Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Giro Jacket II Flat MTB Shoe

8
£89.99

VERDICT:

8
10
When used with grippy flat pedals these are great cycling shoes that you won't need to remove when you've jumped off the bike
Weight: 
799g
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.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Giro's Jacket II Flat MTB shoe might be officially designed for crazy downhillers but it's also a very decent option for super-sensible commuters and leisure riders who don't want to keep swapping between on and off-bike shoes.

  • Pros: Very comfy on and off bike, decent pedalling performance, non-cycling looks, good waterproofing
  • Cons: Wet weather grip is questionable, best used with pinned pedals

Can you have the best of both worlds: a shoe that is easy to walk around in, yet offers more cycling-specific performance than a normal pair of trainers? Giro's Jacket II may just be what you're looking for.

> Find your nearest dealer here

For those readers with children or a deluded sense of their own youthfulness, the Jacket II is visually rather like something from Nike's Airwalk range. That means it boasts a chunky design, with reinforced toe and heel sections of its Vibram Ecostep rubber outsole. The sole tread shape features a couple of patterns of small uniform blocks, one hexagonal, one triangular.

The upper is made from water-resistant and breathable microfibre, which works well – even accidentally submerging my feel in an inch-deep puddle caused no ill effects. In typical situations, you won't suffer any environmental or self-induced dampness. Even the tubular laces are worth mentioning, as they hold a knot well.

Fit and comfort

For day-to-day off-the-bike use, the Jacket II is quite superb. I've been using these as my main shoes for taking the kids to school, going shopping and so on, and they are fantastically comfortable. Not only do they look a bit like Airwalks but they also enjoy much of that brand's almost slipper-like cushioning thanks to the fulsome foam footbed and sides.

Giro Jacket II Flat MTB Shoe - toe.jpg

On the bike, that all-embracing comfort means your foot is held in place securely. There's no sense of foot twist while pedalling and they actually offer a simple and straightforward riding experience. In short, they feel like shoes that are fit for purpose, if not quite like normal cycling shoes.

Giro Jacket II Flat MTB Shoe - heels.jpg

Although the Vibram EVA sole has a bit of give compared with typical cycling shoes – which is one of the reasons why the Jacket II is so easy to live with off the saddle – that doesn't translate into a massive penalty for leisure pedalling. They don't offer as efficient power transfer as stiff carbon or nylon-shanked cycling footwear, but then these aren't shoes designed for riding sportives and, in the saddle, they're certainly a better bet than non-cycling shoes.

Grip

Giro officially classes the Jacket II as a downhill shoe. To be honest, I'm not sure they'd offer quite enough grip for super-gnarly descents. However, for commuting, urban and general riding duties – especially for people who are jumping on and off the bike regularly for short trips – the grip is more than good enough.

Giro Jacket II Flat MTB Shoe - sole.jpg

For most of my testing I used them with a set of very modestly pinned cheap Wellgo pedals and they fared well. However, when using unpinned flat pedals, I did experience one or two foot slips, especially in wet conditions and extreme situations, such as a jumped gear change.

To really enhance your contact patch, it's worth thinking about choice of pedals. If you are going to be using these shoes with the same bike, I'd be tempted to fit a set of well-pinned flat pedals for a little extra purchase. It's not a big issue, but the better pinned your pedals, the more secure you'll find your footing.

> Buyer's Guide: The best casual cycling commuter wear

Interestingly enough, the biggest slippage problems I've had with the Jacket IIs and pedals weren't on the bike at all but in the car. I've had to swap out of these shoes when driving because, when wet, they become a little dicey on car pedals.

Value and conclusion

We don't test many flat mountain bike shoes at road.cc, but the £84.99 Giro Rumble VRs are similar-styled albeit clip-in shoes for dry days. Shimano's GR5 is a comparable shoe for £80 or there's the GR7 for £99.99. FiveTen also makes all sorts of similar shoes but probably its most similar model – the Freerider shoe – starts at £84.95. In this context, the Jacket II's £89.99 RRP is about par for the course.

> Beginner's guide to cycling shoes

While not offering the same levels of pedalling efficiency as clip-in shoes and pedals, the Jacket II offers a decent alternative for relatively new riders or hesitant commuters who are scared of adopting cleats. However, more than that, for riders who are just fed up of having to swap shoes all the time and want something that fits in with a daily lifestyle that happens to include a spot of cycling, these are a very comfortable option.

