QUOC GRAN TOURER
£219 > Style-heavy gravel shoes
QUOC’S GRAN TOURER SHOES STAND out in a crowded market, the clean, retro-inspired design being about as stylish as it gets. Aside from the super-subtle toned grey camouflage colourway, there are lots of technical details in this gravel-riding shoe.
The upper is constructed without using stitching and, being seamless, it’s superbly comfortable and highly water resistant. The bonded-in padded tongue section is also constructed without any gaps, making these shoes wellequipped to deal with the elements. Inside, the shoe has a soft-touch textured liner, which sandwiches a waterproof membrane between it and the outer. The natural fit footbeds are well shaped and supportive without being overly sculpted.
The sole is extremely well put together; it’s SPD compatible, so that’s mountain bike-style pedals; and fully sealed. The special rubber compound, which looks like natural rubber, is bonded to a carboncomposite midsole for impressive power transfer. The deep rubber
WE SAY Stylish shoes built for heading off the beaten track
outsole has also been designed to protect your cleats while walking, and provides plenty of traction off-road. It’s good to see a sole that was designed specifically for the needs of the gravel rider and tourist, or bikepacker for the hipsters, and not just one that’s been borrowed from an existing mountain-bike race shoe. The beautiful finish translates into a superb feel when on the bike. The fit is spot on and flat laces, with their zig-zag lacing holes, allow for ample adjustment. The slick heel lining did mean that when running up an incline carrying the bike, our heel tended to pop out, but as these aren’t designed as a cyclo-cross racing shoe it shouldn’t occur often when you’re just out trekking or riding. Our size 45s weigh 372.9g each, so certainly aren’t lightweights when compared to road shoes, but they compare well to most cross-country shoes. They’re beautifully packaged with a cloth carry bag and some seriously luxurious merino/tech wool socks that make the ideal companion to the GT shoes.