Review: Vans Gravel Shoes

Vans shoes have always been a favourite of mine for all occasions. I don't think I have worn a different brand of trainers since I was 12 years old. My first choice of shoes to ride in back before the sticky rubber days was always a pair of chunky Vans skate shoes with the waffle type sole. For the one simple reason it always felt like it was the perfect pattern to hook up on the pins of your favourite flat pedals. So when I got my hands on a pair of bike specific, flat pedal Vans with sticky Trax rubber incorporated into the legendary waffle sole, I knew I was going to be in for a treat.

Lets face it mountain bike specific shoes are built to be functional and last a long time. So sometimes the styling from some of the other leading brands such as Five Ten and Teva are a little some what to be desired, but there is no reason why it should be like this? The Vans Gravel shoes are the first pair of mountain bike shoes I would actually been seen in off the bike. They feature the classic Vans styling with the simple colours and singular reflective sweep up. Don't let that fool you into thinking they are style over substance. As much work has gone into the performance of the shoe as the styling.

The Gravels are a reasonably lightweight shoe thanks to the "Vanslite Midsole" that gives more than ample comfort and support when worn for long days out on the trail, but doesn't feel spongey or hard work when your really trying to get the power down. The Impactsorb heel insert is also a welcome addition that is designed to reduce heel bruising in the unlikely event of taking a heavy fall on your foot.

They feature a Trax rubber sole which is technology borrowed from rock climbing boots, where how sticky your rubber is sometimes a matter of life and death so you know the rubber these shoes use is good! We have all been in the situation where your feet get bounced into a less than desirable position and its imperative to get it back into the right place on the pedal before you go crashing into the next rock garden flat out. Compared to Five Ten soles where sometimes making those small adjustments to your feet position on the pedals can be difficult, the Trax rubber sole provides more than enough grip, yet still forgiving enough to make those adjustments. A great combination.

Mountain bike shoes are going to encounter a range of weather conditions over the year, so they the need to be able to cope with being covered in mud and dripping wet to being breathable so your feet don't boil in the summer. The Vans feature a synthetic outer that is really mud friendly and reasonably waterproof. I say reasonably as if you go walking through rivers and brooks your feet will inevitably get wet. In the unlikely event of these shoes getting soaking wet through, I have found they have dried out pretty quickly. One night in the airing cupboard and they are good to go by morning! The shoes are reasonably lightweight and breathable so should perform well in the heat of the summer.

I have been using these shoes for a few months now and the build quality has never faltered or let me down. They retail at £84.99 which is about on par with other flat pedal shoe option from Five Ten and Teva.

For more information head over to the official Vans website which can be found here...

The Vans Gravel shoes are a lightweight, grippy, comfortable and great looking mountain bike specific shoe that aren't quite as sticky as the market leading 5.10 but sometimes that really isn't always a bad thing.