FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER…

All you need to know before buying gravel shoes

FAST ENING /CLOSURES

Technology has gifted us the Boa, which gives a rock-solid fit that’s easy to adjust even when riding, but less room for variation in tension through its length. A common combination is a strap over the toe section that allows it to be independently tightened, with a Boa over the mid-foot. It’s a construction that generally works well, as long as there’s enough adjustment in the toe strap.

Old-school laces have their fans, though. If you have a high instep, you probably find that they allow for the differentiation in tension that gives a snug forefoot fit combined with ease over the instep that you need for best comfort, and that can be hard to achieve with a single Boa. The downside of laces, beside the chance of one getting caught in the chain, is that they have a habit of working loose over the course of a ride, especially if walking is involved.

The gold standard for us, however, is the double Boa, which allows you to independently tighten the forefoot and instep. In our experience this creates a fit that’s both secure and comfortable – yet stays solid throughout your ride.

UPPERS

We demand a lot of the uppers of any cycling shoes – gravel shoes perhaps more than most. If there’s too much stretch, however, you’ll lose power when you’re pedalling, but if there’s no stretch at all there won’t be enough comfort for a good fit.

Synthetic uppers abound, even if you’re spending more than £200. But, in my experience, in a shoe that might otherwise be excellent, this is the component that most often disappoints. There’s the plastic feel, of course, a tendency to overheat – hence the inclusion of perforations and mesh inserts for breathability – and they don’t mould to the shape of your foot in the same way that leather does. Notable exceptions to this include the Lake MX176 and Giro Sector shoes, both of which have a more mouldable feel.

It’s a universally held truth that three hard rides will sort out most ‘bedding-in’ issues with uppers, but it’s such an individual thing and can be hard to call from simply trying a shoe on. Our recommendation is not to assume initial discomfort will disappear with wear. Check that adjustments don’t cause wrinkles that can rub, the tongue sits smoothly with no pressure points, the collar isn’t so high that it nudges against your ankle bones and that there are no prominent interior seams.

SOLE

If we ask a lot of the upper of cycling shoes in general, we expect the impossible of the sole unit of gravel-specific shoes. These need to be stiff enough for us to put the power down but flexible enough to walk in, and light enough not to weigh us down but sufficiently stable and grippy to keep us grounded.

The first thing you’ll learn if you test a lot of shoes is that simply flexing them between your hands is no indicator of how comfortable the shoe will be to walk in. The second is that fit is more important than how stiff the sole is.

Ideally, the sole should be rigid through the mid-foot, with the flex being apparent in the toe section past the cleat. If the toe section has some spring, lifting up from

Technology has gifted us the Boa, which gives a rock-solid fit that’s easy to adjust

instead of being flat on the ground, this will also enable the rolling action of your foot.

Outsoles made from rubber or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) add grip and durability, with gravel shoes tending to have a more open lug pattern than the outsoles of off-road shoes. In theory this provides enough grip while still enabling them to shed mud faster. In practice, on rougher terrain I prefer an all-over lug pattern for stability. The question of whether or not to add studs is a personal one, though for us it’s not crucial unless we’re racing cyclocross, where the extra grip could prove crucial.

FIT TING

The fit needs to be snug not tight, comfortable but not loose. Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that pulling the fastenings tighter will overcome a shoe that’s slightly too big, or that you can wear in one that’s too tight.

It goes without saying that you should, of course, always try shoes on with the socks that you ride in. Once you’ve fastened the shoe you should be able to walk without your heel pulling out. But pay particular attention to the shoe’s width as well as its length – some shoes suit wider feet and, if there’s too much volume, you will not only lose efficiency on the pedalling upstroke but you’ll have less stability walking.

My advice is to look for shoes that give the foot length in millimetres that corresponds to each size and measure your feet against that. It’s no surprise that the best-fitting shoe on test was from Lake, a brand that doesn’t rely on standard sizing but looks at both foot length and width. You can also use custom insoles to add support and help finesse fit.

INSOLE

What’s inside a shoe is almost as important as what’s on the outside. Unless you’re successful at dodging rain, a sealed footbed is a must-have to prevent water ingress from the cleat holes. Remove the insole, take a look and run your fingers over the surface. The smoother it feels inside the forefoot section, the less chance that you’ll be aware of the cleats.

In some shoes, insoles feel almost like an afterthought: thin and offering little discernible support. Yet a cushioned insole with a shaped arch adds another degree of comfort and can help you to dial your fit. Shoes from some brands, such as Rapha, come with different arch inserts, so you can customise the support you need. Other brands, including Specialized, have premium insoles as part of their footwear collection that you can buy as an upgrade.

As a somewhat flat-footed cyclist I wear the same custom insoles in all my shoes. During this test all styles started with the insole supplied – in some cases switching to my own or upgrading from the same brand absolutely transformed both comfort and wearability. It’s an easy upgrade to a budget shoe and can rescue expensive fit mistakes.

If we ask a lot of the upper of cycling shoes, we expect the impossible of the sole What’s inside a shoe is almost as important as what’s on the outside; a sealed footbed is a must