GiroImperial Cycling Shoe - Men's
Item # GIR00ML
Imperial Cycling Shoe
Never one to kick back and rest on its laurels, Giro is back with some all-new flagship road kicks otherwise known as the Imperial Cycling Shoe. Here in the office, we've been big fans of its Empire model, bringing a resurgence to lace up shoes that reduce pressure points and improve fit thanks to its multiple anchor points throughout the shoe. As an added bonus, the design is lightweight and looks pretty cool. Our only complaint is not being able to adjust them on the fly, like right before a sprint. That all changes with the Imperial and its move to a dual BOA system.
Giro is able to keep an incredibly minimal design by constructing the Imperial of its own ultralight, monofilament, one-piece Synchwire mesh upper. It easily conforms to your foot and fits and feels like a second skin. Additionally, it's extremely well ventilated and breathable for incredible airflow so it keeps your feet cooler during warmer conditions. Synchwire's construction is stitchless and its advanced composites are what allows Giro to build the Imperials to such a high level. The thermo-bonded film provides overall durability, a non-woven internal sheet distributes the force from the BOA dials for direct power transfer, and the mono-filament mesh provides the ventilation. Additionally, thermal-welded Teijin TPU adds structural support to the upper where it's needed.
Speaking of BOAs, the closure system is what's new for Giro and really sets the Imperials apart from the rest of its lineup and it features dual BOA IP1 buckles reeling the cables in and out in 1mm increments through soft nylon lace guides. As such, it allows you to adjust the shoes quickly and easily on the fly with the turn of the dial while still reaping the benefits of ultra-lightweight shoes. The design also eliminates stretch and the instant macro release means getting out of the Imperials and into some podium shoes are even easier and faster.
Down below, Giro worked closely with the engineers at Easton to develop a proprietary sole for a direct connection to the pedals without compromising comfort. The high-modulus Easton EC90 SLX2 carbon fiber plate sole is engineered to provide next level stiffness and minimal weight and stack height for efficient power transfer.
One returning feature is Giro's adjustable Super Natural Fit cycling-specific footbed allowing you to customize arch support with its low, medium, and high supports right out of the box for comfort and optimal pedaling efficiency. Moreover, it can help eliminate hotspots, numbness, and cramping, and the X-Static fibers help fight odors and bacteria.
- Giro's flagship road shoe, now even easy to adjust
- One-piece Synchwire upper design is soft, light, and supportive
- Nylon lace guides provide the support and distribution on traditional laces
- Teijin welded SL monofilament mesh boosts ventilation
- Twin Boa IP1 dials reel +/- 1 mm of cable and have a macro release
- Easton's most advanced carbon sole is stiff and featherweight
- Replaceable heel pads keep the shoes going season after season
- SuperNatural Fit Kit has adjustable arch supports for custom fitting right out of the box
What do you think about this product?
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April 1, 2021
First Impression of the Giro Imperial
- Familiarity:
- I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
- Fit:
- Runs large
- Size Bought
- 45.5
- Height
- 6` 2"
- Weight
- 185 lbs
I have narrow feet , B width and ordered size 45.5 EUR or 11.5 US - the initial fit felt pretty good but when I tightened the lower BOA dial the toe fabric/material buckled/puckered somewhat which could be due to my narrow feet .
Donald N.
November 24, 2020
Great Shoe...But Didn't Hold Up
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
This $450 shoe is everything you want in an elite cycling shoe, except the durability. After 1 k miles, the left sole broke at the toe clip during hard braking on a decent, sending me to the ground. However, before this, the shoe has been slowly deteriorating, with the white coating coming off piece by piece. The paper-thin EC90 sole has been very stiff, however, that comes at a huge cost, very disappointed in the longevity of these shoes.
Oscar Aguilera
October 6, 2020
Road shoe for IM
- Familiarity:
- I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
- Fit:
- Runs small
- Size Bought
- 44
- Height
- 5` 8"
- Weight
- 150 lbs
Great breathability. Awesome sockless. Lightweight. Easy to get your foot in and out of. Excellent hold on heel. Small toe box. May want to consider sizing up a your foot expands over longer distances.
ari6162698
May 21, 2020
Nice looking but flimsy
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 42
- Height
- 5` 11"
- Weight
- 170 lbs
I love the look and the quality of these shoes, but the upper is too low and too lightweight. They don't keep my feet as solidly connected to the pedals as my old Sidi's did. Going back to Sidi.
