Scott MTB Elite BOA trail shoe review

These no-nonsense, easy-to-care-for Scott MTB Elite BOA trail shoes won a lot of friends among our test crew, mainly due to their excellent closure system, hardy synthetic exterior and quick-drying design.

• Best mountain bike shoes
• Best gravel shoes

When designing a shoe to deal with water ingress – always a hot topic here in the UK – there are two distinct approaches. The first is to waterproof the shoe and try to seal it up, which rarely works; water comes down your leg, over the top of the inevitably low-cut shoe and then runs into the shoe with nowhere for the water to go.

The second is to positively welcome the water, using plenty of mesh to just let it pour in so that it will also pour out. Air blowing over your feet through the mesh should also dry them in part and they rarely feel uncomfortable – as long as it isn’t too cold.

The Scott Elite BOAs definitely fall into that latter camp, and use thin and quick-drying padding, too. Soak the shoe and you won’t have to worry about it for long, with the hardy synthetic exterior shrugging off all weathers with not a mark. That does mean they are pretty chilly in cold and wet conditions, but the addition of a Sealskin sock should mitigate that.

Crank up the Boa dial and pull the hook-and-loop Velcro strap across, and the MTB Elites feel like part of your feet, with very little adjustment effort. The thin outsole and insole don’t lend themselves to a lot of walking, but do enhance the connection you feel with the bike, giving a direct feeling of control and power transfer.

Sole comfort combined with the mediocre tread meant they really didn’t enjoy hobbling over uneven surfaces and slips were pretty common when the going got rough. It’s not that they can't do it, more that there are better shoes out there for this sort of thing. That said, they have enough flex for hanging out in the cafe or strolling around the car park.

For more aggressive riding, I felt the toe box and general protection to be a bit on the minimal side because I could feel stones striking the shoes. But that just isn’t what they’re designed for, they are more of a quick and punchy trail centre shoe, and at that they excel.

These are cracking mountain bike shoes for faster, smoother trails with minimal hike-a-bike potential. They would also make a superb gravel riding shoe, so are well worth considering for an easy-care, easy-wearing summer trail shoe. Just don’t expect to be skipping over mountain passes in comfort.