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review

Giro Factor ACC road shoes

9
£249.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Impressively stiff and light race shoes with adjustable sole inserts
Weight: 
620g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Giro have made quite a mark in the cycling shoe market over the past handful of years, and the updated Factor ACC is a lighter incarnation of an already very good high performance shoe, making it perfect for racers and serious sportivista.

The changes aren't radical, but small tweaks to a shoe that in 2012 road.cc summed up as "like wearing your favourite slippers with cleats on".

The main changes to the new Factor ACCs are to be found in the sole. The Easton EC90 carbon fibre sole has been stiffened up - not that it was previously lacking - and it's lost a bit of weight. The size 45 pair tested weighed just 620g on my scales. That compares very favourably with other similarly priced high performance shoes, but not as light as the similarly priced 560g Bontrager XXX shoes.

Setting up cleats on the sole is easy, with a load of markers to help you perfectly line up the cleats, and easily replicate the position on the other shoe. It's a three-bolt hole layout, compatible with most common cleat systems. There's no Speedplay-specific 4-bolt version though, which as a Speedplay user I would like to see.

The Factor ACCs use a combination of two Velcro straps and ratchet strap. The revised MR-1 buckle has a lower profile design than the old shoes, and provides enough micro-adjustment to get just the right amount of squeeze on the foot. It's a two-way buckle and getting the shoes off is a cinch.

It usually takes a while to get used to new shoes. Not the case with these shoes, they were comfortable out of the box. The lightweight and breathable Evofiber upper wraps over the top of the shoe and moulds well to the shape of the foot. So good was the fit, that I found little tension was required in the two velcro straps, with just the ratchet used to keep the shoes securely on the foot. This keeps the pressure across the top of the foot to a minimum.

Giro make a big thing about fit, and shoe fit is vitally important as anyone who has suffered from sore feet or hotspots will know. The Factor ACC shoes come supplied with Giro's SuperNatural Fit Kit, which provides a number of arch support inserts.

I found the stock setup very comfortable out of the box. It's nice to have the option to adjust the fit if you're confident of making changes yourself, without seeing a specialist. After a few rides I changed the soles for a Specialized BG insole though, which is purely down to personal preference and something I do with all shoes, road and mountain bike.

Thew latest Giro Factor ACC shoes are high performance shoes with an extremely stiff sole ideal for racing and demanding cyclists, with easily adjustable insoles and a light weight. Other colours are available if the white isn't to your tastes, sizes range from 40 to 48 and there are half sizes too.

Verdict

Impressively stiff and light race shoes with adjustable sole inserts

road.cc test report

Make and model: Giro Factor ACC road shoes

Size tested: 45

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Giro says:

The Factor™ ACC optimises comfort and power transfer for maximum pedaling efficiency. The superb fit starts with our breathable Evofibre™ upper, which molds to the shape of your foot with the two-way micro- adjustment of our new MR-1 low-profile buckle, allowing for precise adjustments on the fly. Our acclaimed Easton® EC90™ carbon outsole is now lighter and stiffer than ever, with replaceable walking pads at the heel for enhanced durability. And with the adjustable SuperNatural Fit footbed and sizing up to 50, there's a fit to match practically every rider.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Evofibre™ lightweight microfibre upper

Low-profile micro-adjustable MR-1 ratcheting buckle closure (replaceable)

Offset strap 'D-ring' at mid-foot

OUTSOLE:

Easton® EC90 ACC unidirectional carbon fibre

Replaceable heel pad

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

The heel pads are replaceable, as is the micro ratchet, handy if they wear out or get damaged in crashes

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

They're lighter, and they are very light for the money, but there are lighter shoes available for the same price

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Great out of the box, with the addition of the adjustable arch support if you need it. A wide version is also available, and there are half sizes to choose from.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Yes they're expensive but they're a high performing race shoe.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Against other comparable high performance stiff race shoes, these stack up well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Really stiff, no power less, easy to adjust fit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Some might find them too stiff.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

 

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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2 comments

Avatar
MMinSC | 9 years ago
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Toe box room? Fit comparable to other shoes (sizing)? Width? Wear and tear?

Kind of a cursory "review"...

Avatar
David Arthur @d... replied to MMinSC | 9 years ago
0 likes
MMinSC wrote:

Toe box room? Fit comparable to other shoes (sizing)? Width? Wear and tear?

Kind of a cursory "review"...

The size 45 I tested offered a very comparable fit to a Gaerne and Shimano size 45 shoe, with similar width and toe box room (of course that depends if your toes are exactly the same size as mine). No sign of wear and tear yet. Does that help?

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