Road Cycling Shoes
Pearl Izumis PRO Leader shoe has a lot of technology hidden under a subtle exterior
Pearl Izumi’s P.R.O. Leader shoes feature a BOA dial on the tongue rather than on the side as most shoes. This makes it marginally more aero and out-of-the-way if you crash. The upper is seam free and only 0.9mm thick, which means no seams to rub and the upper conforms to your foot as the BOA closure gathers the material equally without bunching.
Pearl Izumi’s 1:1 insole system offers three different arch and varus cant options for a customisable fit. While the Octane 1:1 Power Plate uni-directional carbon sole is drilled for breathability and lightness, with a low stack height of 6.5mm.
The Course Air Lite is Louis Garneau’s top shoe and at 222g, lives up to its name. The Course Air Lite uses a carbon HM X-Lite outsole with a thickness of 4.3mm, which not only lightens the shoe, but brings the sole closer to the pedal and titanium hardware. No moulding options, but two insoles are provided for hot and cold weather riding.
The Course Air Lite from Louis Garneau weighs in at a scant 222g for a size 42
We don’t know much about Italian brand, Chain. The top model is the Fast and they appear to be more traditional with carbon soles mated to velcro straps and buckles for securing your feet.
Exustar are a Chinese brand that have been producing shoes and pedals for over twenty years. Their top of the range shoe is the E-SR236, which has two rotary microlock closures, a microfibre and leather upper, with mesh inserts for ventilation. It comes in a discreet and fashion friendly matt black finish with orange highlights, so shouldn’t be too problematical to your kit.
Like Bont, Exustar have a different idea of how to keep all that power you are putting down through their shoes under control. They use a carbon footbed that wraps up and around your foot, the idea to stop any flexing of the foot and keep it all going down through the pedals. The sidewalls are made with differing layers of carbon, so there is some flex where it’s needed for comfort, but it’s rigid in the ‘power zone’. Exustar also claim this offers increased arch support, although this probably depends on what type of arch you have, it could be a benefit.
As well as the E-SR236, Exustar also produce the E-SR236B, this is the same shoe, but uses a microlock M2 buckle closure and two velcro straps. So if you have a problem with dial type closures then you can use the more traditional E-SR236B. Weights for the E-SR236 and E-SR236B are in the lightweight range, with published weight of 498g for a pair of E-SR236.
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