PEARL iZUMi

PRO Road Cycling Shoe - Men's

Awesome shoes

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

They are great, fit is great, heel cup is perfect, snug, no movement even without tightening them . In fact, i felt that at first they were too tight in the foot ball area. And i had to leave them quiet loose but my foot sometimes will start feeling numb. Because they're knit i didn't think it would ever change, since they can't really stretch, but they are perfect now. Stiff, well fitting and great looking. The only problem is that they get dirty fast. So in order to avoid washing them constantly and risking to damage them too soon, i wear shoe protectors/ shoe socks over them :(. That effectively hides the bright color, which was the main reason i chose pink instead of black, to increase visibility on the road. And, btw, atomic red is kind of coral. Actually nice color, i love it. I don't like pink, but they're not that. But you can't just wipe them clean, so that's the only issue. They're highly breathable, well vented ( i ride in very hot climate). Great shoe.

One Year Later

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I've been riding these shoes hard for a year now. The fit is incredible and they remain my favorite pair. The white mesh tends to get a bit dirty in the rain, so avoid that. Or get the black pair and just don't worry about it!

Stiff and uncompromising fit

I've worn a lot of high end shoes and these perform as expected. The foot opening molds to the wearer like a sock and the compressive fit is echoed throughout. I got the white model and they were the whitest cleanest shoes i've ever seen, that didn't last too long and the color patinaed pretty quickly but that's to be expected with blindingly white shoes. The heel cup gave me the impression that there would be some slipping but there was in fact no slippage at all on rides. I've put over 1,000 miles on these bad boys and would probably get another pair. If you're in the market for something that is light, extremely vented, and stiff, then you'd be hard pressed to find something better. Only 4/5 because of the white not holding color for long. (i did ride in the rain, so probably my fault).

Full Bore Race Shoe

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

These are a true race shoe -- light, super stiff, and very close fitting. Toe box is on the medium to narrow side, no heal movement. Average ventilation. The BOA fasteners work like all the rest and are very adjustable in both directions. Cleat adjustment is good, can get sufficiently rearward. Materials, construction, and workmanship seem on par with other pro level shoes. Sizing seems to be slightly on the small size but they are supposed to be tight -- this is NOT a Gran Fondo shoe. Are they comparable to other pro level shoes? Yes, and far superior to any other PI shoe offered in the past. If on sale, a bargain, IF you want a true, no compromises, race shoe. At full price, a matter of fit vs. all the others. And yes, the red is actually pink.

Like wearing a second sock, runs small

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Very breathable, feels like a second sock. Don't really need to ratchet down boa's unless you like an extra tight fit. The vents on the bottom are great on hot days to help keep feet dry when matched with good wicking socks. Could use a little extra arch support but that's personal. Also, very pink, not red. Wear an 11 in running shoes, 45-46 in most cycling shoes. These were a definite 46 for me.

Pink not red

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Very bright pink. Pretty cool looking really but very pink. Hifiz for sure. Tried to dye them with dark red dye but did not work. Photos are after the dye which changed it a touch more toward an orange. Otherwise great shoe. Super stiff sole, lightweight, snug fit. True to size. Recommend overall just beware about the red one being pink.

They're not red.

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

They're coral. Closer to Giro pink than red. They felt tight across the top of my foot no matter the Boa setting and so I returned them.

Total junk -

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

On a recommendation from one of the gearheads I decided to try these even though I had reservations simple because they were labeled Pearl Izumi. Well here's the issues with these. Boa dials are the old style very noisy and no micro adjustments. Sound like a rachet wrench going bad. FIt- Ordered a 44.5 my usual size 10 and same according to their chart. Couldn't even get my foot into the sock like opening to try to put the shoe on. The insole I could not spread enough. (I am a typical 10 D in shoes)The fabric around that you would normally put your foot into is roughly cut on the edges and really not high quality at all. I could not get my foot in these to try the heel cup but it too seemed to be of inferior padding etc. These shoes are priced the same as Specialized Sworks 7, Shimano RC-9, Bontrager XXX and clearly are not in the same league. While you may not be looking for a pro-level shoe at least they should be constructed and use the higher quality materials these others use.