Tracey Neuls GEEK Reflective Black Cycle Sneaker

The Tracey Neuls GEEK Reflective Black Cycle Sneakers are quirky and stylish shoes that are comfortable on and off the bike, smart enough for office wear, and have the added bonus of being entirely reflective. They're not a cheap option, but they are a designer shoe with the quality to go with that.

Rather unusually, they are designed for both walking and cycling, rather than favouring cycling with just a nod to the odd bit of wandering about town on foot. The outsole is grippy rubber, with a metal shank for extra rigidity, and the fairly flat sole has a small raised heel, making it much more akin to a normal everyday shoe than a cycling-specific design.

> Buy these online here

More unusually, the shoes are fully reflective. The textile upper is leather lined for comfort, and reflects a sort of shiny pewter under car headlights or other light sources. Even brighter at night is the grey colourway that is also available (pictured below), so if bold and visible is the aim then that might be the way to go, whereas the black looks smarter for office wear, in my opinion, even if it's more subtle in terms of reflectivity.

These are far from being technical cycling shoes; what they are is smart-casual 'normal' shoes that are genuinely useful for cycling, and easy to walk in too.

Taking them out of the chic black box, and then out of their individual soft shoe bags (all the fanciest shoes have their own bags), it's immediately apparent that these are high quality, well-made designer shoes.

The soft leather and textile uppers mould to the foot quickly, for really good comfort, and they come with a removable insole for fine-tuning fit.

Personally, I would have liked a few more holes for the lacing in order to secure the uppers slightly better on the foot, without gripping on to one small area.

On the bike, the rubber soles grip well, and while they are far from as stiff as flat shoes produced by cycling brands, such as the much more casual Giant Shuttle, they aren't bad.

The toe bumpers go some way to help prevent scuffing, and the reflective textile upper is able to endure heavy showers and road spray, if not persistent rain.

The upper does show marks and dirt quite quickly, though I don't think it detracts too badly from the overall look, and you can wipe the worst off with a damp cloth.

It's difficult to judge these shoes in terms of value for money, as they are a breed apart. For quality and style they sit alongside some of the more boutique road shoe brands, but for function they sit alongside far more casual, less expensive shoes.

The nearest equivalents are probably the perennially popular non-clip-in shoes by Quoc Pham, such as the Fixed England at £169, in terms of purpose and pedigree, as well as not being far off the mark on price.

> Buyer’s Guide: Best casual cycling commuter wear

They are more expensive than the likes of the cycling-specific Giant Shuttle at £99.99 mentioned earlier and the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Flow at £89.99, but these are much more casually styled shoes.

Conclusion

The Tracey Neuls are genuinely comfortable shoes for wearing on and off the bike; they allow for effective pedalling, look smart enough to wear with office clobber and have that reflective bonus. They're well-made, high-quality designer shoes, and worth the investment.

These sneakers were described by the London Design Museum as 'beautiful shoes for an active life' and that's just what they are. If you're after smart city cycling and walking shoes that add to your after-dark safety arsenal, they're well worth considering.

Verdict

Chic, comfortable, good for on and off the bike, and with the bonus of being fully reflective