Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 shoes review

The latest in Leatt's growing shoe range, the 6.0 Clip V22 features some nifty details and, on paper at least, looks to be a top performer.

A single-piece woven upper is reinforced with various abrasion- and impact-resistant panels, while the sole is designed to give great pedal feel.

Unlike many of its rival shoes, the 6.0 Clip V22 uses an ATOP dial, similar to a Boa system.

Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 specifications and details

The upper is constructed from a woven mesh material, without bulky seams over the top of the shoe. It is then bolstered by TPU protection around the toe and heel.

This mesh is well ventilated and dries out quickly.

The rear of the heel has a rubberised reinforcement panel to give additional stability, while cat’s tongue material inside grips your socks, reducing heel lift.

The shoe is tightened with an ATOP dial. Similar in function to a Boa, it's tightened by twisting, and then reverse-twisted to fully release tension.

At this point, a pull tab slung between the wires entering the dial can be pulled to quickly draw out the wires from the dial, meaning swift and easy entry and exit for your foot.

The shank is stiff, but there’s an EVA foam insert to reduce impact shocks. Leatt has used an ‘Active Carbon’ material in the liner, said to improve wicking and have anti-bacterial and anti-odour qualities.

Padding is moderate around the ankle, a touch thicker on the inside, and includes a reasonably contoured heel box, working with the cat’s tongue material to keep your foot locked in place.

The sole's RideGrip rubber tread has a fairly aggressive shape, but is not particularly deep. The cleat bed is shallow, though not so shallow that your cleats scrape smooth ground surfaces. It’s not overly wide at 40mm and is located slightly off-centre, which I like, plus there's ample fore-to-aft adjustment of the cleat's position – 37mm.

However, the rearward limit of the cleat isn't as far back as with some shoes.

Finding the pedal mechanism is made easier by a ramped entry to the cleat channel, and there are markings there to aid cleat placement. Cleat shims are included with the shoes to help you fine-tune the feel of the pedals.

Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 performance

While quite a few modern trail and enduro shoes employ a Velcro strap to secure the foot, Leatt combines an ATOP dial with cat’s-tongue fabric inside the heel to keep your foot firmly planted in the shoe.

This gives the 6.0 Clip V22 a lightweight, pared-down look and feel, even if its actual weight is at the higher end.

With a low cut around the ankle, you're afforded a lot of lateral ankle movement, but the higher heel and moderately high tongue keep fore-to-aft movement regulated without feeling constricted.

The upper has enough flexibility to be comfortable, both when pedalling and walking. At the same time, the retention system's wires regulate tension over the foot well, keeping your foot secure for effective control and power transfer.

I was impressed by the ATOP system. Clicks when tightening are very defined in feel and noise, but are fine enough to get just the right tension over the foot.

The addition of the plastic pull-tab is clever too – unlocking the dial and pulling the tab immediately opens the shoe out for easy removal.

Though it's located on the side of the foot, I'm yet to catch it on anything while riding.

As you'd expect from a shoe that's largely constructed from a mesh weave, ventilation is excellent. The Leatts hold very little water and dry fast. With an antibacterial treatment in the insole, they shouldn't smell bad either.

While the upper feels lightweight, I suspect most of the weight comes from the sole's sturdy construction.

The sole is stiff along its length, with little extra toe flex. Fortunately, the toe section curls up, so the shoe doesn't feel awkward when you're walking. The RideGrip rubber seems to deal with rocks and roots well. Sharper, deeper treads might help in mud, though.

The cleat channel isn't particularly deep, so on rocks and tarmac there might be a bit of cleat clatter. The flat mid-section of the sole performs well when you miss the pedal mechanism and end up hovering unclipped on your pedals.

With a stiff shank, pedalling manners are good, and I couldn't feel the cleat through the sole.

Finding the pedal mechanism is pretty easy with these shoes and while the channel isn't the broadest, I didn't struggle with the cleat clogging with mud.

The shoes’ fit is fairly broad at the toes, but I still found them supportive, thanks to the insole with good arch support and a slight bathtub shape around the mid-foot.

The toe box isn't very deep, so my big toes occasionally touched the top, but this didn’t cause any issues.

Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 bottom line

Leatt's latest trail shoe is a top performer – it's comfortable, airy and cool, and dries fast.

I like the ATOP dial system, and the feel of the 6.0 Clip V22 while pedalling, whatever the conditions.