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Giro Empire Men's Road Bike, Triathlon/Aero Shoes

£117.94£235.88Clearance
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The laces also pose a problem for mid-ride adjustments; it’s not possible to loosen or tighten them without pulling over and sitting down. But we found, barring the first ride, that we didn’t need to make adjustments – owing in part to what Giro calls the ‘spillover effect’. Room to manoeuvre Putting power down is easy thanks to the pro-level Easton® EC90 full carbon outsole, keeping you moving forward with no wasted watts. At some point, when you’re off-road you’ll be off the bike and pushing and here the moulded Vibram® rubber tread digs in and offers fabulous grip. For particularly muddy days the sole is compatible with toe spikes too. This is then thermally welded together to create an upper with a single seam that runs down the heel on the outside and away from your foot. So the internal of the Imperial is smooth, seam-free and, as a result, should be more comfortable.

Weighing in at 504g (for a pair of EU44), the Empire’s may not be a weight weenies dream. But they’re competitive to similar offerings from Sidi, and Specialized. Phinney wanted the laces because he was looking for a way to keep his shoes as aero as possible. I'm not aware of any wind tunnel testing I can point to but laces minimise bumps and protrusions and Bradley Wiggins seemed to see some value in the design given he chose them for his hour record. It's also relatively easy to cover the actual laces which is something Swenson did, using a chopped up arm warmer, when he won the 2023 Leadville 100 mountain bike race. There's also another advantage to the laces though and that's what the SLX version of the Empire leans into. The obvious standout feature that distinguishes the Empires from pretty much all other road shoes out there is the laces. The supposed benefits include a more customisable fit due to the seven pairs of eyelets in contrast to the two or three straps or BOA dials usually found on shoes these days, while the downsides are increased fiddle time when putting on or taking off the shoes, and the inability to adjust fit on the go. Giro quietly entered the shoe market in 2010 with a four-pronged product line-up comprising the Prolight SLX, Factor, Trans and Espada (women-specific). Giro’s strategy, based around lightweight materials, dynamic designs and affordability, helped it secure a significant slice of the market in a very short space of time.

In This Section

Utilised on the lower-end of Giro’s shoe range, the ratchet system might weigh more than other fastening devices but the reliability and on-the-fly adjustability more than makes up for it. What to look for in a road shoe Too often, shoe companies neglect to include a well-designed footbed – a key contributor to both comfort and performance – so it's good to see that Giro have put in the effort here and haven't cut costs by including a super thin insole with barely any support. Not only does a well-supported foot reduce the risk of injuries in key joints such as the knees, but it also reduces the chances of hot spots developing due to the pressure being distributed over a wider area of the foot. For a shoe that appears to have minimal ventilation the Empires left us pleasantly surprised. The combination of perforated upper and vented sole enabled our feet to breathe, and the air flow – which increased considerably at speed – was certainly enough for sweltering days. Support where you need it

The insoles are infused with X-Static silver fibres, which we found defended odour well. Because the fibres are woven into the foot bed, the antimicrobial properties are permanent, so will not wash away like some coatings and treatments do. Dampening enthusiasm? Despite the rise of more sophisticated fastening systems, laces are still very popular among cyclists and for good reason: laces are light, stiff, robust and stylish but on-the-bike adjustability is limited.

By keeping the the outsole of the shoe flat, not rolling it up around the edge of the upper allows for your foot to spill over the edge of the shoe. This means that when your foot expands, whether that’s from pedaling or foot swelling, it’s not pushing up against carbon, thereby eliminating hot spots and pressure points. While this comes at the cost of lateral support, the added support from the footbeds more than compensates.

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