I have tested (and destroyed) so many shoes in the past 3 years. It’s pretty absurd, but it also speaks volumes to what us bikepackers go though. We are certainly harder on shoes than the folks enduring 2-3 hour rides a few times a week. We not only pedal all day in our shoes, but we hike in them, eat delicious meals in them, live in them at camp, and sometimes even sleep in them. So it goes without saying, having a shoe that is comfortable and durable is a priority.

I have been doing just that with the Giro Terraduro for the past 6 months, and I don’t hesitate to say that I have been extremely happy with the overall performance and durability of the shoes. First off, I think it’s’ important to mention that this shoe did not get a lot of great press the past few years as they had delamination issues. Go ahead and look at the comments in our First Look Article and you will see that many of people had high hopes but issues stood in the way.
Giro Terraduro Review
The beginning of my relationship with the Terraduro’s. Hiding under a tree to escape the heat on the Lockhart Basin Loop.

Rider Stats
Size: 46.5 (typically wear a 45.5 or 46)
Foot Type: Wide and irregular
Riding Type: Singletrack and dirt roads
Months In Shoes: 6 (March – August)
Milage On Shoes: 2,340.6


The Good
Let’s start with the good. Did the shoe delaminate from the sole? Nope, not even a little bit. I was waiting for it to happen, especially since these shoes have been saturated to the bone for roughly 25 percent of their use. The soles have remained intact and show no sign of future delamination, especially around the toe area. I think it goes without saying, but I appreciate Giro fixing the problem instead of just throwing in the towel with the style.
From the toe to heel, there are no signs of delamination.

I was not too sure this would be a great hiking tread pattern when I originally received the shoe, but my first hike-a-bike experience proved otherwise. Giro markets this shoe as hike-a-bike (HAB) friendly, and after testing the lugged Vibram sole and rather forgiving rubber that helps mold to the rock, it is indeed a worthy HAB shoe. I think it is a rather stiff shoe still, something I like in a shoe for power transfer, but I never felt like it was too stiff to hike in. At the very least I would find my heel raise a bit on some super steep sections, but the shoe rarely went out from me. While the sole really adds to the weight of the shoe, I think that is a penalty worthy of a long lasting sole and shoe in general.
The heel cup is solid, even with a tiny bit of movement from HAB. Another reason the heel cup is in tack is from the ease of foot exit and entry.

I tested the Terraduros out with an SPD clipless system. I slammed my cleat all the way back and even put a wedge in there. The molded shank really hides the cleat which is especially nice when you are walking with your bike. for reference, I slam my cleat back to reduce the movement in my achilles, I have found that I retain the same amount of power without too much achilles movement, a win-win in my eyes.


Backing up a bit, this shoe was a surprisingly comfortable fit from the get go. Unlike some other shoes I have had to break in, the Terraduro instantly fit my foot which is rather odd, considering my awkward shaped wide feet and bunions. I did consider the high volume (HV) version of this shoe, but decided against it and I was happy I did. These fit just right.

Finally, one of the best features of this shoe is the breathability. But let’s not confuse breathability with a shoe that smells better. These shoes stink from being wet so many times. The upper part of the shoe has just the right amount of padding, and the outer just enough drain holes to let air and water escape. 
I tried to capture the water squeezing through the holes in the upper part of the shoe. look at the bottom left of this photo.

The Bad
It’s hard to actually put together a list of bad features on this product, but there are a few items worth mentioning. First off, the tongue of the shoe does move around, especially with my Swiftwick socks. This occurs predominantly after going through a stream or dealing with significant rainfall. This led to the tongue moving to the side which resulted in pinching the front part of my foot near my ankle, nothing too painful, just something that was annoying from time to time. Once the shoe drys and it is snugged to the foot, this is a non issue.
the tongue of the Terraduro is thin, but does come with some padding where necessary.

Keeping cost down is important. That’s why most shoes come with rather cheap footbeds. For some it does not matter, but for someone with chronic feet issues, this is always an upgrade I make. Instead of using aftermarket footbeds, I went over to my friends at Absolute Bikes in Salida, and got some custom foot beds made. What a difference maker.



The Overall
The shoe has gone through the warm desert spring, the wet Scottish Highlands, a rather wet monsoon season in the Colorado Rockies, and now a dry period. It has seen plenty of HAB, and has stood the test of time with only some cosmetic damages and normal tread wear to show for it. The Velcro has held up, and same with the extremely user-friendly ratchet system. The tread pattern is a little unconventional for a hike-a-bike shoe, but it works, and has helped me hike my bike for miles upon miles. The tongue of the shoe is nothing to write home about, but that’s one weakness in a shoe full of positives. Yes, let’s hope this is the end of the ‘D’ word for Giro, I would hope and think 2000+ miles would vouch for the Terraduro’s durability.

The Giro Terraduro will continue to be my go-to shoes for the remainder of the season, and I will update this article for better or worse. 

Weight: 1240 grams – After they dried and with aftermarket footbeds.
Color: Blue Jewel / Black – Pretty sexy in my opinion.
Price: $180
More: http://www.giro.com/us_en/terraduro-36.html

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