Shoes are like saddles you like what you like. These shoes are very comfortable and to my surprise they breath well. On a very warm Miami day my feet didnt swell or get hot. They are light and very stiff. Very happy with this purchase.
I wore out a favorite pair of Specialized Expert shoes and replaced them with a mid-grade Garneau that was hurting the sides of my feet and provided little to no arch support.
I took a close look at PI as I pretty much standardize on their bib short for long rides. This model was positioned as an elite offering. There is much to like but I do have some gripes.
I like the double BOAs, and the fact they can be adjusted with dial action in either clockwise direction WITHOUT having to pop them off. I also love the arch support that comes with the shoe - they provide several pieces which you can slip into the sole. The ventilation is also very good. Decent stiffness. No hot spots or pinching like I was getting in the LGs.
What is awkward is the material used for the shoe. It's not a natural leather - not even sure what it is but after several hundred miles it still feels as though they have not broken in. That said, I have ridden in rain a couple of times and noted the material does hold up well in that regard. Perhaps a trade-off I will better appreciate down the road.
Overall, I am happy with the shoe but will continue to monitor the material's stiffness (conform to my foot).
light, stiff, high perfoamnce, comfortable. fancy looking soul. every watts go into these pair its worth a watts
the fit is unreal, right on pace with other brands in terms of size but the comfort is through the roof. I chose the black and the bottoms are an awesome chameleon color
Recreational road riding. Like the double twist adjustment. Order one size larger than regular shoe size.
As the other reviews have stated, this is a really comfortable shoe. I have had mine for over 5 months and I ride 4-5 days per week in the summer months and now 2 times per week. I still average 75-100 miles per week. They are very well vented and your feet do not over heat even in the extreme heat we had in the central east coast this summer. The BOA system works very well. Having the adjustment on top instead of on the side as others makes adjusting on the fly easy. My feet tend to swell a little an hr. or two into a ride. As soon as my foot starts to go numb I simply turn the BOA 1 or 2 clicks and the foot is fine. I sometimes forget that I have bike shoes on, they are that comfortable. I have not had any other high end shoes to compare them too so the 4 star rating on value is strictly subjective. I love these shoes.
I've been a cyclist for 25 years, mountain and road, and these are the most comfortable shoes I've ever had!! They take a bit of getting used to, adjustments are sensitive, but I was able to get them dialed in after my second ride. I've put 150 miles on them so far and, again, they're pretty amazing.
Pay attention though The Pearl Izumi website warns that they run small and to buy them 12 size bigger than you've been comfortable with. That is very true, but if you have paid attention, you'll be happily surprised.
I agree with everything in the previous review. Amazingly comfortable. The fabric just pulls across your feet smoothly and uniformly. Definitely improves my lift. I just want to add some remarks about the BOA system (which is not unique to Pearl Izumi btw). The dials are bi-directional (unlike the Techno 1s on my old Sidis). And most importantly are easy to tweak while you're riding. So if you feet swell, no problem. And they quick release when you pull them up, so you are out of your shoe as fast as you can pull the shoes off. For a state-of-the-art shoe, I think they're reasonably priced.
I absolutely love these shoes. They have a sole stiffness rating of 13, so they are perfect for racing - super stiff. The BOA's make getting the shoe on and off a breeze. Without cleats, these showed 262g without cleats for my size 44's. I tried on some Giro Empire SLX's, and they fit good, but did not quite fit as well as these did (although they weighed in at 198g). I elected to go with the slightly heavier Pearl's because they just fit so well. These shoes come with a couple of different sizing wedges. The instructions don't tell you, but there are a couple of pockets where you slide the wedges, from the side, inside of the insoles (I only figured it out after watching a youTube review).
The heel pad is replaceable, as the bolts are accessible from the inside of the shoe. It comes with a bag, although it isn't quite as cool as the one that Giro provides.
I wear a 43.5 in Northwaves, and in these I took a 44.