Giant Charge Elite XC shoes

The Giant Charge Elite XC shoes are durable, comfortable and offer decent levels of stiffness for when you want to give the pedals a stamp. The Boa system gives a secure wrap around the foot, while the tread helps your footing on muddy trails. They're pricey compared with rivals, though, and you'll need to go up a size.

The Charge shoes are actually designed for cross-country mountain biking, but they cross over very well into the gravel market which is where I've been using them for the majority of testing.

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The Elites sit in the middle of a three-shoe range, so you don't get the full carbon fibre ExoBeam sole that you do on the Pro model. ExoBeam is the dual beam design which runs the length of the sole, which Giant claims increases stability and power transfer.

The Elite's version of it is made up of a composite of carbon and glass fibre, so it's not super-stiff like the full carbon fibre sole found on the Shimano RX8s, with just a little bit of flex when riding hard in or out of the saddle.

That's not a bad thing, though, especially if you aren't out for a 'smashfest' and want to get some steady miles in. The bit of movement provides some comfort and helps deal with the vibration coming through from the pedals.

The design of the sole gives mud clearance for clipping into your pedals (twin-bolt cleats only), and up front you get mounting points for studs if you're likely to be dragging yourself up muddy climbs on foot.

Uppers

The PU upper is brilliantly robust, and after plenty of miles on gravel tracks and forest trails they have shrugged off most of the knocks and scuffs, so they still look like new.

Up front the toe guards stop the upper getting scuffed up and torn when you walk on gravel, and the heel is also protected.

The upper is also water resistant and it does a good job of keeping the rain out, even with quite a few holes for breathability. A real soaking gets through, like if you are riding in heavy rain all day, but in light rain or when dealing with road spray, they stay dry for quite a while.

Comfortable fit

Getting a close, comfortable fit is achievable thanks to many different details. First up, you get a Boa dial and cable which deals with two-thirds of the foot retention, with the lower section taken care of by a simple Velcro strap.

The Boa system gives a good wraparound, and you can get a close fit without any pressure points.

Inside, you get arches to place under the insole to suit your feet, and a SharkSkin heel liner stops your foot lifting on each pedal stroke.

I've been testing the size 45, which Giant refers to as a UK11, but they aren't. I'm a UK10 and these are a good fit on me, so I'd say you definitely need to go up a size from your norm. Sizes across brands fluctuate a fair bit, and I can range from a 44 to 45 in a lot of them.

The Charges aren't the widest shoe on the market either, although they do start to give a bit as you wear them a lot.

Value

At £194.99, they aren't cheap. The Bontrager Foray Shoes are similar in design, although I'd say that the fibre/nylon sole isn't quite as stiff as that found on the Giant, judging by John's review. The Forays have a Boa dial and strap for closure and a leather upper but only set you back £129.99.

> Buyer’s Guide: The best gravel shoes for summer and winter

Fizik's X5 Terras have a single Boa and strap too, plus a carbon composite sole, for £150, and the Shimano XC7s are also a similar build at £160.

Conclusion

Overall, I like the Charge Elite shoes. They are comfortable and offer a good fit (sizing aside), plus they also have lots of neat little touches throughout, especially that tough upper and decent water resistance. There's a lot of cheaper competition out there, though.

Verdict

Tough, comfortable and relatively stiff shoes for use on the gravel, just make sure you size up