Description of Pearl Izumi Expedition Pro Shoes
The Pearl Izumi Expedition Pro gravel shoes are lightweight and stiff to mirror the platform of a road shoe. Designed for riders participating in gravel or cross-country events. Now with dual BOA L6C dials, these shoes have even more adjustability compared to previous shoes. The BOA system now incorporates the Soft TX lace to help reduce pressure points across the Top of the foot.
“Our lightest, stiffest, and most comfortable off-road shoe”
On the bottom side, the 1:1 EX PRO Carbon sole wraps the toe and heel. The scuff-resistant TPU layer protect the carbon which incorporates a mud-shredding tread design. Inside there is dual-density ergonomic footed to provide optimal support, pedaling efficiency, and comfort. The Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO is designed to provide comfort for those big mile rides.
Unboxing
Initial thoughts
The basis and baseline comparison of this shoe is coming from my previously reviewed Pearl Izumi Gravel X shoes. Some of the design features of the Expedition PRO Gravel Shoes are direct from the Gravel X shoes and/or updates from that shoe. To keep parity, I order the same shoe size for the Expedition PRO that I had with the Gravel X shoes. It turns out, that the Expedition Pro run bigger.
Interestingly, as you will see below, the soles of the Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO are the exact same sole used for the Gravel X, which makes me wonder why the same number size are different sizes. I order a size 44 which is supposed to be US 10 or 28 cm, and both shoes use the same Footwear Size Chart.
On the Peral Izumi site, each product has a Product Reviews section, and based on the overall reviews both shoes on average say the fit run “True to Size.” I will say, the Gravel X shoes were snugger and really wrapped my foot nicely. They weren’t too tight, and the toe box or width were never an issue, so when transitioning to the Expedition PRO, they felt quite loose compared to my previous shoes.
In the features section of the Gravel X, it states that the fit runs small and it is recommended to order one size larger, but this is not stated on the Expedition PRO shoes.
The Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO use a synthetic leather upper vs a knitted material on the Gravel X. One nice thing about the Expedition Pro shoes is that they come in 4 different colors vs just one color for the Gravel X (they don’t come in white). They come in Urban Sage (version under review), Whitecap Gray, Capulet Olive, and Black, which really allows you to choose a color to match your desired look.
I am very happy that the shoes now come with a dual BOA dial system instead of just a single dial found on the Gravel X shoes. Previously, it was difficult to get the lower portion tight without pulling the chord with your finger then tightening the dial. Both shoes have the same amount of lace guides, but with the dual dials, it will be much easier to adjust the fit and feel of the shoe.
There isn’t too much to say about the sole of the shoes since it is exactly to same as the Gravel X sole. Though I don’t really have any complaints about the sole itself, but the featured TPU layer on the toe has come off on my Gravel X shoes. I have glued the back on, but they still end up coming off. I worried that the same might happen to the Expedition PRO.
I am looking forward to using the Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO come wintertime. The shoes, though beatable, are a knitted and shoes be slightly warmer when it is colder out.
Features
- 2-bolt cleat compatible.
- Soft TX lace guides eliminate pressure and hotspots.
- Reinforced toe bumper for added durability and protection.
- 1:1® EX PRO Carbon sole does what no other can: deliver uncompromising pedaling performance and confident off-the-bike hike-ability.
- BOA® Fit System with L6C dials.
- TPU lugs deliver off the bike confidence.
Fabric
Upper: 100% rubber/plastic Bottom: 60% carbon fiber, 38% TPU, 2% steel
BOA Lacing System
As mentioned above, the Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO come with a dual BOA Fit System. These shoes use the L6C dials, which, according to BOA, are lightweight, precise, and low-profile that deliver ultimate overall performance for cyclists. Though these dials only offer a single direction (tighten) adjustment but have Push-In engagement and Pull-Up for fast release.
The top BOA dial has a single lace guild to adjust the tightness at the top of the foot. The lower BOA dial has three lace guides to control the snugness at the middle and near the toes of the foot. The L6C dials seem to have more engagement point to allow for finer adjustment.
The laces for the Pearl Izumi are different than other laces used by Pearl Izumi. The laces are a soft fabric lace instead of a plastic-coated wire. I think the softer lace will provide a little more comfort, but it will be interesting to test the durability of the new lace compared to the wire.
I’m not a huge fan of the BOA system, I don’t necessarily dislike them, I just feel like it is tough to beat a pair of regular laced shoes. Introduction more moving parts will lead to more breakable parts. I haven’t had any issues with my BOA shoes, and the ease and quickness of the system is really great. Also, on-the-fly adjustment is very easy, try tying a shoe while riding a bike (not very practical, but I have seen quite a few shoe changes during a race with BOA shoes).
Sole Stiffness and Walkability
Power loss from a flexible sole is not an issue with these shoes. The carbon soles are very stiff and maximizes the power transfer to the pedals. Though the soles are quite stiff, the EVA foam insole provides plenty of comfort.
