The Best Gravel Bike Shoes of 2024

The Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon ($300) is the brand’s top-of-the-line off-road riding shoe. Whether you’re racing XC, cyclocross, or all-day gravel events, these shoes are designed to meet the demands of high-output riding. And, while other brands’ top-tier shoes often cost upward of $400, the Vento Ferox beat them in price by a fair margin — not that $300 is exactly cheap.

We found the Vento Ferox Carbon to fit true to size in length and about average in terms of volume. They are on the narrower side overall, but they aren’t exactly low on the volume scale. They’re also super easy to get on and off the feet and adjust with the broad hook and loop strap over the top of the tongue and the lower BOA Li2 dial to customize the fit over the top of the foot. Inside the shoe, small dots on the inside of the heel help to lock it in place, and we never had issues with heel lift. The ankle cuff is also cut just right to avoid any hot spots or irritation.

Fizik’s X1 carbon sole is unyieldingly stiff, and along with the secure fit of the uppers, gives these shoes impressive pedaling efficiency. There is virtually zero energy wasted during the pedal stroke, making these a fine option for racers and those with racing aspirations.

The carbon midsole is almost completely covered in rubber sole lugs to protect it from damage. Those rubber lugs provide good walking and hiking grip while rocker through the toe allows for a relatively normal gait despite the sole stiffness. The Ferox Carbon also accepts toe spikes, but they aren’t included.

The generally thin woven mesh upper and perforated synthetic tongue allow for surprisingly good breathability on warm days. The woven material is robust and PU-laminated for added durability in high-wear areas. The heel cup and toebox are also nicely reinforced for a little bit of foot protection. Beyond that, however, the Ferox Carbon shoes have minimal padding, so riders with sensitive feet could potentially develop hot spots.

Otherwise, the Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon are stellar gravel riding shoes that are ready for race day or long adventure rides. They’re also stiff and light enough to be a one-shoe quiver for those who ride XC and road as well.

Crankbrothers is better known for its mountain bike components and tools, but in recent years, the brand has been growing its gravel lineup. The new Candy Lace ($160) shoes just launched in the spring of 2024 and are a very impressive effort for the brand’s first gravel and XC shoe. We got our hands on a pair just after they came out and quickly set about testing them on both gravel and XC rides.

One of the first things that stands out about the Candy shoes is how good they look. Style isn’t everything, but these are some seriously classy-looking shoes. We especially liked the black color we tested with the contrasting gum soles — and the lace closure — that gives them a timeless appeal. They also come in blue and white.

Our size 43.5 (10 US) test pair fits perfectly true to size with a nice snug fit for our tester’s relatively low-volume feet. Slipping into these shoes is super easy with the laces loose and a tongue that opens up nice and wide. While laces are a little more cumbersome to deal with than BOA dials, they are comfortable and make it easy to get perfect tension over the top of the foot. An elastic lace retainer also keeps the ends tidy while you ride.

The fiber-reinforced nylon midsole is stiff enough for just about any type of riding short of professional-level racing. It doesn’t feel like any energy is wasted through sole flex, yet it is a bit more forgiving to the feet on longer or rougher rides. Other than the cleat box, the entirety of the sole is covered in Crankbrothers’ MC1 rubber with fairly aggressive tread lugs. This rubber is relatively soft and provides a touch of cushion when you walk and great grip on rocks or in loose dirt.

The synthetic uppers are heavily perforated over the toes, sides of the foot, and the tongue, and the Candy shoes breathe better than expected. The front of the toebox and the heel cup are also nicely reinforced for added protection.

So, while the new Crankbrothers Candy Lace shoes aren’t the absolute stiffest or lightest, they happen to be the least expensive and arguably the best-looking shoes we tested. If you’re looking for comfortable, versatile, and affordable all-around gravel shoes, look no further.

