🚴 Pearl iZUMi X-Alp Launch SPD Cycling Shoe Review

I've had old Specialized MTB shoes for a long time. They were great, but eventually they parted ways. These PI X-Alps are better than I expected and give me noticeably more power. The outsole, lug setup and design are well thought out and they are very comfortable and grippy for walking when you need to get off the bike.

I bought these shoes based on a review complaining about the lack of ventilation. Ideal. I don't live in New Mexico in the summer. It's 40 degrees and drizzling in Minneapolis and these shoes are awesome. My fingers are dry. my feet are warm The Vibram sockliner provides traction on wet surfaces while toes flex in comfort for all-day wear. They can be the perfect work shoe when you don't have meetings where your sneaker style would look out of place.

Just got back from a 6 day bike ride in Ireland where I tried these shoes. I couldn't be happier. The perfect combination of functional cycling shoes and shoes that are comfortable and discreet enough to take on a city hike or a forest trail. Roomier toe box than expected which was very comfortable. The clamps were perfectly recessed - I could not detect any noise on any normal floor covering. We had unexpectedly hot weather and the ability to breathe was excellent. Super comfortable and more…

I was looking for a clip-on flat shoe to replace my old PI enduro shoes. They fit great and don't have that weird forefoot/rocker flex that many cycling shoes have. They also allow the lugs to be positioned further back, which is great for mountain riding. They are pretty light for this type of shoe. The real downside was that I found these shoes to have no ventilation other than a small area at the base of the tongue. I blew air through every part of the boot and couldn't find a single spot…