Giro Factor Road Shoes

Lightweight and stiffness is the order of the day when it comes to Giro Factor road shoes. Built on the same lasts as the range topping Prolight SLXs. the Factors are designed to suit virtually every foot in the land.

At this price point you've usually got two options for strapping the shoe to your foot – Velcro straps and buckles, or a dialled lace system like Boa. Giro have gone for the buckle and Velcro option but with a few tweaks. The lower steel buckle is in a pretty standard place but the upper buckle is positioned more to the centre to avoid pinch points and increase comfort. The straps themselves are actually part of the upper so as you tighten them you are pulling the top half of the upper over your foot rather than just thin straps, this removes any localised pressure points. The buckle itself has two positions, an upper and a lower, adjustable by the removal of a screw. This also allows a degree of flotation so that it settles perfectly in position on the top of your foot.

The uppers are Teijin microfiber, a manmade leather-style material which is very soft and pliable to the touch. It also looks very hard wearing. The toe and heel box are reinforced for longevity and shrug off marks and scuffs with ease. Plenty of small holes at various sections in the material take care of breathability and there are two sections of mesh at the toes to aid airflow.

Now for the pièce de résistance: the Easton EC90 carbon soles. These babies are not only immensely stiff and light but the stack height is just 6.5mm so your foot is very close to the pedal. The sole itself has a beam section running from the three-holed cleat area to the heel while the bare minimum of material is used on either side.

Out on the road you're certainly going to get noticed, even in these white, silver and red versions that are probably the most subtle. The Factors also come in a bling red & white or shiny black which scream 'look at me!' For a little extra you can get the Rapha Condor cycling team version.

The uppers take a little bit of time to bed in, as with any shoe, but once they have moulded to your foot shape they are hugely comfortable. The strap positioning and float on the buckle really aids comfort while still holding your foot secure for high power efforts. The most noticeable difference, though, is the weight, or the lack of it: these weigh just 255g for a size 42. I spend a lot of time riding fixed where the average cadence is about 100rpm; you can really feel the lightness compared to my usual Shimano shoes.

The heel cup is designed just right to offer support yet it's low enough to sit just below your achilles so there's no chance of aggravation on longer outings, while Giro's own customable insole allows you to attach a range of three arch supports depending on the shape of your foot.

All these comfort-adding attributes really make the difference on longer rides of 5–6 hours or so and while I did experience hot spots on my feet when out for this long, it is a small price to pay for the mix of comfort, lightness and power transfer.

Of course, over £200 is a lot to pay for a pair of shoes but these will pay dividends in the long run. The wipe clean nature of the Teijin material means they'll look good for a long time and as the uppers stretch and contour to your foot shape, the Factors are like wearing your favourite slippers with cleats on.