Giant and Liv launch their lightest and most efficient road shoes yet

Giant and sister brand, Liv, today launched their new performance road shoes, each promising big performance advantages over the previous generations of shoes.

The newest Giant’s Surge Pro and Liv’s Macha Pro shoes sport an all-new dual beam carbon sole and unique  360-degree, wrap-around fit system to make it their lightest and best performing shoes yet. Both shoes can currently be seen on the feet of WorldTour pros like grand tour winner Simon Yates and sprinter Rachele Barbieri.

The Surge Pro and Macha Pro share the same new technologies, but the Macha Pro women’s shoe does have a narrower heel cup and comes in its own color options. 

The Technology

For improved power transfer in each pedal stroke, the Surge Pro and Macha Pro rely on a new technology Giant calls “ExoBeam”. This is an outsole plate with a dual-beam design and features a 100 percent carbon fiber layup construction to deliver high stiffness.

This proprietary design is meant to significantly boosts power transfer while still allowing enough torsional flex for natural foot movement. It’s also said to minimize knee and ankle strain.

For a comfortable, custom fit the Surge Pro and Mache Pro feature a redesigned ExoWrap with a 360-degree wrap-around fit that can be mirco-adjusted using two Boa Li2 reels. Giant states that while most cycling shoe closures press the foot down toward the sole, the ExoWrap surrounds the foot to create a more personalized and comfortable fit.

Additional comfort comes from a new polyurethane coated mesh upper that has laser cut micro-perforations for ventilation, and welded instead of sewn seams in the shoe’s upper to minimize weight and keep them supple.

The shoes also sport a removable sock liner, tunable arch support and a TransTextura Plus antimicrobial layer to provide a cool, balanced foot climate.

The heel cup is ergonomically designed and has a grippy SharkSkin material to keep the foot in place. As mentioned above, the heel cup in the Macha Pro is narrower than the men’s version to provide a better fit for women riders.

What The Riders Say

Riders from the BikeExchange-Jayco and Liv Racing Xstra teams began riding prototype versions of the new shoes at early-season training camps in January and will continue racing and training with the shoes throughout the 2022 season.

In March, Yates won the final stage at the Paris-Nice stage race in France wearing his Surge Pro shoes. That victory landed the Brit second overall in the general classification, a confidence builder as he looks to the upcoming Giro d’Italia, his primary racing goal this year.

It was immediately clear how lightweight, efficient and comfortable they felt, and I’ve been training and racing with them ever since,” said Yates.

Liv Racing Xstra’s Valerie Demey has already 10 races under her belt this season and netted an eighth place finish at Omloop van het Hageland in her Macha Pro shoes.

“The Macha Pro is an amazing shoe. It’s comfortable, lightweight and

Responsive especially on long training days and races,” she said. “It is efficient, stable and has great power transfer to my pedals when I am going for a breakaway or pushing hard on the bike.”

Details

The Surge Pro will be available in three colorways —Gunmetal, Chromaflair and Whitek— and in sizes EU 41 through 48.  Half sizes available between 41.5 and 45.5. A size 43 weighs 510g per pair. Retail price is $399 / £299 /€350.

The Macho Pro will be available in two colorways, white and purple, starting this spring. Available in whole sizes only, EU 37 through 43. The weight is 450g for a pair of 42s. Retail price is $399 / £299 /€350.