Gaerne G.Stilo shoes review
Italian company Gaerne have been making shoes since the 1960's. Simon Scarsbrook put their G.Stilo kicks to the test.
Very light and stiff, yet still comfortable. An absolutely superb pair of road shoes
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Light
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Stiff
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Wider fitting than others
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Comfortable
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Price
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My first pair of road shoes were the black leather versions, with big holes enabling my regulation white socks to show through, all the rage in the mid-1980’s. they were unfussy, pretty light, with (I think) a wooden sole for that extra stiffness. They were surprisingly comfortable. Italian of course.
>>> Buyer's guide to road bike shoes
Italian company Gaerne have been making cycling shoes since around that time, before then known for their motorbike footwear, they have a strong following amongst the pro-peloton today. Officially with sponsored teams, but also with a growing number of riders seeking the benefits the Stilo provide.
Video - How to fit your cleats
I have been riding with these since the late spring, through a variety of conditions and terrain. The combination of a very thin, stiff sole, and deceptively supple upper make a shoe that can put down the power when needed, but not, seemingly, at the expense of comfort.
>>> Buyer's guide to cycling overshoes
The padding around the opening and tongue, is very comfortable and the height of the heal box perfect, with no undue pressure on my achilles tendon. They also feel a little wider in fit than ‘traditional’ Italian styling and the strategically placed vents in the sole proved perfect ventilation in the summer heat.
>>> Review- B'Twin 700 Carbon shoes, as worn by Jean Christophe Peraud
Comfort is aided by the double boa system – with its dialed steel/kevlar cables very easy to adjust on the move, in the minutest of increments, even through a pair of overshoes, not something I could easily do with my old black lace-ups!
The thin carbon sole enables the foot closer to the pedal axle, and a version of the stilo with a ‘speedplay dedicated’ sole is also available.
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Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly, producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing and cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing, review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online.