Boa-secured shoes are often prone to being tight in the wrong places, and the M5 Boa seemed to suffer with this at first. The uppers felt tight around the front of the ankles, digging in when dropping the heels. After a couple of rides this relented as they softened.
The uppers are well
ventilated on the outside, and more impermeable on the inside to help guard
against splashes. Padding is minimal, which stops them soaking up water or
becoming sweaty, but is bulked out where it's needed most. The insole offers
comfortable arch and metatarsal support, but the metatarsal pad can be removed
if you prefer.
At 445g in size 46, weight is reasonable,
and a carbon reinforced nylon sole offers a decent amount of stiffness for
efficient pedalling. The Boa system holds the foot securely, which improves
power transfer. The tacky-treaded outsole gripped well on all surfaces; the
tall toe-tread offering superb traction on muddy climbs.
The wide, shallow
cleat channel eases engagement, but the spiky toe tread occasionally got in the
way when landing the shoe on the pedal. The cleat sits fairly proud of the
outsole allowed a little play when using Shimano trail pedals, as the platform
isn't held flush against the outsole. With Crank Bros Mallet pedals with no
cleat-spacer, engagement was trouble free and play was minimal.
After initial fit issues, the M5 Boas proved to
be breathable, comfortable and efficient shoes for all-round riding.
PRICE 225$
