Giro Empire VR90

Setting.  I've been riding clipless since the mid 90s.  Tens of thousands of miles on mtb shoes/pedals from several different companies.  And I've been consistently on Egg Beaters since the first iteration, 20-something years ago.  Also, I really like Giro as a company.  My first real bike helmet was the Hammerhead SC, and I've happily owned a lot of their gear over the years.  

Intro.  After recently retiring an amazing pair of 12-year-old XC shoes from the company who's name we do not speak, it was time for me to find a new race-worthy XC shoe.  I stumbled upon a pair of Giro Empire VR90s for cheaper than normal (though, not cheap) and having enjoyed my Giro Republic shoes over several years of bike commuting (and 4 tread replacement kits), I decided to give them a try.  

 I'd heard the Empire VR90 described as the most comfortable XC shoes around, and after reading reviews from all the big sources, I felt good dropping some serious cash on them.  To start, I love lace closures.  I've had 3 pairs of shoes bite the dust due to broken buckle systems, so I was confident these shoes could stay tight around my feet for years to come.  I also appreciated the clean lines and the simple design.  Having owned them now for just over a year, I've really wanted to love these shoes, but there are a few things that keep me from giving my heart to the Empire VR90.

 

Let's get down to brass tacks.   The first problem develop quicker than expected.  My use case may be a bit out of the acceptable realm of this shoe's design, but nonetheless, the durability of the sole has me worried.  For starters, I like to underbike, riding a rigid singlespeed gravel bike through rock gardens.  I usually clear most stuff on descents, but on the climbs, I can do a fair bit of hike-a-bike.  I also wrap photography into many a-ride, so I'm stomping around rocks and roots and such.  Oh, and I do 10-15 MTB races a year, too. 

Though Vibram has a great reputation in general (I have Danner hiking boots and Merrell running shoes with great Vibram outsoles), but the tread pattern and durometer of this shoe's outsole combine to wear easily and make it prone to significant chipping.   As noted earlier, I run Crank Brothers clipless pedals, so the pedal body's contact with the shoe tread is really important to feeling connected with the bike.  For starters, the shoe's tread pattern, when new, doesn't sit flat or flush when placed on the ground.  There are high points in the mid-foot area, on both sides of the cleat pocket, and then the tread tapers down as it moves toward the outward perimeter of the mid-foot.  This means that early on there's a good tight fit with, say an Egg Beater or Candy pedal, but as one walks and wears down those high points, a more level surface is created, leaving me with a current 2mm gap between the sole lugs and the body of my pedal.  This is magnified by all the chips and chunks that have been rubbed from the lugs as I've trounced around trails.  I run the Crank Brothers Shoe Shield plates to protect carbon around the cleats, but I also use the spacers on the pedal body, so I'm at a zero sum for pedal/shoe interface.  If you run SPDs, this shouldn't be a problem, until you move into the XT/XTR trail versions.  Finally, the outsole has started separating and tearing away from the carbon midsole in two places.  One area has been fixed by an application from Gear Aid Aquaseal while the other area didn't accept the fix and has continued to separate.  To date, none of my previous 10+ shoes has fallen apart like this, including other carbon-soled XC race shoes.

Second.  Venting and breathability.  I live in southern California and summers, like most places, are hot.  These shoes are also hot.  The ventilation isn't great and my black version absorbs the sun's rays like crazy.  So much so that I bought a used pair of road shoes for when I ride midday on the pavement.  If you look closely, the largest ventilation holes on the instep of the shoe are covered by the insole, effectively removing much of the heat release.  This design also translates to loooong drying times (outside of summer) when the shoe gets really sweaty or dragged through a creek. 

 

Third.  This is probably unique to me, but I can't quite get them to fit properly for rough trail riding.  On the road and flowing XC trails, they're great, but when things get steep and chunky, I can't get the right lace tension on the lower half of my feet.  Laced normally, my toes slam into the toe box...a lot.  If I lace them tight enough to keep my feet centered in the shoe, the tension causes my feet to fall asleep.  Lose lose on that type of trail.

Fourth.   They are plenty stiff with great power transfer.  They're also comfortable off the bike.  They look great and the uppers have held up well to abuse.  And the elastic lace loop they stole from Chrome shoes...it works well.

Fifth. To be noted, Giro has sent me a new pair under warranty, but I'm wary of setting them up and may choose to find a new shoe instead.

In closing.  If you don't spend a lot of time bouncing around rough trails on your feet or you use SPD pedals, these shoes could be great for you.   Like a good indoor court shoe, it's probably best to take off the Empire VR90s once the ride's done.  Could I have expected some of the above-mentioned issues to appear?  Perhaps, but again, the big reviewers all testified to the opposite of my experience, so I trusted their voice, as short-term as their reviews probably were.  In the end, they have potential, but they aren't the best mountain bike shoe ever, and I wouldn't buy them again.