Okay, so the Shimano S-Phyre XC9 ($430) shoes are technically made for cross-country mountain bike racing, but that’s exactly what makes them our top choice for gravel racing too. They are super lightweight, very stiff, well-ventilated, and fit like a glove. They are also very expensive but potentially worth the asking price for high-performance riders and racers seeking maximum efficiency and marginal gains.

The foundation of the S-Phyre XC9 shoes is the super stiff carbon midsole. These soles don’t flex (like at all) so all of your precious pedaling power goes straight into the cranks. The synthetic uppers conform very nicely to the feet with a wrap-style tongue and dual BOA Li2 closure that hugs snugly but doesn’t constrict.

In the well-shaped heel pocket, a textured material helps prevent any unwanted heel movement when you’re laying down surges of power. Hundreds of perforations in the uppers also allow air to move around the foot and breathe in warm conditions and during high-intensity rides.

On the bottom of the shoes, Shimano’s ULTREAD XC rubber covers nearly all of the carbon fiber except for the cleat mount area. If and when you’re forced off the bike and need to walk or hike the bike, the carbon won’t get all scratched up and the grippy rubber lugs provide great traction.

They also accept toe spikes and are a popular choice among cyclocross riders for racing in muddy conditions. While the soles provide good grip, the midsoles are super stiff, so walking or hiking in these for an extended period isn’t the most pleasant experience.

Our test pair fit perfectly true to size in length. The uppers have some give and break-in over the first few rides, but they are pretty low-volume in the standard width. Fortunately, Shimano also makes a wide version of the S-Phyre XC9. At 616 g for the pair in a size 43.5, these are some of the lightest shoes we tested which almost seems surprising given how stiff and comfortable they are.

At $430, the Shimano S-Phyre XC9 shoes are a significant investment in race day and training speed. They’re definitely not the right choice for everyone, but if you’re seeking to maximize your efforts and shave some seconds off the clock, this is our recommendation.

Giro combined a relatively stiff midsole, grippy rubber outsole, and highly breathable Sychwire mesh upper to create the Giro Sector ($240). Those ingredients result in a great all-around gravel and XC mountain bike shoe that tops the charts for its impressive ventilation and breathability.

What truly sets the sector apart is Giro’s use of its proprietary Synchwire material. The whole upper of the shoe is made from this supportive yet super porous material that allows maximum airflow to the feet. While the Synchwire is relatively supportive on its own, it also has a thermobonded exo-structure which adds additional support and durability.

If you’re prone to sweaty feet or ride in hot temperatures regularly, these might be your new best friend. Ride with them in temps closer to freezing, and it might be the opposite.

The other benefit of Synchwire is that it is fairly supple and it conforms nicely to your foot shape. Not that it needs to given Giro’s years of experience making great-fitting cycling footwear. Our size 43.5 test pair fit true to size and the dual BOA L6 dial closure makes snugging them up on the feet quick and easy. And for the female riders, Giro also makes the Sector in a women’s version.

The Sector shoes aren’t the absolute stiffest, but they are close enough that most riders won’t notice or care. There’s no discernable sole flex under power yet they manage to feel a bit more damp than some of the stiffer competition. This is nice on those all-day epics and when tackling rougher surfaces.

A softer rubber compound forms a full rubber sole around the carbon composite midsole. The lugs aren’t especially aggressive, but it grips well and feels comfortable underfoot while walking.

At $240, the Giro Sector is moderately priced but provides a high level of performance and ventilation that’s hard to beat. These versatile shoes have you covered for everything from cross-country mountain biking to long gravel rides and races to bike packing through the desert.

The problem with most cycling shoes is, well, they feel like cycling shoes. Somewhere, somebody thought that in order to eke out the watts, feet should be locked inside a coffin. To maximize power, it’s not uncommon for cycling shoes to squeeze into a stiff, narrow fit that runs long for some amount of comfort.

