Giro Techne cycling shoes review

The great thing about a shoe company that regularly produces shoes favoured by the pro peloton is that all the tech squeezed into a £300 shoe eventually ends up at the ground level. Case in point is the Giro Techne, its entry point road shoe. We take a look at how to compares to the best cycling shoes at this price point.

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It might eschew some of the bells and whistles found in higher tier shoes in favour of a more budget conscious construction but it packs in probably the most important feature, comfort.

Using the classic trio of Velcro straps for closure helps keep cost (and weight) down and gives the Giro Techne a snug, locked in feel when out on the bike. To note, the straps have an almost perfect length with plenty of leeway for riders with both high or low volume feet.

The downside to this arrangement is it does lose out on the ability to incrementally micro-adjust retention mid-ride. There can also be an issue with velcro losing some of its effectiveness over time but this tends to be more of an issue if you don't take care of your kit!

The synthetic upper is made up of several panels to create a roomy fit for my relatively wide feet.

Ventilated fabric panels and a few small perforations add a degree of ventilation, helping to prevent your feet from overheating through use. The material is relatively stiff and holds the foot well with a well supported heel cup to stabilise your feet under hard efforts. The new version of the Giro Techne also now has a padded tongue, improving comfort over its predecessor.

At this price point the sole is made of a nylon reinforced plastic rather than stiffer, lighter (and more expensive) carbon fibre. This provides a good level of stiffness under pedalling loads but offers a small amount of flex at the toe.

Rather than being a negative, this flex lends the Giro Techne a decent amount of comfort for long meandering days in the saddle. Giro has included both two and three bolt cleat arrangements to give the Techne a little more versatility and practicality. In-moulded vent, toe bumper and heel gripper add a little class to the overall look of the shoe.

We tested the Giro Techne in the brightest fluoro yellow colour scheme, making it stand out really well out on the road. If this isn't quite up your street Giro also make the Techne in a stealthy pure black or classy white/black options. Giro also produce a women's specific version that differs purely by colour and size options.