Or just a gripe? I've had my Mavic Razor's for 15 months now and I didn't feel I could review the shoes earlier because I was such a newbie to mountain bike riding. Having taken my fair share of spills and put in about 2,000km I feel I can now say with some certainty: these shoes are underwhelming.
My goal was to get an entry to mid-level shoe to get me started in the off-road scene. Price wise the shoe is very competitive, cheaper than its Shimano and Sidi equivalents but up from the dhb (Wiggle own brand). Tick the box.
Comfort wise? 10 out of 10 there's not an out of place seam, bad stitch, buckle mount or sole issue. The lining (now a discoloured yellow) is nevertheless plush and comfortable.
And so to the first bad point: the fit. The heel cup is cut very low and has little support. I have a narrow foot and I have to ratchet the shoe tight to avoid swimming around in the back of the cup (trust me, I didn't take the wrong size). If, like me, you have a narrow low volume foot, the Sidi shaped heel is just so much better. In addition to the ratchet closure there are two velcro straps. The first of these for me is simply redundant - it wrinkles the soft upper shoe when closed fully - neither providing support or comfort.
Stiffness? I've seen jellies firmer than these babies. My road shoes (until recently - separate post to follow) were 10 year old Sidi 5s which don't have a carbon sole and have lost their structure, so I know what shoe flex is about. The Mavics give in all directions: there is no lateral stiffness (that floppy heel support only exacerbates this), nor is there stiffness through the pedal stroke. Cleating and un-cleating are imprecise due to
the flex. The only time the shoe has helped me has been in my (many) falls on steep rocky terrain where they offer tremendous grip thanks to the design of the rubber studs.
Overall? Not happy. I needed a shoe to give me confidence in a new sport, a shoe to support me. This shoe has not done that for me. The only thing left to do is put a skewer in them and roast them over some hot coals, because they really are marshmallows.
Comfort 10/10
Stiffness 3/10
Price 4/10 (they may have been under GBP100.00 but now I need a new shoe)
