GripGrab RaceAero TT Shoe Covers

Simon Tuck

A review of the GripGrab RaceAero TT Shoe Covers.

If you’ve ever narrowly lost a race or been pipped in a time trial by the tiniest margin then you might like to give GripGrab’s new aero items a go. These GripGrab RaceAero TT shoe covers could save precious seconds..

The GripGrab RaceAero TT Shoe Covers may shave a few seconds from your PB, just keep them off the gravel!

The RaceAero shoe covers are made from a lycra material. They have a snug fit and an extended ankle to help smooth out the airflow around your feet. The unfortunate side effect is a tan line halfway up your calf, but it’s worth it because they look good and maybe they give you aero gains. There’s some evidence to show that aero shoecovers can save watts and there’s also evidence to show they don’t. You won’t see many pros without shoe covers in time trials, and perhaps one of the only reasons they tend not to in the road stages is because they need to have easy access to their shoes to allow for swelling.

We’ve seen shoes that are designed to be more aero too. There’s some suggestion that shoes with a big dial sticking out the side may be less aero even under a shoe cover than lace up or velcro options due to the smaller frontal area they provide. Should you wear shoe covers in a crit’ or time trial, yes you should. Should you wear shoe covers in a road race, maybe. Should you wear them to train in; on a group ride, social ride or sportive? Perhaps not.

Encouraging words from GripGrab, just make sure you know your left from your right

The shoe covers annoyingly have a left and a right and guess when I realised that? Yep, right after I put them on the wrong way round! As I realised that the Gripgrab logo was on the inside of my foot I also noticed the motivational slogans printed on the top of the covers. They’re a nice touch and not only will they be a good conversation starter but they’ll make you smile a bit every time you put them on. Although towards the end of the long race you may start to imagine nasty things happening to the people who decided to print these taunts on your shoes!

The RaceAero TT shoe covers have no heel cutout, because it’s more aero that way. They only have a cutout for your cleats. That’s a bold move by GripGrab as it makes the covers less practical and more event focused. You really don’t want to be walking about in these shoe covers. Mine have a lovely stain on in the shape of the toe and heel bumpers thanks to the gravel trap I parked in at the Tour of Cambridgeshire. They are quite tricky to put on but nowhere near as hard as the Velotoze shoe covers I reviewed recently. They get easier to put on once you’ve already stretched them out a bit by putting them on the wrong feet…

The fit is tight on the RaceAero shoe covers, so those tan lines will be nice and crisp

The fit is nice and snug. There’s a silicone band on the inside at the ankle to keep them from slipping. I didn’t touch them once on my 80 mile slog around Cambridgeshire and I haven’t got huge calves. These GripGrab RaceAero TT shoe covers are a nice touch to your race day kit. They go well with the matching TT Aero gloves to make you look the part and they probably help you go faster. They may well intimidate the competition too. If you are going to wear shoe covers these are one of the best looking and more durable options.

GripGrab

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