Giro Ventana Shoes

Giro recently added the Ventana shoe to its lineup as a replacement for the Terraduro model that had been in its line since 2013. The all-new shoe is said to meet the “demands of all-mountain adventures and all-day trail riding.” It’s a shoe designed for clipless pedals and is available in two different lace options. The first being a less expensive shoe with a pull-to-lace design and a Velcro strap at the top. The other Ventana shoe, which we tested here, features a Boa dial, along with a Velcro strap towards the toe of the shoe. This month the Mountain Bike Action Wrecking Crew  put Giro’s newest trail shoe to the test.

Tech features:

Giro did its homework when creating the Ventana shoe to make sure the shoes could check all the necessary boxes for trail and all-mountain riders. Aimed at boosting pedaling performance, Giro’s World Cup-proven nylon shank provides a stout platform for transferring power to the pedals. Inside the shoes are an injected EVA-cushioned midsole, said to offer medium arch support and a reinforced heel and toe box for protection. The outsoles feature Giro’s exclusive Sensor rubber to ensure grip over mixed surfaces and a flexible toe cap for off-the-bike comfort. The Boa-lace shoe we tested sells for $180 and has a weight of 423 grams for a size 44. Meanwhile, the Fastlace shoe sells for $130 with similar construction. Sizing is available from 39–48 in both styles.

Field test results:

The Ventana shoes are designed to work with clipless pedals and feature a traditional four-bolt style mount for mountain bike cleats. We opted to run Shimano’s SPD pedals because of the popularity of that system. The cleat box offers plenty of room around it and wasn’t recessed too far, so we opted not to run shims, which later proved to be the right decision. Clicking in and out of the pedals was never an issue with the Ventanas. The nylon shank is quite stiff and created some hot spots in our foot, causing minor discomfort until a few rides in when our inner soles started to conform to our feet. During pedaling, however, the stiffness was a positive attribute, transferring power to our pedal stroke. Off the bike, these shoes handled our terrain well and allowed us to explore our off-trail surroundings.

The Ventana in black.

These aren’t the lightest trail shoes on the market, nor are they the heaviest. The Ventana shoes fall right in the middle, making them a good choice for all-around riding. The Boa system held our shoes tight to our feet, but we wondered if the Boa system was worth the additional $50. Without having the Facelace shoes to try, we can’t express an opinion about them. Riders should try on both shoes at their local shop to see which style works best. If a trail bike shoe is in your future and you want something with a more casual fit and feel, the Ventana might be the right option for you.

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