Bontrager Foray Shoes

The Bontrager Foray Shoes are well constructed, comfortable two-bolt shoes that are stiff enough to push pedals easily, but have enough give and grip for sections of hike-a-bike or just strolling around the shops. Though perhaps not ideal for actual mountain biking, they're excellent for gravel riding, touring and general riding – though they won't suit those with narrow feet.

Bontrager bills the Forays as mountain bike shoes, but they lack the sheer gnarliness of pure off-road footwear. They're more like the offspring of a three-way between a mountain bike shoe, a mid-range road cycling shoe and a modern version of a cycle touring shoe.

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You might not choose them to line up at the start of a cross-country race, but they work really well for trail and dirt-road riding, and they're fine for unhurried road riding too.

The Forays are solidly constructed from two pieces of moulded synthetic leather, plus the tongue. A single Boa dial pulls them closed, assisted by a Velcro strap across the front of your foot. The toe and heel areas are stiffened and protected by sections of rubber-coated material that Bontrager calls GnarGuard, and plenty of padding keeps those areas comfortable.

The whole lot is built on a fibre-reinforced nylon sole that achieves the awkward trick of having enough flex for walking while still being stiff enough for pedalling.

They've been comfortable for all the riding I've done recently, from blatting about the trails on my gravel bike, to days out on the road bike, to popping into town on the flat-bar Cube Editor I've been testing (full review to come).

I've used them with Crank Brothers Candy pedals and an ancient pair of its Acid pedals. Crank Brothers pedals can be very sensitive to the thickness of the sole around the cleat pocket, but no such problems here – I was able to clip in straight away and pop out easily.

The depth is just right, and there's plenty of material around the pocket for support so your feet don't rock or wobble.

I'm a big fan of Boa closures, so I've been pleased to see them appearing on cheaper shoes over the last few years. The dial is easily turned to snug the shoes around your feet, and just as easy to pop out to release. With the stiff upper fabric you get a broad, even band of pressure across the top of the foot that's comfy even if you tighten them quite hard.

There's plenty of padding round your ankle for comfort, and it works. In particular, the stiff, dense padding under the tongue distributes pressure from the Boa wires which might otherwise dig into your feet.

The toebox is roomy and quite broad – it's very much an 'American' fit rather than an Italian one. There's plenty of space for the bunions that prevent me getting comfortable in some stiff, narrow shoes.

It does mean the fabric over the toes can ruck up a bit if you pull the Velcro strap very tight, but you can't feel it; it just looks a bit untidy. If you've got narrow feet you might not get on with this, and it seems some riders find the toe box too loose.

Walking around in the Forays I barely noticed I was in cycling shoes, aside from the occasional crunch of cleat on a stray pebble. Sure, they're quite stiff, but nowhere near as stiff as, say, carbon fibre road shoes.

Not only is the rubber outsole nicely grippy, it's soft enough that it gives a little, so the Forays don't slam your feet with every step. You wouldn't want to hike up a mountain in them, but for pottering round the shops or walking to the cafe counter, they're fine.

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If you're forced to hoof it in cruddy conditions, there's a couple of shallow studs under your toes which could be removed and replaced with bigger grippers. Walking batters them a bit though; they're looking quite worn already, especially on my left, 'touchdown' foot.

The Forays are the same price as Bontrager's GR2 shoes that Mat tested recently, and those have laces rather than Boa dials. They're cheaper than the Fizik Terra Powerstrap X4 however, though those are lighter and that's clearly what you're paying for – along with unusual, broad straps and again no Boa dial.

I've really come to like the Forays even though I'm a grouch who thinks cycling shoes should be Practical Black, along with saddles, bar tape and tyre rubber. (To be fair, you can get Forays in black, as well as a combo Bontrager calls Radioactive Yellow/Waterloo Blue.) They're comfortable for both walking and riding, durable, and very easy to live with.

Verdict

Comfortable, just stiff enough, broad of toe and green of colour shoes for backroad exploring