in ,

Product Review: Giro Rumble VR MTB SPD Shoes

This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com and other Amazon websites.

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.

Read more or buy here

Pros:

  • Comfort
  • Stiff Sole
  • Power Transfer
  • Grip
  • Good Price

Cons:

  • Unconvincing off road usage
  • Some assembly required

Were the shoes made for riding or hiking?

With stiff soles, a high level of grip and durable designs the Rumble may be used by those looking for a comfortable mountain bike shoe that can be used both whilst riding and hiking.

The Rumble shoes are good for the road, trail and forest. They are tough enough for what most mountain bikers use them for, whilst still being comfortable enough to hike in.

There are few shoes that can claim to be versatile enough to be used off and on the bike so the Giro Rumble are a refreshing change from previous mountain bike shoes.

Recently I saw a shoe manufacturer touting their new shoe as having a mix of hiking shoes and MTB shoes, its a daunting idea to mix those two, but thats exactly what Giro have done with the Rumble.

The Rumble allows you to use the power of clipless pedals without giving up on the comfort for those long day hikes.

The Rumble by Giro is a very comfortable light weight and well made mountain bike shoe for intermediate riders who are not keen on using clipless pedals.

With a high level of grip these shoes allow you to commute, ride the trails and enjoy off-road walking all in the same shoe.

For those who do not want to spend money on two pairs of shoes but want to enjoy the ability to hike and ride these shoes are for you.

Giro Rumble Price:

These shoes are priced well, retailing at around £65 here in the UK, thats $100 in the states. For anyone who does not want to buy two pairs of shoes to enjoy the cycling and hiking these shoes are great for you with a price tag that competes with most off-road shoes on the market.

Thanks go to Giro for providing the shoes for test and review, a great shoe at a great price.

As any gear geek knows, this test and review is the first in many to come, thanks for checking this out.

Read more reviews or buy here

Written by Mark Adams

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Product Review: Northwave Spider Plus 2 MTB Shoes 2020

Product Review: Lynskey MT 29 Ti Hardtail Frame – Silver Series 2014