Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon review - super robust gravel bike shoes with good breathability

Velcro retention won’t suit all - especially at this price point - but the Vento Ferox Carbon are super stiff, lightweight and employ a very impressively wear-resistant upper

Image shows the Fizik Vento Ferox gravel bike shoes
(Image credit: Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon are wonderfully stiff off-road shoes with a lightweight upper that isn’t overly hot, but still gives reasonable protection from spray and wet weather. The closure system doesn’t guarantee comfort for all riders, with the velcro strap not offering the easy micro-adjustability that a two dial system does - which, considering the price, is what these shoes are up against. That said, if you’re more a fit-and-forget type of rider, these are a high performance set of shoes that will serve you well.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

    Breathable

  • +

    Very stiff

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Closure system not comfortable for all

  • -

    Velcro doesn’t offer the easy micro-adjustability that dials do

  • -

    Slight heel slippage

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Described to be a technical XC trail shoe, Fizik reckons the Vento Ferox Carbons will cover you for everything from cyclocross races to all-day gravel events.

It’s a bold claim to make - many of the best gravel shoes are content to be more specific in their target audience - but we’ve taken Fizik at its word and used the Vento Ferox Carbon shoes in (gravel) races and on big weekend rides. The build quality is high and their race credentials stack up, although that is to the detriment of their performance on longer, slower rides and the retention system won’t suit all. 

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Anna Marie Abram
Fitness Features Editor

I’ve been hooked on bikes ever since the age of 12 and my first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in the bright yellow kit of the Hillingdon Slipstreamers. For a time, my cycling life centred around racing road and track. 

But that’s since broadened to include multiday two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain I happen to meet - with a two-week bikepacking trip from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia being just the latest.

I still enjoy lining up on a start line, though, racing the British Gravel Championships and finding myself on the podium at the enduro-style gravel event, Gritfest in 2022.

Height: 177cm

Weight: 60–63kg