidedly not a “bikepacking” bike). That pair of shoes was the 5.10 Kestrel Boa. I spent a few years riding in those shoes. They were stiff, durable, stylish, and sleek. More recently, I’ve given up the power of clipless shoes for the comfort and nuanced control of flat pedals. After a long term review of a carbon hardtail with very large, very sharp flat pedals (the Kona Wah Wah 2), I took a long, hard look at my shins. They are covered in scars and the tops of my socks stained with blood. It was time to see how the skills that flat pedals have shown me translated to clipless riding. I dug around my parts bin and found my old pedals, and then began to look for my old Kestrels. They were gone. I racked my brain and realized I had left them in Mammoth last summer. A week later, I got an email asking me to review the new version of the shoe. I was stoked, to say the least.

Rapha has re-entered the footwear market with its completely redesigned and manufactured shoes. There are Classic road and Explore all road shoes available now.

QUOC Pham’s shoes should need no introduction. Over the years, their clipless shoes have addressed many needs from their consumers, but QUOC, like all great companies, wasn’t satisfied with that alone. So began their newest project, the Weekend, the world’s first eco-performance cycling sneaker. Check out more in this Kickstarter video and if you’d like, back it at Kickstarter.

I must say, this time of year is one of my favorites in the cycling industry. Summer is nearly over and brands begin to push out their new products, eagerly awaiting the consumers’ reactions. When I saw the new Fizik Tempo Powerstrap R5 hit their webshop, I suddenly was excited for road shoes, since forever ago. At only 499 grams for a size 42, a sleek silhouette, easy to adjust velcro straps and a price of $119, these shoes hit a lot of marks, including an all-black design. See more at Fizik and holler at your local dealer for ordering.

Norse mythology is rich with tales of gods and wars, including Ragnarök, the final battle which finds the Earth battling with various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water. Not that your winter commute will signify the end of the world as we know it through submersion but that doesn’t mean your feet have to get wet and cold during your training, racing, and riding. The Ragnarök cycling shoe is an all-weather ally in the war against the elements, designed to keep your feet comfortable in 25ºF+ / -3ºC+ weather. Check out more details at 45nrth!

As part of its limited edition releases, DZR just launched their S24O clipless compatible sneaker. Pulling inspiration from outdoor hiking boots, the S24O is clad in a tan lightweight leather, utilizes lacing hooks at the ankle cuff, features a plaid liner, grippy gum sole, and offers on or off the bike comfort. The S24O is in stock for $149 at DZR.

Vans is sitting on a 40-year legacy in action sports and that gives its designers a lot to look to for inspiration. This includes colorways first worn and sported by its own BMX team riders in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The BMX Checkerboard pack highlights the Era and Sk8-Hi, which are each outfitted in a two-tone color scheme and checkerboard printed sidewalls. These two models include throwback color references to the inception of the BMX and skate scene.

Look for the BMX Checkerboard Pack in June online at Vans and in select retailers.

Our friends at Quoc just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund their new Gran Tourer All-Terrain clipless cycling shoes. This video has all the details you need to know, but that shouldn’t stop you from going to the Kickstarter page to see more!

If you missed out on this year’s custom Grinduro shoe offering from Giro, now’s your chance to get your hands on a pair of these vibrant kicks. Available only in the Code Techlace model, these are available for ordering now from your local shop, or online at Giro.

Giro has a few new products launching this year and next, but these are my favorite, hands down. These knit road shoes take design hints from sneaker companies and include both old and new colorways from Giro’s footwear catalog. For those looking for off-road knit shoes, the Empire Knit VR70 is coming out shortly as well. Check out more information at Giro.

Mavic’s latest limited release takes an artistic look at an iconic mountain climb – the Col d’Izoard. This climb’s hues and tones is a regular backdrop to the Tour and provides plenty of inspiration for road cyclists worldwide. See the entire Izoard collection at Mavic.

The newest shoes from Giro uses the best of both worlds by joining the convenience of a strap with the comfort of laces. The Sentrie Techlace uses an Easton EC70 carbon sole and a Boa system strap. Check out more information at Giro and expect your local dealers to receive stock later this year.