My old cycling shoes needed to be replaced and this time I was determined to get something that would last longer and I think I’ve found them. The problem is that I use flat pedals as I’ve never upgraded to cleats and I do a lot of walking in my shoes so the sole tends to wear quickly due to modern manufacturing methods that put air holes in the soles which wear through. They cannot be resoled and so the perfectly good uppers will go to waste (well not quite read on).
Enter the Giro Chamber which have proved to be fantastic. I chose these because they had the Vibram sole which is perfect for walking and can probably be resoled. There is also a cleat fittings on this particular model which is well engineered but there were other models without cleat fitting that had a flat sole.
On trying the pair for the first time the Giros were immediately comfortable with a ‘snug’ feeling. The lases were tided away using the Velcro straps. Pedalling also felt comfortable to the point of forgetting the feet. I took these shoes on a 3 week tour of Spain and they were great. My feet did not overheat in the hot weather and were surprisingly waterproof when the rains came despite the ventilation holes. Walking in them was a Joy with plenty of grip whether on tarmac, dirt roads, ascending, or descending.
I can recommend these as an every day cycling/utility shoes. The retail price is at £99 however Spindles will do them for £80. There is also a blue version available
Features:
- Asymmetric high-top design
- Moulded SPD-compatible shank with optimised cleat zone
- Vibram MegaGrip rubber outsole
- EVA midsole with Poron
- Moulded EVA foot-bed with medium arch support
Details: see http://www.giro.com/eu_en/chamber.html/
There is also a boot version available
P.S. the old shoes are now employed as a cat deterrent. They are placed at the entrance of the side alley and seem to deter cats from coming in.