With a stiff sole, walkability is always a concern, especially with off road shoes where walking is a more frequent occurrence compared to road cycling. There is not any flexure in the shoe, but the sole is design with curvature at the ball of the foot. This curvature provides a pivot point at the ball of the foot which allows for plenty of rotation of the ankle during the walking stride.
Walking in the Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO shoes is comfortable, even though the sole does not flex. I would not want to walk miles in them, but for short sections where toting your bike is the only way to proceed, they do a good job. The tread provides sure footing in rocky and sandy areas. These shoes do not allow for studs to be installed like more MTB shoes, so these offer less traction when climbing steep sections.
Heel Cup
The heel cup fits good and is quite stiff. A small piece of EVA foam wraps around the top of the heel cup to really lock the heel in and provide cushioning for the Achilles tendon. Though the heel cup feels comfortable, and I did not get any hot spots, I think the EVA foam goes a little too far down for my preference. It feels a little weird at first and I think the shoe could snug up a bit more if the foam shape was changed, but after wearing the shoes for a while it is not noticeable.
Toe Box
The exterior of the toe box is wrapped with a thicker TPU layer to provided extra protection and durability against scuffs and tearing from rocks. This layer warps around the side and up over the ball of the foot to provide quite a bit of support and keeps the shoe from deforming, especially during the down part of the pedal stroke. The TPU material has small ridges to add more strength to the material.
The toe box is quite spacious and provides plenty of room for the toes. The top of the top box is lined with the knit fabric to provide plenty of ventilation to the toes. My feet are relatively wide for my shoes size, but the Gravel X feel good and give great foot support.
Shoe Sizing
The Pearl Izumi Expedition Pro come in sizes 39 to 49 with some half sizes in the middle of the shoe range.
Cleat Compatibility
The Gravel X gravel cycling shoes use a typical 2-bolt style mounting system. The sole is slotted to allow for plenty of forward and read adjustment. There are also two different mounting locations to offer everyone plenty of cleat position to find the perfect bike fit.
Shoe Care
Wash with simple detergents without additives (Clear or Free). Wash gentle cycle. Close all zippers and hook and loop closures (“Velcro”). Tumble dry low (fabric should not be hot to the touch). When in doubt (or to save energy) hang dry. Do not use dryer sheets. Products with scents, softeners, etc. will inhibit performance of technical fabrics.
I have purchased a shoes dryer that blows air into the shoes. This allows me to thoroughly dry out my shoes after sweaty or wet rides.
Final Thoughts
The Pearl Izumi Expedition Pro gravel shoes have been pretty good shoes so far. I was a little bummed out at first that the shoes felt loose and run larger than my Gravel X shoes. After wearing them for a few months, I really light the extra space. Though they are a bit bigger than my previous shoes, I can still snug them down around my foot nicely, but now I have a little more space in the toe box.
This extra space because the shoes is a bit larger allows me to wear thicker socks in the winter and the shoes doesn’t feel tight. With my Gravel X shoes, thick socks were quite uncomfortable.
As with my Gravel X shoes, these Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO didn’t’ require a break in period. I wore the shoes for the first time for two short warm up rides the day before a the Dust Bowl 100 Gravel Race. Then on the 100-mile Dust Bowl race with not blisters or discomfort at all.
The heel cup holds my foot nicely and the padding around the Achilles tendon provides plenty of support. Overall, I find the shoes to be quite comfortable and I think the dual dial BOA system is a much-needed improvement. A single shoe is about 367 g including the Shimano SPD cleat, which is slightly less than my worn-down Gravel X shoes. It is slightly heavier than more expensive shoes, but on par with shoes in this price range.
At the time of this writing, the Pearl Izumi Expedition Pro run $260 USD. Even though these are Pearl Izumi’s top of the line shoe, I would put these at a mid-range shoe compared to high-end shoes that cost $400 or more. With that perspective these shoes, these shoes give good performance for the price.
I’m not hugely worried about the color of my shoes (as long as they aren’t white). I do like this sage color and the other colors offered are nice too. So far, they have held up well with getting banged around (I have used these for gravel and MTB). On one MTB ride, I got to close to a rock and hit the BOA dial on the rock. The dial popped off.
Fearing I had just broken my shoe, the dial had only unclipped from the base. I clipped the dial back in and I have had zero issues with the dial since. That is a nice fail safe built into the system to keep you going without your BOA dial braking.
Since switching to the Pearl Izumi Expedition PRO gravel shoes, I have exclusively been using these for all my off-road gravel and MTB riding and racing. As I have mentioned before, the extra space in the toe box has been quite welcoming.
Though these aren’t as breathable as the knitted Gravel X shoes, they still provide plenty of air flow to my feet. I have had zero issues with my feet being too hot while riding.
If I was asked to recommend these shoes, I would have no issues with recommending them. I don’t get any hotspots while riding and I don’t have any soreness from the shoes after riding.
Author Conflicts
I purchased the Pearl Izumi Expedition Pro gravel cycling shoes with my own money. I did not receive any compensation from Pearl Izumi to review this product. Pearl Izumi was not involved with the information in this article (before or after). This product was reviewed on my own accord to provide information about the product and hopefully give readers useful information to help guide their decision in purchasing this product.
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