So the Jacket II is certainly not the best dedicated cycling shoe around. But it's a great shoe that you can comfortably live in off the bike and still enjoy a bit of performance when hopping on it.

Verdict

When used with grippy flat pedals these are great cycling shoes that you won't need to remove when you've jumped off the bike

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Giro Jacket II Flat MTB Shoe

Size tested: 45

Tell us what the product is for

Officially, the Jacket II is classed as a mountain bike shoe, although it also makes for an effective everyday commuting and leisure shoe.

Giro says: "The Jacket II is the daily driver of our footwear line, at home on the pump track, the shop floor and over doubles on the trail - or at the pub. To cover this much ground with a single pair of shoes you have to get the balance of right durability and performance where it counts, with style throughout. We get it. Thats why it's constructed with a reinforced, water-resistant microfibre upper matched to a Vibram® Ecostep rubber outsole for comfort, durability and sure grip on the pedals."

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

Giro lists:

Water resistant, breathable microfibre upper

Laced closure with lace keeper

Tubular laces for durability and knot-holding

Toe and heel reinforcements

Vibram Ecostep rubber outsole engineered for flat pedals

Optimised EVA midsole

Die-cut EVA foam cushioned footbed

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

I've been very impressed with the overall construction of the Jacket II. Try as I might, I can't find anything to criticise with the build.

Rate the product for performance:
 
5/10

These are not like typically stiff road cycling shoes and don't offer quite the same levels of performance. However, they're still far better than non-cycling shoes.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Despite good use, I can't see any signs of wear. That said, the outsole tread isn't super-deep, so that might have a limited lifespan if worn extensively off the bike.

Rate the product for fit:
 
10/10

Perfectly snug but not tight.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

As expected.

Rate the product for weight:
 
5/10

These are chunky shoes, and they feel chunky when worn.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
10/10

I'm willing to suggest that you won't find comfier cycling shoes.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Compared to similar flat shoes made by big-name brands, the £89.99 asking price is about par for the course.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Fine. The water-resistant upper is easy to clean if it gets a little muddy.

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

While not offering ultra-efficient pedalling performance, the compromise of on and off-the-bike use may well appeal to some people.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

All-round comfort. These are really super-comfy shoes.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

There's a question mark over grip in some situations – particularly on smooth flat pedals in wet weather.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The £84.99 Giro Rumble VRs are similar-styled albeit clip-in shoes for dry days, Shimano's GR5 is a comparable shoe for £80 or there's the GR7 for £99.99. FiveTen also makes all sorts of similar shoes but probably its most similar model – the Freerider shoe – starts at £84.95. In this context, the Jacket II's £89.99 RRP is about par for the course.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

For people who want a shoe that will work both on and off the bike, the Jacket II is a great option. True, it doesn't provide the optimised pedalling performance of other dedicated cycling shoes, but then, anybody considering a flat, non-cleated shoe should probably expect that!

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 6'0  Weight: 16 stone

I usually ride: Islabikes Beinn 29  My best bike is: 25-year-old Dawes Galaxy

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mountain biking, leisure

Add new comment

2 comments

Avatar
Mitchvg | 2 years ago
0 likes

Got these for DH and wouldn't recommend.  The rubber isn't sticky and the pattern doesn't lock in.  And because the foot floats around a bit, it just shredded the tread.  Otherwise it's pretty durable.

On the new GR9 now.  Ridden once.  Rubber seems pretty tacky but the sole might be a tad bit too thick and stiff for my liking.

Avatar
kil0ran | 4 years ago
1 like

GR5 & GR7 are both excellent, as is the GR9 if you can stomach the looks of it. Hugely comfortable, loads of grip on and off the bike, and the GR9 is reasonably splashproof. Much, much roomier than any of the FiveTens I tried.

Just wish Shimano/Giro/Northwave would make a waterproof flat winter boot - there's a gap in the market for winter gravel riding and commuting on flats. After years of riding clipped whilst commuting, mainly for pedal security in the wet, I'm completely sold on riding flats with a decent pinned pedal - DMR V12 in my case. Much safer in traffic becaused there's no risk of unclip fails.

Latest Comments