Why do we love the Quoc’s Gran Tourer Lace ($235)? They feel normal. The width is natural, the length is appropriate, and the heel stays locked in place. This fit is most noticeable on all-day tours where every other part of the body is begging for mercy. And when you finally pull into the coffee shop, the Gran Tourer is classy enough to brush off the pain in style.

A traditional lace-up cycling shoe, Quoc’s Gran Tourer might look too nice to dirty up. But when the weather is in full mud season, this is the shoe we reach for first. Encased in a protective TPU rand, the synthetic upper is waterproof (up to the rand) and incredibly durable. And if you prefer the convenience of BOA closures, Quoc also makes the Gran Tourer II ($265).

We wore them on a late winter 50-miler where the gravel turned to mud, and the mud turned to ice. We rode, we grunted, and we walked a lot. At the end of the day, the shoes were caked in mud but our feet remained dry. Back home, we rinsed them under the hose, and they washed off looking unscathed.

Flip them over, and the sole is an ideal combination of durability and protection. The rubber sole wraps the entire bottom of the shoe. The traction is soft enough to walk in, but after 2 years of abuse, they still show little evidence of the thousands of miles we’ve put on ours.

The Gran Tourer Lace isn’t the stiffest of the bunch, but if you aren’t overly concerned with watts and KOMs, they hit the sweet spot of pedaling efficiency and comfort. And for most riders, that’s exactly what they want and need. At $235, this is a mid-priced shoe. You can easily drop $400 on carbon platform racing shoes, but they won’t last as long as Quocs.

Specialized makes some of the best products in the industry across all genres of cycling. The Specialized S-Works Recon ($450) is its latest top-of-the-line shoe designed for XC and gravel riding and racing. Of all the shoes we tested, these are the most like its road bike sibling. They are essentially the S-Works Torch road bike shoes with some more aggressive toe/heel lugs and “pontoons” around the cleat box. In most ways, that’s a good thing, but it does have its downsides.

When Specialized launched the redesigned S-Works Recon shoes in early 2023, they didn’t just update the shoe, they completely overhauled it. Lots of changes were made with the goal of creating an ultra-high-performance off-road shoe — but one of the biggest was the fit.

While the previous version was quite narrow, the current version has a significantly wider forefoot that should work well for a lot more riders. The narrow-footed among us, however, might find them to be a bit roomy.

Specialized also ditched the Velcro strap by the toes and now uses two BOA S3 dials to pull tension evenly over the foot. This system cinches the sleek-looking seamless synthetic uppers nicely around the feet and only adds to their classy (read: expensive) looks. What Specialized hasn’t done away with is its Body Geometry technology. While it may sound like a gimmick, it does work to align the foot and lower leg more naturally.

The midsole is a super thin and super stiff carbon plate that’s borrowed directly from Specialized top-shelf road racing shoes. This gives the Recon some of the stiffest soles you can imagine, and there’s absolutely no wasted pedaling power when these puppies are on your feet. It also means that they aren’t the most forgiving, a tradeoff for their ruthless efficiency.

Specialized tried to “off-road” the soles of these shoes by adding some toe and heel lugs as well as “pontoons” that border the cleat. While they are okay for walking around on flat surfaces, they are not great for hiking, and the exposed carbon on the soles gets scratched up very easily when you look at sharp rocks.

At 590 g for the pair in a size 43.5, the S-Works Recon are some of the lightest off-road shoes we’ve tested. They’re also one of the stiffest and a great choice for performance-oriented riders and racers who want to look fancy, especially if you have wider feet.

Read review: WorldTour Winning Cycling Shoe Gets Gravel Treatment: Specialized S-Works Recon First Look

The Terra Powerstrap X4 ($170) is a wonderfully comfortable shoe that keeps the price low by securing the foot with two wide hook-and-loop straps. The lower strap zigzags over the toes, with the second closing over the foot’s instep. With both straps released, the tongue opens wide, making it easy to pull over the feet.

