DMT KM0 Black MTB Shoes

These DMT KM0 shoes are very comfortable, extraordinarily breathable, extremely light, and have a super-stiff sole. They're aimed more at the racing end of mountain biking than leisurely off-road explorations and are priced accordingly – though they're on a par with other brands' top-flight offerings. Just make sure you pay attention to the size chart.

There's something impressively striking about the KM0 shoes. Their one-piece knitted uppers are unfussy and have the cleanest of clean lines, with no overlapping layers, no tongue, and just a pair of Boa Li2 dials. The upper, which DMT describes as the 'full engineered 3D knit upper with ultralight construction', crams in around 10 different surface textures.

'Knitted construction' conjures up images of something your gran might have created for Christmas, with enormous amounts of stretch and holes you can poke a finger through. Nothing could be further from the truth here. The KM0 uses what are described as technical yarns and 'specific Engineered Knit structures' to tailor every area of the shoe for its defined role. The result alternates thicker areas that have barely noticeable stretch with other zones of differing thickness, stretch and breathability, all seamlessly knitted together as one.

The fibres are mostly so tightly knitted together, and largely backed with a thin layer of synthetic suede, that a bright light is only just visible through most of the sides. The obviously open weave above the toe box allows far more light, and air, through.

In lieu of a tongue, the central section is more densely knitted, and includes a thin integrated pad to protect the top of your foot from the Boa laces. The laces themselves pass through low-profile nylon webbing loops, which are anchored within slots in the upper.

As well as the large rubber toe bumper, the lower part of the shoe's upper is protected by an abrasion-resistant coating, which is smooth and easy to wipe clean.

The foot opening has a thin, single layer edge, which is reinforced at the stiffened heel by a rubberised orange strip. Within the semi-rigid heel cup there's a lightly padded microfibre layer and grip panel covered with printed silicone dots to prevent slippage.

The insole is about as thin and basic as can be, with a lot of large forefoot holes for ventilation. The curious thing is that the plastic forefoot insert, which presumably keeps the knitted upper taut, features corresponding holes, but the carbon sole has no vents. DMT's road version of this shoe does feature sole vents, so presumably these internal pieces have been shared. They also save a gram or two.

Central to the KM0's power delivery is the Dual Compound Carbon outsole. Its edges curve upward a little, with greater support at the arch and heel, and it's finished with a glossy unidirectional carbon fibre look. It'll only accept two-bolt SPD-style cleats, but the adjustment slots are generously long, and the grippy surface surrounding them means that cleats stay put.

The shoe's grip comes from five individual Michelin rubber sections integrated within the sole. The two-tone heel and ball of the foot areas feature separate raised pontoons, while a small midsole area provides grip when you miss the pedal, and the chunky toe area has some more aggressive tread blocks and two bolts that can be replaced by the supplied aluminium studs.

Also supplied is a tool to fit said studs and a shoe bag. The size 45 pair on test weighed in at 320g and 322g each, making a mighty impressive 642g.

Size matters

If you're considering buying such an expensive pair of shoes, you'll want to be sure they fit properly. The best thing to do is to visit a specialist and try them on; if you go by DMT's own fitting guide, you could get confused...

I take a 45 in almost every shoe, with the exception being 44.5 Wide in Lake, even though my feet aren't unusually wide. So it seemed reasonable to request to test these size 45s without really checking too closely. However, when the shoes arrived I discovered it wasn't quite that simple.

Measuring my feet as the fitting guide instructs actually gave me a length measurement (277mm) equivalent to a size 43.5. The last time I wore any shoe that was 43.5 (UK 9) was when I was about 14...

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If shoes or clothes for reviewing don't fit you properly, even if the size guide says they should, the usual procedure at road.cc would be to send them to someone they will fit, or exchange for the correct size to test. (If you were buying the items, you'd send them back or exchange, maybe with a bit of a grumble about postage...)

However, here, because my width (115mm) was off the chart – which ends at 107mm for size 48 – these shoes weren't actually a bad fit on me, despite ostensibly being a size and a half too big, and chances are a 43.5 would have been far too narrow. I've always found DMT shoes to conform to the stereotypically narrow Italian model, with a fit similar to Sidi, and not that dissimilar to Specialized. Though sizes available cover 37-48, with half sizes between 37.5 and 45.5, which is impressive, there is no wide option.

In use

It takes two hands to put each shoe on, pulling the heel and 'tongue' apart to allow entry, and as long as the laces are loose, they slip on easily.

