Product Review: Giro Rumble VR MTB SPD Shoes

Giro’s Rumble VR MTB SPD Shoes are a versatile option that let you combine the functionality of a mountain bike shoe with the comfort of a light hiking shoe.

Grippy Vibram Sole

The Vibram® sole delivers the perfect amount of stiffness for power transfer, yet is supple to provide the flexibility and durability that is required for walking. Clipless compatibility allows you to use two bolt cleat systems, whilst the Vibram® sole provides unrivalled grip, for riding with flat pedals. A high-quality synthetic upper is both comfortable and breathable with the lace closure system allowing you to achieve a highly customised fit.

Features:

Please Note: Snug fit. Going up half a size from normal shoe size is suggested

Comfortable, durable and breathable upper
Vibram® sole provides high levels of grip
Injected inner shank provides the stiffness needed to transfer power to the pedals
Lace closure allows a highly customisable fit
Weight: 850g (Pair, size EUR 42.5)

Giro Rumble VR MTB SPD Shoes Review:

Having long since sold my clipless pedals the ability to hike or even walk properly when out off the bike is an important consideration in choosing a mountain bike shoe. At this point I will say that the Giro Rumble provided exactly what I was looking for, after a few rides and hikes, I can happily confirm that this MTB SPD shoe which can be great for both bike and hike.

When I first opened the box and saw how well the Rumble shoes had held up after the mail journey from Canada I was excited to try them on.

With a potentially toe overlapping lace system I appreciate that many may dread buying shoes online, however I can happily say the fit was great with the guidance of the excellent Giro sizing chart.

Giro’s sizing guide suggests you select a shoe half to one size up from their normal shoe size when choosing their mountain biking shoes; I can certainly attest that the size guide was accurate for me.

These shoes felt secure because of the way the laces provided a more encompassing fit, giving plenty of support around the foot whilst being comfortable due to the padded upper.

Giro Rumble Sole:

The Vibram sole of these shoes provides a high level of grip and is particularly suited to those who prefer to ride without the use of clipless pedals.

The in-soles of the Giro Rumbles were comfortable and added further padding to an already comfortable shoe; they are removable too if required.

The sole itself is quite stiff so provides a high level of power transfer through the pedals, a nice feature for powerful riders.

Giro Rumble Fit:

The size guide should have you covered. Shoes will often fit different and I enjoy being able to adjust the fit of my shoes with laces, especially when walking and climbing. These laces are sturdy and good quality; the lock system which closes the laces on the Rumble shoes is easy to use even when wearing hiking socks.

Rumble Riding:

The Rumbles are good at what they do. The stiff Vibram sole ensures that they respond well to the pedals. I found it comfortable to ride in the shoes off the bike as they are stiff enough to provide the power transfer, but are flexible enough to hike in.

After riding a few times on these shoes I was confident enough to use the Rumble on a few hikes.

For someone who is used to feeling their feet and who doesn’t use clipless pedals I would say these shoes do exactly what they should, providing comfort whilst still being capable on the bike.

The sole provided enough grip on both wet and dry rocks and points of contact. The Vibram sole is still as sticky and grippy as they day I tested them.

Giro Rumble: Tested on Off Road (hiking) and Trail riding:

These shoes did feel just awkward while hiking. Whilst the shoe allowed use of the toes, the shoe itself was heavy and quite stiff, making it uncomfortable for longer hikes.

Although using the Rumble on the bike was ok, I was not convinced they should be used for off-road walking.

The Rumble did however fare well on trail rides with their ability to make the power transfer through the pedals, their overall stiffness and their ability to grip both on and off the bike.

Overall the Rumble shoes offer decent value, with an overall comfortable and durable design. The Rumble does get bonus points for having a hard composite toe-cap in a market where many manufacturers are now incorporating this in their mountain bike shoes, however the Rumble shoes are still not perfect; what they are is a comfortable and stiff mountain bike shoe that can be used while riding and hiking.