Pearl Izumi Octane SL extended review.

Gear reviews isn’t something that I typically do but as I took a chance on the new Pearl Izumi Octane SL Shoes I figured I would let you all know how they are working out. I say “took a chance” not because I don’t trust Pearl, all their gear has been nothing but great but up until this point in my cycling life I have ridden nothing but Sidi’s, I loved the buckle and wondered if the all velcro straps on the Octanes would hold up and tighten as well as I like.
After four marathon races and lots of training rides over the last two + months I think I’m able to render a verdict on them to this point. And the verdict is (insert your own drum roll)…..I love them. I have never ridden on such a stiff pair of shoes. The carbon sole is ridiculous, while it does get muffed up here on the AZ rocks those suckers are a solid platform to ride on. So solid in fact that there have been a couple times on fast descents where I hit a dip with such speed that I actually pop my ankle a bit. There is no flex in those things so there is no place for that energy from my straight leg to go but up. Time to adjust my sloppy ride.

As for my original concern about the velcro, well that was completely unfounded. The shoes secure tighter then my Sidi’s ever did, in fact on my first ride I think I cut circulation off to my toes by having them too tight. Keep in mind that all my mountain rides and races are over 4 hours long so they have plenty of time to come loose but they don’t. In addition there was that race a couple months ago that was wet and muddy and they stayed on strong.
One point I hadn’t planned on but like is how venty they are. The toe section has perforations in the leather that come in really handy on hot rides. I can actually feel the air flowing over my feet which is something I have never experienced. In the winter this could prove to be an issue, but it ain't the winter here.

The down side is that if you are looking for a super comfy shoe and you’re not interested in having the lightest race shoes around they aren’t for you. The ride could be considered harsh for most, but if you want it a responsive super light weight shoe this is for you