Velcro straps can often show early signs of wear and tear and can easily get caked in mud. But after two years of abuse, the edges of these straps are still going strong with no signs of early retirement.

The upper is made from a durable synthetic material with a light TPU bumper inconspicuously protecting the toe. What the shoe gains in durability, it takes back in breathability. While the material is perforated, these shoes run warmer and we found them best suited for spring and fall rides.

Fit-wise, the Terras are the widest of the bunch we tested and pedal toe-to-toe with the Quocs. We almost awarded this shoe our best overall shoe for the fit alone. However, we found the minimal lugs (and no lugs under the toes where the toe flexes) lacked traction for any significant hike-a-bike.

There’s some flex in the toes that make them walkable on tame terrain, but the narrow tread platform can feel a little tippy underfoot. 

For riders with above-average width feet who spend the majority of their riding time in the saddle, the Fizik Terra Powerstrap X4 is a great pair of shoes and a solid value at just $170.

Rapha may be better known for its high-end cycling apparel, but it’s been making some of the best shoes on the market for several years. The Explore Powerweave ($380) is its top-tier off-road shoe, which has a similar look and construction to its Pro Team road shoes but is denoted by the “Explore” moniker.

The namesake 3D woven upper, or Powerweave, is at the core of these shoes. This woven synthetic material not only looks great — in a different kind of way — but it helps make the shoe incredibly breathable. Not only that, but they are impressively comfortable as well since the woven material easily conforms to the shape of your foot.

The only obvious drawback that we can see is that the rigors of off-road riding may impact its longevity. We experienced some early fraying in the weave after a few short walks in the bush, and they collected more dust than other shoes we tested. We recommend these for the rider who stays in the saddle and doesn’t have to do a lot of hike-a-bike.

While many companies use a single-dial system to “lace” the shoe shut, the Explore Powerweave uses BOA’s incremental Li2 dial platform. The two-dial system creates a custom fit around both the forefoot and instep. There are other shoes that use two dials, but none of them open up as wide as Raphas, and few come close to being as comfortable.

Instead of a poly cable, Rapha uses a fiber yarn in the lace system. The TX4 lacing is woven with Dyneema, which is reputedly stronger than steel. We haven’t seen any durability issues, but it’s noticeably different — if not more pliable — and easier to use.

Of course, the carbon midsole is not excessively stiff but feels plenty efficient on the pedals. These shoes can mix it up in a long-distance bike race one day and embark on a multi-day backpack tour the next. At the same time, they walk pretty well. There is more than enough (seriously, a lot) natural rubber tread for grip, and the stiff carbon plate ends just before the toes and by the heel, to allow a little flex in both areas for a more natural walking feel

The Explore Powerweave steps in line with the Rapha ethos. But you buy into Rapha’s attention to detail, like titanium hardware, a carbon plate, and that subtle but undeniable Rapha swagger. If form and function are equally important, give the Powerweave a look.

One of the lightest shoes we tested, Shimano’s RX8 ($275), at 265 g per shoe, has a killer price-to-weight ratio. Shockingly, these shoes are lighter than the Shimano XC9 and $155 less expensive. They also happen to fit like a glove, have soles stiff enough for racing, and do pretty well when you’re forced off the bike and have to walk.

There isn’t really a huge difference between these shoes and Shimano’s models marketed as cross-country mountain bike shoes. The primary differentiation is honestly the colors and “graphics” on the uppers. And that’s not a bad thing, given that its XC shoes are some of the best in the business.

The RX8 has supple synthetic uppers and a BOA Li2 dial that tightens nicely over the instem. Down by the toes, they use a small Velcro strap to add some tension over the forefoot.

The carbon composite soles are plenty stiff — a hair less stiff than the XC9 — with a stiffness rating of 10 on Shimano’s scale. You’d be hard-pressed to notice a difference between the two, and they certainly don’t lack in pedaling efficiency.