The knitted uppers immediately grip your foot all over, with a feeling not unlike a knitted knee or elbow support – for those unlucky enough to have had to endure them. The laces don't need much tightening, but the Boa Li2 dials wind up fast, with small incremental adjustments in either direction ensuring you can find the ideal tension quickly.

From the first step towards the bike it's clear that these shoes have a seriously stiff sole, with no noticeable flex. On the bike, that feeling is only reinforced as, no matter how hard I heaved, I didn't feel the pedal pushing back through the sole. I did find that I needed to tighten the ankle Boa more to prevent a little heel movement when standing, most likely to do with the offset between DMT's recommended foot length and the shoe size, and they don't have a rolled edge around the top of the heel cup. But if you've ever rubbed the heel cup of your shoe against your crank or chainstay, it's unlikely to happen with the KM0 because the shoe is barely any bulkier than your foot.

There is a point where overtightening becomes uncomfortable, though, and starts to cause tingling. This was the case for the first few miles at the forefoot, because my feet were a little wider than the sole, and so tightening the Boa did squeeze a little in a way it shouldn't have been able to if feet and shoes were perfectly matched.

Nevertheless, allowing for my particular issues, I was soon enjoying the extraordinary breathability and performance of the KM0s.

Even without sole vents, the uppers feel so airy, thanks to their low-bulk knitted construction, that it's hard to imagine there would be more than a handful of days in the UK summer when your feet would ever even feel hot. Conversely, depending on exactly how you feel the cold, the KM0 isn't ideal for some spring and autumnal days, when the lack of insulation and wet weather protection could cause very cold feet in no time. When racing, it's easier to cope with some heat or cold duress, but everyone has their limits, and these shoes aren't really conducive to wearing thick socks.

As each ride went on, my feet settled, and I was able to loosen the dials a click or two to improve comfort without affecting performance.

Durability

If you're a competitive mountain biker then the chances are you won't be getting on and off the bike much during the sort of warm weather competition these shoes are focused towards. Despite being designed for toe studs, unless the ground is very soft the KM0s aren't great for running or scrambling in, where a little sole flex is preferable.

The midsole rubber protector exists to offer some grip should you miss your pedal, and guard against damaging the carbon sole. It does help on both counts, but because it's recessed almost flush within the carbon, and isn't that large, regular pedal strikes will soon scuff the sole.

The carbon sole is so glossy and smooth that any gravel or hard surface will mark it instantly. As tall and seemingly generous as the heel bumper is, my first ride left several scuffs behind it from walking a fairly small number of steps.

It's the same story between the toe bumper and the tall pontoons alongside the cleat. The rubber pontoons at the heel and forefoot are of a good size, hardwearing and grippy, but also generally smooth, with only two slightly recessed diagonal grooves in each. On dry, firm surfaces this is fine, but if faced with a muddy bank to climb, you'll need those studs, and even they might not be enough.

Despite unavoidable overhanging undergrowth, and the odd rub against trees, posts and so on, the uppers have remained as good as new, although I wouldn't want to drag them through a hawthorn bush.

They're as easy to clean as most cycling shoes, needing just soap and water, then gentle drying. One advantage of the knitted design is that they don't retain much water, so dry pretty fast, whether being worn or not.

Value

The KM0s cost the same as DMT's KR0 road shoes, and you get the off-road sole thrown in, but they're hardly a bargain buy at more than double the price of DMT's own knitted KM4 mountain bike shoes, reviewed by off.road.cc last year.

There's an overlap between gravel and mountain bike shoes, but the premier shoes in both categories are similarly expensive, as borne out by Sidi's £360 Jarin shoes, tested last year by Anna, and the Specialized S-Works Vent Evo Gravel shoes, which Jamie reviewed earlier this year, at a wallet-busting £385.

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But you can get far more 'reasonably' priced shoes, such as Shimano's £219.99 RX8s, which offer brilliant off-road performance, scoring 9/10 in Stu's review from a couple of years ago.

Conclusion

DMT is quite clear that this is a specialised design, and used in that context they make a superbly effective race shoe. They're quite a luxury for just riding around, but it's hard not to admire the design and construction of these shoes, and they are extremely comfortable, and brutally effective, even when not necessarily exactly the right size. If you're narrow of foot, have sufficient funds and can try before you buy, the KM0 could be revelatory.

Verdict

Very good mountain bike shoes that combine race-winning power transfer with ventilated, low-bulk uppers