Giro claim a size 42.5 shoe comes in at less than 150g, which is lighter than any road shoe we’ve come across, or even the vast majority of lightweight running shoes for that matter. The only thing we've found that could possibly be lighter are Rocket7's shoes that Greg Van Avermaet wears: and these are highly custom, made in the USA only and will set you back about a grand.
Review: Giro Factor Techlace
14 of the best performance road shoes
The Prolight Techlace is described as a high-performance shoe with “unbeatable comfort and breathability” in the upper. Attached to it is what seems like a bit of a convoluted system, including laces and Velcro straps; however it’s pretty neat and allows for adjustment on the fly, an obvious advantage over traditional laces. You can tighten them by just pulling on the Velcro straps at the end. Giro’s Factor Techlace actually have a Boa dial as well, but the Prolight just have three of the Techlaces. We've got a pair in the office already, and the sparesness of the upper makes them feel more like a football boot than a cycling shoe.
The outsole is made from full carbon fibre ‘TeXtreme’ compound for added stiffness, and this is the same material used in F1 race shoes that uses a low weave to reduce weight but maintain the same levels of stiffness.
Our size 46 test pair in their carry case, which we weighed at 192g for each shoe
If you're on a budget for your next road shoe purchase, it’s safe to say you might not be enthused by the RRP: the Prolight Techlace will retail with a £349 asking price (although they’re a snip compared to Mavic’s Comete Ultimate, as is everything else). They’re available in three colours: bright red, black or white, and you get your own fancy carry case to transport them in.
Our reviewer Mat Brett was impressed with the Factor Techlace in his review a few months back: can this shoe retain the same stiffness and comfort in such an impossibly light shell, and is it worth the £350 outlay? We’ll be testing it to the max very soon...
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2 comments
i just dont get the laces bit.
Are they not just 3 velcro straps?
Essentially yes, the laces feed into the straps which close the shoe. There's two laces to each strap, and from what I can tell from trying them on this gives slightly better tension. And... I guess some would argue it just looks better!