Giant Surge Pro shoe review
Team Sunweb-developed pro-level shoes
GBP £275.00 RRP | AUD $400.00 | USD $404.00 Skip to view dealsPublished:
With their welded Microtex upper, Boa dials and laser-cut venting, Giant’s Surge Pro shoes look like any other premium race footwear. It’s only when you flip them over that the differences appear.
They feature carbon soles with forefoot plates that are wider and more rounded than most other shoes. But the thing that really sets the Surge Pro soles apart is the narrow ‘ExoBeam’ that links the wide forefoot plate to the heel plate. It not only forms a spine between the tip and tail of the soles, it also provides a central anchor point for the uppers to give them a more rounded, natural shape.
Most cycling shoes are made from a board-last construction, where the upper (the last) is attached to a flat board (the sole). Each of the uppers on the Surge Pro shoes, however, is stitched together underneath the foot to form a ‘slip’ that is subsequently bonded to the corresponding sole.
Fit is adjusted by twin Boa dials, but with an added twist — ExoWrap. This is the name given to an arrangement that sees the cables from the lower Boa dials threaded through not only the upper but also an extra, separate flap of material that wraps around and beneath the instep. Tighten the associated Boa dial and the ExoWrap pulls the lower part of instep up and in towards your foot without producing any uncomfortable creases.
Your heel is held by a generous lining of fabric in the cups that grips tenaciously. And it needs to grip well because the shape of the uppers and the thinness of the heel plates mean that your foot is able to rock naturally. This feels odd initially but once you get used to the greater freedom of movement the Surge Pro shoes offer (it helps if you tighten the upper Boa dial more than you’d think necessary), they provide a very comfortable yet stiff ride.
To further aid fit, Giant includes vented insoles with a choice of arch inserts to provide the right level of support.
At 564g for a pair (size 45) they’re reasonably light. I’d like to see a few more colour options, as just all-black or all-white is limited compared to the colours offered by the more established shoe brands. Mind you, Giant’s Surge Elite shoes (£195) are available in black and white or black and red colour schemes.
Giant Surge Pro details
- 1. The sole’s forefoot is stiff for excellent power transfer
- 2. Laser-cut micro-perforations aid ventilation
- 3. The ExoWrap over the instep provides crease-free closure
Giant Surge Pro specifications
- Colours: White, black
- Closure: Twin BOA Dials with ExoWrap
- Ventilation: Laser cut micro-perforations
- Sole: Carbon ExoBeam
- Upper: Microtex
- Weight tested: 564g (Size 45)
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Product Specifications
Product
| Name | Name, 0, 10, Name, Surge Pro |
| Brand | Brand, 0, 20, Brand, Giant |
| Features | Features, 2, 0, Features, Exobeam Soles |
| Shoe Closure | Shoe Closure, 2, 0, Shoe Closure, BOA dial |
| Shoe Features | Shoe Features, 2, 0, Shoe Features, Perforated for ventilation |
| Shoe Size Tested | Shoe Size Tested, 2, 0, Shoe Size Tested, 45 |
| Weight Of Pair Tested | Weight Of Pair Tested, 2, 0, Weight Of Pair Tested, 564 |
Authors
Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazine’s senior technical editor for road and gravel. Having been testing bikes for more than 20 years, Warren has an encyclopedic knowledge of road cycling and has been the mastermind behind our Road Bike of the Year test for more than a decade. He’s also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel. In his time as a cycling journalist, Warren has written for Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cyclingnews, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike and T3. Over the years, Warren has written about thousands of bikes and tested more than 2,500 – from budget road bikes to five-figure superbikes. He has covered all the major innovations in cycling this century, and reported from launches, trade shows and industry events in Europe, Asia, Australia, North American and Africa. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. You’ll regularly find him commuting on an ebike and he longs for the day when everyone else follows suit. You will find snaps of Warren’s daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus).
