Rapha + Giro Cyclocross Shoe
Lightweight, incredibly strong and built to run through mud and jump over barricades
While there’s still some summer left in the northern hemisphere, cyclists are already gearing up for the fall cyclocross season. The sport mixes elements of road racing with mountain biking and, just to make things interesting, throws in a load of hurdle-like obstacles for riders to dismount and leap over, bike in tow. When riding (and running) through terrain varying from grass and gravel to sand and full-blown mud pits, shoes are an integral part of the cyclocross kit. Hot on the heels of their Richard Sachs cyclocross collaboration, Rapha recently teamed up with Giro as well, though this time for a cyclocross-specific shoe. Built on the mountain bike EC90 platform, the Cross Shoe features a carbon outsole for maximum power output. For traction off the bike, aggressive cleats extend from the outsole, providing hold in the worst mud the track can throw at you. And of course, the shoes feature the refined styling we’ve come to expect from Rapha, with subtle hints of blue and pink in the synthetic leather upper.
Weighing just 375 grams (about the same as a can of soda), the Cross Shoes are built and designed for performance, and compliment Rapha’s full line of 2014 cyclocross gear for the fall. And let’s not miss our favorite consequential detail: as a nod to the sport’s Belgian roots, the shoebox is designed to hold two beers and servings of frites—staples for aprés-race or just watching the action.
The Cross Shoe from Rapha is available 1 November for $350.
Images courtesy of Rapha
