Sidi Genius 5 Pro Shoes

I couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to try out the Sidi Genius 5 Road Shoes. It is always a bit hard to write a shoe review because a shoe takes more than one try out to real reveal itself.

For example, a shoe needs time to adapt to the foot and the foot to adapt to the shoe itself.

To try it out for a couple of hours it is not enough to make me realize how comfortable a shoe is because in the beginning, at least with me, a shoe always feels a little strange.

So I used the Sidi Genius 5 Pro shoes for a whole week.

The experience was good. At first I was suspicious, like I always am, about the Velcro straps the Genius 5 Pro has to lack the shoe on to the foot. Being used to Specialized Boa System, Velcro seems more fragile to me but Sidi made a good work by implementing locking polymer teeth to the Velcro straps which makes them much more secure.

Adding to the Velcro straps, they also feature a special closing system called “Caliper Buckle” which does a good adjusting the shoe to the foot.

Both systems assured that the shoe was closely wrapped around the foot and that it wouldn’t loosened in time.

The upper has vented Lorica Microfiber with mesh to increase breathability. And walking is also made easier by using the replaceable heel tab that comes with the shoes.

To further protect the foot, the shoe has a reinforced heel cup which keeps the foot on the best position in order to prevent any injuries that might arise after long rides.

In fact, when the week ended I realized that they were indeed very comfortable.

Another feature of the Genius 5 Pro is its nylon sole infused with carbon fiber. More durable and stiff than the regular nylon sole, the Millenium 3 sole also has a replaceable non-slip polyurethane heel pad which is compatible with most pedals available in the market.

The only problem I really found in these shoes are the price. I found them in the market for around $250 depending on where you’re looking, a price that seems to me too high for a nylon sole shoe.

They are more expensive than Specialized’s Expert Road Shoe (which is selling at $200), though they are less expensive than the wonderful S-Works Road shoes (which are selling at $350).

In the end I think it is all a matter of taste. Without looking at the price I think they’re quite good, high-quality Italian road shoes. Are there better shoes on the market? I believe there are but I also think that those who will chose to wear the Genius 5 Pro road shoes won’t be disappointed.

(update): at the time I reviewed these shoes they were available in different colors, please check availability