There's no shortage of excellent mountain bike shoes on the market, but you'd struggle to mistake most of them for something you'd choose to wear down the pub.
Drift is looking to change that with its new ARC, a waterproof leather cycling shoe that hides an SPD-compatible sole beneath what looks, at first glance, like a fairly conventional sneaker.
The ARC is the first new shoe from Drift, which has recently relaunched and has roots stretching back more than 15 years.
The people behind Drift previously founded DZR, which launched in 2010 with the aim of producing cycling shoes that could be worn on and off the bike. The brand says it returned to the drawing board in 2024, working with a footwear craftsman to develop its latest range.
The ARC continues that original concept, but brings a decidedly premium construction and a $240 price tag.
Never mind the rain
Unlike the synthetic uppers used on many mountain bike shoes, the ARC is constructed from full-grain leather.
A waterproof lining sits underneath, with Drift pitching the shoe as an all-season option capable of dealing with the wet conditions the brand encountered while developing its footwear around Squamish, Victoria and Whistler in British Columbia.
There's a reinforced toe box to add some protection from rocks and other trail debris, while a small cover snaps over the laces to keep them out of the way while riding.
Underneath, things get considerably more bike-specific.
The rubber outsole hides a two-bolt cleat mount, making the ARC compatible with Shimano SPD and other two-bolt mountain bike pedal systems.
Drift has also added a stiff composite shank through the sole, which it says improves power transfer to the pedals.
This should give the ARC more support underfoot than its casual appearance might suggest, although I'll have to get them out on the trails to see how they compare to more conventional mountain bike shoes.
The rubber outsole is also designed with walking in mind, which should make the shoes better suited to hike-a-bike sections, or walking to the bar after a ride, than more aggressively shaped clipless shoes.
Cycling shoes in disguise
This Black and White pair wouldn't look unusual away from the bike, with the predominantly black leather upper and white sole doing a decent impression of a conventional pair of trainers.
There's little to give away the fact you're wearing a pair of clipless cycling shoes, aside from the inevitable castanet of the cleats when walking on hard surfaces.
That could make the ARC an interesting proposition for commuters or anyone who doesn't fancy swapping shoes every time they get off the bike.
The ARC is available in several colourways, including Black & White, Charcoal, Stone, Forge and Ceder (sic), with each priced at $240.
That puts them firmly at the premium end of the market, but the full-grain leather construction, waterproofing and small-batch approach go some way to explaining the price.
Whether they can deliver the pedalling performance of a dedicated mountain bike shoe while remaining comfortable enough to wear all day is the bigger question.
We'll be putting them through their paces to find out.
