Giro Blaze Winter MTB Shoe

I live in suburban North Carolina (U.S.), and I go everywhere by bike. I sold my car 1 year ago, and we have no viable public transportation in my region; so, I have to be able to ride in rainy, cold, or rainy and cold weather. These Giro Blaze boots allow me to do that much more easily than when I depended on Gore overshoes with my regular bike shoes. The Blaze boots are warm, preventing me from having to wear my heated socks so far, with my coldest commute to work in them being at 28 degrees F (-2 Celsius). I have also had a few rainy commutes, which are approximately 20 minutes in length; I have not yet ridden longer to see if the rain is held off over a longer period - I predict they will perform well on longer rides, though.

As others have said, the cuff is a bit too tight for my lower calf/ankle area. I am able to zip the boots up all the way with thin socks, but not with thicker socks I need for very cold commutes. But, the zipper holds, when the tab is folded down, at any position; my riding pants cover the gap at the top of the zipper, so I have not had a problem with this design flaw. This is the only negative characteristic of these boots, and not significant enough for me to reduce my rating from 5 stars.

What I like most about the Blaze boots, compared to using overshoes with my other bike shoes, is that I can wear them on days when there is a possibility of rain, and not have to stop to put on overshoes; these boots are ready for rain at any time. This is especially useful when I am riding for volunteer work (Meals on Wheels), when it would be cumbersome to put overshoes on, take them off, and trudge along muddy driveways where I deliver. The Blaze boots prevent me from having to be concerned about this, and I can just focus on the job I am doing.

The soles are stiff enough to provide excellent pedaling performance, and they are also somewhat flexible in the toe, to make walking short distances very comfortable. The stripe which runs up the back of the boots, as well as the Giro logo on the side of each boot, are all very reflective, which is a fantastic feature for visibility in traffic; I have other reflective elements on my jacket and pants, but to have more is nothing but a positive quality. Overall, I am absolutely happy with these boots. If I did not already have another very good pair of winter boots (not waterproof - need overshoes), I would buy a second pair of these Blaze boots, to ensure I can ride in cold or wet weather, if these were to be damaged. When these are back in stock in my size...I might just buy another pair anyway.

These shoes are great cold weather and mildly wet. I wear a light sock as they are quite warm. The fit is a bit narrow as I have a wide feet. However I haven't had any discomfort. The pull cord closure has worked fine without much loosening. The zipper closure is quite snug without impending circulation.

I purchased these to replace a pair of Answer Pittards leather winter shoes that I nearly wore off my feet. These have become a great replacement.

Great winter shoe.

These shoes are great cold weather and mildly wet. I wear a light sock as they are quite warm. The fit is a bit narrow as I have a wide feet. However I haven�t had any discomfort. The pull cord closure has worked fine without much loosening. The zipper closure is quite snug without impending circulation.

I purchased these to replace a pair of Answer Pittards leather winter shoes that I nearly wore off my feet. These have become a great replacement.

Great winter shoe.

Great tech/design. However the zip closure too tight above ankles so had to would need to wear winter tight/ stirup outside gator/boot to close top comfortably. Thin to midweight socks only.Shoe slightly narrow. Heel down toe up walking similar to road shoe.

Nice looking, seem warm, but didn't ride in them. The ankle gaiter part is way too small unless you have really skinny ankles. With normal socks and my tights on, I could not close the zipper all the way. Another odd design choice is the toe, it seems oddly pointy, especially for a winter boot. If the ankle were flexible or adjustable they would have been a keeper.

I have been wearing these shoes all winter so far and really like them. They are easier to get on and off than a separate shoe cover, they are warmer than a cover, and seem to breathe better. Realizing fit is personal depending on your anatomy, I feel these fit true to size and are very comfortable for my slightly wider than average foot. They keep my feet dry in moderate rain (haven't tested them beyond 4 hours). I haven't had the problems of the inner laces loosening that some others have described. My only minor gripe is the outer zipper cannot be completely zipped to the top on my ankle as it is too tight while wearing a sock. The taller sock is needed to extend above the top of the boot to prevent the cuff from irritating the skin. The outer zipper still seems to hold even when not fully zipped, and the cuff of my tights covers/overlaps the top of the boot, keeping the whole system waterproof. It's a minor issue that I have been able to deal with that does not outweigh the pros of this product IMO.