GripGrab Explorer, now the Flandrien goes off road!

We looked at GripGrab’s Flandrien shoe covers a while ago. While these were great on mucky road rides, GripGrab decided they could be improved; by adding gravel!

I was really impressed by the Flandrien shoe covers, they kept me warm and dry; what more could I ask? Well GripGrab decided that they could be a bit tougher, so they could handle roads a bit more gravelly; is that a word? Enter the GripGrab Explorer.

GripGrab worked with elite gravel riders in all weathers, remember GripGrab are a Scandanavian brand; they know weather. At GripGrab they embrace the conditions, wind, rain and cold shouldn’t be a barrier to riding. Forget off-seasons, by choosing the right gear for the right conditions GripGrab’s gear will keep you riding.

The original Flandrien shoe covers are great on the road, they kept me warm and dry and were simple to put on. The sock design means there are nor zips to break or velcro to snag. And the three-layer design did a good job keeping the water at bay.

Another bonus is that the construction method means you can say goodbye to big clunky-looking feet! A small thing, but us cyclist are a vain lot. The form fitting design and plain black colour looks good and is very practical. Keeping them looking good is simple to, at the end of your ride just wash road grit off with a hose.

What’s changed with the GripGrab Explorer?

So what changes have been made to make the GripGrab Explorer a gravel shoe cover? Well all the elements that make them so good on the road have been kept and GripGrab have added armour. Armour in the form of TPU moulded toe-caps and wear patches on the sole. These injection moulded parts protect the woven material of the overshoe from the rough and tumble of off-road riding. Protecting the toe is a cap that covers top, bottom and side. So when walking off-road in mud and grit you won’t have to worry about wearing holes in your toes.

The reinforced tab under foot, sits between the cleat and heel. This will protect the shoe cover when walking over rough ground. It will also help when clipping in to your pedals, or more importantly when you’re trying to clip in. Clattering downhill desperately trying to clip in often leaves you temporarily balanced on this area of your shoe. Not great for your confidence or your shoe cover! So this seems a good choice of reinforcement.

We’ll let you know how the GripGrab Explorer performs in the real world once we have got our hands (surely feet?) on a pair. In the meantime you can get them from the GripGrab website. The Explorer’s are available in four sizes and retail for €89.95.