Giro debut footwear range impressed us this year, with high-end models like the Factor, Code and Trans earning high scores from our reviewers. Now heading into their second season, Giro follow up with some more economically priced shoes, all of which come with standard or high-volume lasts.
Just arrived in the office are the Privateer mountain bike shoe and Apeckx road shoe, both of which cost US$150 (in the UK, the Privateer is £129.99 and the Apeckx £119.99). Giro also offer women’s models called the Manta (mountain bike) and Solara (road), which carry the same feature sets and prices. All are available in HV versions for no extra charge.
The $150 models look very promising in weight, design and construction
Our size 43 Privateers weigh 363g apiece for a 726g set, while our Apeckx samples in a 42.5 HV weigh 289g each and 578g for the set. According to Giro, much work has gone into the design of these third-tier shoes. Their goal was to make them less expensive by way of materials, but to engineer said materials so that their performance remains high. The company's most senior shoe engineers worked on the project.
For the sole of the new shoes, they settled on Dupont’s Zytel material, which is a proprietary nylon blend. They then engineered molds for the Zytel that uses the minimum amount of material to achieve, according to Giro, benchmark stiffness for nylon cycling soles. Looking at the sole, separate from the shoe, shows the extensive and intricate shaping used to build in stiffness and shave weight.
The Privateer sports a highly engineered Zytel nylon sole, which uses an additional lug compound that’s molded at the same time as the sole
The uppers are made from microfiber on the same lasts that the top-level Code and Factor shoes are molded on. The buckle and offset D-ring Velcro closures mirror that of the top shoes in design and function, as well.
The insoles are made from molded EVA, and treated with an Aegis anti-microbial coating. Unlike the top-level shoes, which feature Giro’s SuperNatural Fit Kit arch system, the third-tier shoes' insole is non-adjustable and set at Giro’s medium arch support level.
The Apeckx road shoe's Zytel sole is vented at the toe
One of the best features Giro offer with these new shoes is their full range of sizes – many manufacturers omit half sizes at this pricepoint – which includes sizes 39-48. with half sizes from 39.5 to 46.5 in the men’s shoes. The women’s Manta and Solara are sized from 36 to 43. with half sizes running from 37.5 to 42.5. Look for reviews of both the Privateer and Apeckx on BikeRadar soon.