Review: the Giro Jacket™ MTB Shoes

The Giro Jacket™ reminds me of a skate shoe and it has a relatively low-profile shape. First impressions are important, and I am into them so far. The sole is sewn in high wear areas, which prevent it from separating from the uppers after heavy use. The orange laces and the army-glowing colour really catch my eye.

I put the shoes on, laced them up and my foot felt immediately at home.

The insole kept my feet in place and gave me stable footing. With 8 holes on each side for the laces, I also felt secure in the shoe. 

When on the pedals, the Vibram® outsole of the Giro Jacket™ MTB shoes gave me permanent grip. They never slid off, but it was still easy to lift them off the pedal pins and adjust my foot position.

The Poron® XRD™ midsole also absorbs a tone of impact force while remaining stiff. Because of the soles stiffness, neither my toes nor heels felt like they were bending around the pedals edge.

Even when branches and stones nicked the MTB shoes, the soles kept my toes safe.

I could even walk with the Giro Jacket™ without issue. Of course, we need to remember that these are bike shoes, so they don’t compare to dedicated hiking footwear.

These MTB shoes is surprisingly well ventilated and at 15-20°C, I never had a sweat soaked foot. The holes in the toe cap allow plenty of air through, but this could become a problem in wet or rainy conditions. The Aegis® Microbe Shield also kept the shoe from developing a rank odour after long rides.

The Giro Jacket™ definitely surprised me. It was really cool to be able to wear a great mountain biking shoe that wasn’t Five Ten. Overall, I don’t see too much diversity in the MTB shoe market, so I am happy these are out there. I like style of the Jacket™ and it was extremely comfortable and well ventilated. When it comes to grip, these shoes didn’t leave me wanting and they only made biking more fun.

The Aegis® Microbe Shield is an anti-microbial barrier that is permanently bonded with the fabric. It uses the power of a tiny positive electrical charge to inhibit the presence of odour-causing microbes that can cause odour, discolouring or fading, so your shoes stay fresh and odour-free.

Poron® XRD™ is a soft, shock-absorbing material specifically engineered to absorb up to 90% of impact energy, without a loss of performance from repeated impacts. Poron® XRD™ remains supple and flexible until impacted, when the molecules lock together immediately to deflect and help absorb shock. Other benefits include open cell, breathable performance with antifungal properties, and no use of latex, PVCs, VOCs, or heavy metals. In many cases, Poron® XRD™ material is also thinner, more flexible and less dense than competitive materials, so you get a more natural feel with less weight and bulk compared to traditional padding!

Vibram® is the world leader in high performance rubber soles, with technologically advanced compounds like IdroGrip, the stickiest mouldable compound in the Vibram® arsenal and developed specifically for flat pedal riding in dry and wet conditions; and Megagrip, a high performance sticky compound with significantly more durability and only a minimal decrease in friction compared to IdroGrip. All Vibram® soles are produced with three objectives: to guarantee the best performance, the maximum level of comfort and quality over time.