A lugged outsole covers the carbon midsole for durability and off-the-bike traction. These shoes walk and hike reasonably well for what they are. They also happen to be relatively well-ventilated with ample perforation in the uppers to let the feet get some air.

The Shimano RX8 is a staff favorite and our go-to shoe for fast rides and races where stiffness and low weight are the priority. They strike a strong balance of comfort, stiffness, performance, and durability. Now if we could only get Shimano to put a second BOA over the toes — but that would come at a weight penalty, of course.

The new Five Ten Kestrel BOA ($230) represents a significant departure from the brand’s more gravity-oriented mountain bike shoe line. Known more for its legendary flat pedal shoes, this is the first stiff-soled cross-country/gravel shoe that the brand has made. We’ve been riding in a pair off and on for the past year, and it turns out that they’re a great pair of shoes that’s plenty stiff and offers a bit more foot protection than most.

Unlike more expensive shoes that typically use carbon fiber, the Kestrel BOA uses a glass fiber midsole that’s plenty stiff and helps to keep the price down. It might be a touch less stiff, but we never noticed a lack of pedaling efficiency or support or felt the soles flexing under power.

Five Ten also added some serious lugs to the sole made from Stealth Marathon rubber. While this is one of the firmer compounds they make, there’s no lack of walking/hiking traction due in large part to the aggressive toe and heel lugs.

The upper is comprised of a couple of different synthetic materials. A tough, Cordura-like fabric wraps around the whole shoe and allows for decent breathability over the toes and sides of the midfoot. That’s wrapped in an abrasion-resistant material around the toes and capped with a thick rubber toe bumper to provide some serious rock strike protection. The heel also has a healthy amount of reinforcement along with padding around the ankle cuff, making these shoes more protective to the feet than others on this list.

Five Ten chose to use a BOA dial to tighten the shoes over the upper foot and two velcro straps to secure them over the mid and forefoot. This system is quick and easy to use and allows you to snug the shoes around the whole foot. The Velcro straps do make us a little wary, however, as they tend to wear out more quickly than other closures — ours are still fine after a year, though.

It’s also worth noting that the fit of the Kestrel BOA is more voluminous than others. They aren’t too wide, necessarily — there’s just quite a bit of volume. We found that replacing the thin stock footbed with a thicker aftermarket option helped tremendously to dial in the fit for our tester’s lower-volume feet.

Beyond that, the Five Ten Kestrel BOA shoes are an excellent first XC/gravel effort from the brand. These rugged shoes are quite versatile, with uses spanning from trail and cross-country mountain biking to long and adventurous days on the gravel bike. Anyone with somewhat higher-volume feet seeking something a bit more protective than typical gravel shoes will find a lot to like here.

Another comfortable gravel shoe we tested, Garneau’s Baryum ($300) is a fine implementation of BOA’s dual-lace systems. The micro-adjustments make dialing in your fit simple and easy, and the X-Comfort zone makes them accommodating to a range of shapes and widths. Essentially an off-road version of its Course Air Lite II road shoes, the Baryum combines great pedaling efficiency, lightweight, and a streamlined design with a grippy walkable sole.

A carbon midsole provides plenty of power transfer and stiffness. That’s completely wrapped in a heavily lugged T-flex rubber outsole that protects the carbon and offers plenty of off-bike traction. The heel and toe sections of the shoe have extra protection for durability for the scrapes and scuffs you’re sure to encounter.

We found the Baryum to be super comfortable. The synthetic uppers conform to the feet nicely, and the dual Boa L6 dials make it really easy to achieve perfect tension over the foot. The X-Comfort zones can also stretch a bit to fit a range of foot widths. A small mesh panel over the toes and perforation on the midfoot help keep some air moving and prevent your feet from overheating.

We found the Louis Garneau Baryum a solid choice for everything from long gravel century rides to quick evening spins or XC mountain bike sessions. As a bonus, these shoes are quite comfortable and easy to walk in while off of the bike if your rides turn more adventurous than expected.