Daniel J.
May 16, 2020
Seamless switch from SiDi
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 43
- Height
- 5` 10"
- Weight
- 142 lbs
My arches have been falling in my 50s and so after 26 years on SiDi Genius models, I got the Imperials thinking they would have a lower stack height to allow arch-support insoles without messing up my position on the bike. So a few notes on the comparison: SIZING: exactly the same in my size 43. Feels like they are identical, down to the millimeter. WEIGHT: Genius 5 with nylon sole ad SPD-Sl cleats 352g each, the Imperial 262g. STACK HEIGHT: even with the insoles it feels a bit shorter than the old SiDi with no insoles (that stack height was about 10mm). HEEL RETENTION: reviews mentioned this as a mild negative with the Imperial, but I found if anything that it was better than the SiDI when the Boa wires were snug. (I didn't find the wires stuck to the tongue either.) SOLES: the carbon soles here actually seemed to give about as much as the old thick nylon SiDis -- which is to say, a tiny bit, but not much. the CLEAT HOLES seem to be possibly about 1mm further back than the SiDi holes .... All in all, an almost seamless transition. between brands, which was very surprising to me. The arch support inserts are terrific, they sit *under* the liner so they're fairly unobtrusive, and they seem to be helping a lot. My first pair of SiDis lasted 65,000 miles and it does seem like there's absolutely no way the Giros will last as long, the Teijin outer material is thin and it does scrape up pretty easily. BTW the mesh part is see-thru (see photo), so choose your socks well, but the ventilation is terrific in the heat. Comes with a nice zip bag to pack them up in. ... Mild irritations: the red color is far less saturated in daylight than it appears in the product shots. The Boa dials work in opposite directions on the left and right feet, kind of like prewar bathroom sink faucets. ... All in all, a terrific, thoughtfully designed product.
Shayana K.
May 16, 2020
Seamless switch from SiDi
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 43
- Height
- 5` 10"
- Weight
- 142 lbs
My arches have been falling in my 50s and so after 26 years on SiDi Genius models, I got the Imperials thinking they would have a lower stack height to allow arch-support insoles without messing up my position on the bike. So a few notes on the comparison: SIZING: exactly the same in my size 43. Feels like they are identical, down to the millimeter. WEIGHT: Genius 5 with nylon sole ad SPD-Sl cleats 352g each, the Imperial 262g. STACK HEIGHT: even with the insoles it feels a bit shorter than the old SiDi with no insoles (that stack height was about 10mm). HEEL RETENTION: reviews mentioned this as a mild negative with the Imperial, but I found if anything that it was better than the SiDI when the Boa wires were snug. (I didn't find the wires stuck to the tongue either.) SOLES: the carbon soles here actually seemed to give about as much as the old thick nylon SiDis -- which is to say, a tiny bit, but not much. the CLEAT HOLES seem to be possibly about 1mm further back than the SiDi holes .... All in all, an almost seamless transition. between brands, which was very surprising to me. The arch support inserts are terrific, they sit *under* the liner so they're fairly unobtrusive, and they seem to be helping a lot. My first pair of SiDis lasted 65,000 miles and it does seem like there's absolutely no way the Giros will last as long, the Teijin outer material is thin and it does scrape up pretty easily. BTW the mesh part is see-thru (see photo), so choose your socks well, but the ventilation is terrific in the heat. Comes with a nice zip bag to pack them up in. ... Mild irritations: the red color is far less saturated in daylight than it appears in the product shots. The Boa dials work in opposite directions on the left and right feet, kind of like prewar bathroom sink faucets. ... All in all, a terrific, thoughtfully designed product.
Shayana K.
July 7, 2019
Great, BUT
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 41
- Height
- 5` 9"
- Weight
- 128 lbs
Light, breathable, stiff, insanely comfortable with a few issues. The upper gives more than I would like and the tongue material causes the boa cables to hang up. Overall a good shoe, but it’s far from perfect and could use additional refinement.
Mackenzie M.