Gravel Cycling Shoes
For 2021, Pearl Izumi has released a premium level pair of gravel cycling shoes that blends lightweight and stiffness of a road shoe with the durability of a mountain bike shoe. The Gravel X are purposed designed for fast gravel adventures. They a made with a full carbon sole to maximize power transfer to the pedals. The uppers of the shoes a made from a 3D knit fabric that provides a glove-like fit. The fastening system is BOA Fit System that allows for micro-adjustments that gives all-day comfort for your longest rides
Pearl Izumi claims that these shoes give “unrivaled” comfort. With a knit construction and perforated tongue, the shoes are breathable and quick-drying. This is a great feature since gravel riding often involves puddles, mud, or creek crossing and wet feet for long periods of time is never fun. Thus, as Pearl Izumi put it, “We know that gravel grinding can be dirty work, so we wrapped the toe and edges of the Gravel X in a scuff-resistant TPU layer and incorporated a mud-shedding open tread sole design.”
Initial Thoughts
The Pearl Izumi Gravel X gravel cycling shoes unfortunately only come in one color. Personally, I like the color and they are quite tame, unlike my wild Giro Empire VR90 Blue MTB shoes, so this might be an issue for some people. Next, which seems to be standard for cycling shoes, is the BOA fastening system. These are my first pair of cycling shoes with this type of fastening so I was a bit worried about the possibility of them breaking.
These gravel cycling shoes look to be well constructed. The soles of the shoes are well made. The carbon does not have imperfections and the tread reminds me of a soccer cleat, which should provide plenty of grip in sandy muddy surfaces. They feel lightweight and this is mainly to do with the knit uppers.
With lightweight materials, there is always a trade off with durability and I worry that the knit fabric could tear or cut more easily than a 1-piece leather upper. For most gravel cycling conditions this will not be an issue, but what comes to mind where these shoes are more likely to be damaged, is riding rocky technical sections or using the shoes for mountain biking.
Lastly, with the breathable fabric, these shoes should be great for summertime when breathability will help keep your feet cool and the shoes will dry out quicker after a light rain or a splash from a puddle or creek crossing. These shoes probably won’t be ideal for winter and would require shoes covers.
Features
- 3D knit upper for a glove-like fit.
- Micro-adjustable BOA Fit System with IP1 dial makes on the bike adjustments a breeze.
- Full carbon sole maximizes power transfer.
- Scuff-resistant TPU layer around toe and sides enhance durability.
- Wide-spaced tread provides grip and sheds mud.
- 2-bolt SPD cleat compatible.
- Fit: Runs small; order half size up
Fabric
Upper: 76% rubber/plastic, 24% textile
Sole: 60% carbon fiber, 38% TPU, 2% steel
BOA Lacing
The Pearl Izumi Gravel X gravel cycling shoes come with BOA Fit System. Unlike other shoes and other Pearl Izumi models, mainly the PRO Road v5, the Gravel X only come with a single BOA dial per shoe. Therefore, there is only a single lace that is used to tighten down the shoe. With two dials, one could tighten the each of the dials with a different amount of tension.
Though, there are perks of more adjustability with having two dials, I really like the ease and quickness of the single dial. Some people may be really picky when it comes to shoe adjustments (talking to you Dito), for me I am more of a set it and forget it. One thing to note, with the single dial system, the lower portion of the lace does not tighten down as much as the lace near the dial. Thus, for a tighter fit near the toe-box, you will need to pull on the lace manually near the bottom while cranking the dial to get a more even tension along the entire lace.
My current shoes for both road and MTB/gravel cycling are Giro Empire shoes with traditional laces. Both shoes are very comfortable and though tying shoes my take a little longer than the BOA ratcheting system, the traditional lace system offers seven points of fit adjustment. Unlike the Gravel X, which only offers six points.
Thus, in the end it comes down to individual preferences. If you like to make micro adjustments while riding your bike, then the BOA system is probably for you. The BOA system is much better/quicker than Velcro straps or ratcheting straps for making small adjustments on the bike. And traditional laced shoes systems make performing on the bike adjustments practically impossible.
Sole Stiffness and Walkability
Power loss from a flexible sole is not an issue with these shoes. The carbon soles are very stiff and they maximize 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 very little flexure in the sole of the shoe, but the sole is designed with a slight 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 Gravel X 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 traditional MTB shoes, so these shoes 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. I think the shoe could snug up a bit more if the foam was reshaped to allow the heal to slide back a little bit further.
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 helps keep 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 toe box is lined with the knit fabric to provide plenty of ventilation for the toes. My feet are relatively wide for my shoe size, but the Gravel X gravel cycling shoes feel good and give great foot support.
Shoe Sizing
As mentioned in the features section and as stated by Pearl Izumi, the Gravel X tend to run small. For my Giro Empire SLX, I wear a EUR 43 US 9.5 and for the Gravel X a EUR 44. So I did size up a little for these shoes.
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 to rear adjustment. There are also two different mounting locations to offer everyone plenty of cleat positions to find the perfect bike fit.
Shoe Care (from Pearl Izumi)
“SHOE CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Clean mud off with a damp sponge and then stuff the inside of the shoes with paper to help absorb moisture and maintain shape. Never clean shoes in a washing machine. Keep the outsole clean by scrubbing with a soft brush when needed. Air dry at room temperature. Do not dry the shoes by a fire, radiator, or other heat source. Do not leave them in your car on a hot day. Extreme, direct heat can cause the materials to dry out or crack. This will damage your shoes and void your warranty.”
Final Thoughts
The Gravel X gravel cycling shoes did not really require a break in period. The first ride (on Strava) I did in the shoes was a 3-hour mountain bike ride in a rooty, rocky, and technical trail system. I did quite a bit of walking in them too and by the end of the ride my feet felt great. There were no hot spots during the ride and no soreness after the ride.
These shoes retail for $250 USD which puts them in a mid-range priced shoe category, considering some of the more expensive shoes cost upwards of $400 USD. Performance wise, these are a top-level shoe that give all day comfort. Each shoe (size 43) weighs 309 g (10.9 oz.), which is less than the Giro Empire VR90 at 315 g (11.1 oz.) for a 42.5 shoe size.
The Gravel X gravel cycling shoes look really nice and the color will match well with a wide variety of cycling kit colors (if you are into that kind of stuff). These shoes are going to be my go-to shoes for gravel riding and racing.
Author Conflicts
I purchased the Pearl Izumi Gravel X gravel cycling shoes with my own money. I did not receive any compensation from Pearl Izumi to review this product. This product was reviewed on my own accord to provide information about the product and hopefully give you useful information to help guide you in deciding to purchase the product.
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