Mavic Cosmic Elite Vision shoes review

A shoe that transcends genres and provides a superb blend of performance and safety features making the Cosmic Elite a shoe worthy of Editor’s Choice 2019. As efficient as it is comfortable it holds widespread appeal throughout the full gamut of cyclists.

I’ve been using the Mavic Cosmic Elite Vision shoes through the winter. They’re a great option for the usual mix of damp roads and cold weather.

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If you’ve been riding through the winter, you’ll know that it’s usually your extremities that feel the pain first. Feet are especially vulnerable to wet, cold conditions. The standard option is a set of overshoes over a worn pair of summer shoes. But that’s seldom comfortable, water tends to get in after a few hours’ riding and overshoes are notoriously bulky and flimsy.

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A winter boot is potentially a better option, but we’ve tested quite a few here at Cycling Weekly and never found a pair that worked really well for us. The usual problem is that the need to get your foot in through the ankle cuff leads to a wide heel cup and sloppy fit for cycling.

The Mavic Cosmic Elite Vision shoes provide a third way. They’re built like a normal road shoe, but with a fully enclosed, insulated upper. That means that you get a nice rigid heel cup for good support and pedalling efficiency, with no tendency to heel lift. Plus their uppers are made entirely of a matt grey reflective fabric, so that they provide excellent visibility in cars’ headlights. They are easy to wipe down and keep clean after a ride.

Fit is adjusted using Velcro straps and a top Mavic Ergo Dial. The Ergo Dial isn’t quite as nice to use as the best Boa closures, as although it ratchets closed, it releases completely when turned anticlockwise, so you can’t loosen the fit in small increments. But it still does its job just fine.

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The Velcro straps are attached to the shoe with nylon threads and have plastic tabs to help you adjust them with gloves on. They are adjustable for volume between two positions too.

Mavic’s sole is its Energy Carbon Comp design. Although carbon reinforced rather than full carbon, it’s really pretty stiff – Mavic gives it a 60 on its energy transfer index, as against 100 for its Cosmic SL Ultimate racing shoe. The Mavic Cosmic Elite Vision shoes are significantly firmer, with a stiffer sole, than the similarly enclosed and insulated Northwave Flash TH shoes which we tested last year. Mavic’s sole unit is fully enclosed too, so water ingress isn’t an issue.

Some water can make its way in through the sides of the tongue, but once closed up firmly, it’s not much. In fact, the only place where your foot isn’t well protected is the ankle. But absent a deluge, I found that my feet were kept dry and warm throughout the winter.

It’s an impressive performance and the Mavic Cosmic Elite Vision shoes are likely to prove durable enough to last for a good few years and so are likely to prove cheaper as well as more comfortable than overshoes longer term.

Find out more about Mavic's extensive shoe range here.