Fizik Gravita Tensor Clipless Shoes

Have you ever put on a climbing shoe? Uncomfortable is a tremendous understatement. Yeah yeah, my arches are weak, toenails are likely a touch too long, and I know the damn things aren't for walking around. They truly suck. I'm not going to pretend I'm hard enough in a mountain culture sense to subject myself to sadistic foot abuse - F that! Leave it to Honnold, et al. Who gives a flip about climbing anyway? Well, some of you likely do. Anyway, we're talking mountain biking, right? Those climbing turds likely ride fully rigid fixies down janky crap without wincing, so I'll take the proverbial couch of a fully suspended bike and wear some damn slippers on my feet. Yeah, slippers.

Fizik sent me a pair of their Gravita Tensor clipless kicks, intended for enduro/downhill/freeriding, a few months ago. They look like climbing shoes, particularly with the laterally asymmetric tongue/lace configuration, and ripstop nylon uppers. I don't mind the slightly techy aesthetic (particularly in black, compared to Fizik's other Euro-colourways). When I slid my old dawgs into these shoes, holy shit they certainly did NOT feel anything like climbing shoes. They didn't even feel like riding shoes. They felt like an outdoor, snug version of my roaching-at-home shearling slippers. While they are very comfy, are they good for riding?

The Tech

The Gravita Tensor does away with ubiquitous shoe construction - AKA a central tongue shrouded in laces/fasteners cinching into the lowers. Instead, a thin perforated neoprene-like sleeve covered in ripstop nylon envelops your whole instep and ankle, extending upward as a gaiter, with a thicker pad sewn inbound for medial ankle protection. Heel hold can be micro-adjusted via the velcro power-strap which sits above the laterally offset lace bed, and keeps laces out of the way. The comfy sock-style uppers bond to a more durable panel beginning at the forefoot, working its way aft to form the heel cup. The toebox is generously clad in a thick textile to keep you safe from literally kicking rocks.

The sole is made of relatively sticky Vibram XS TREK EVO rubber, with a low-profile dotted tread pattern with slightly deeper treads at the toe and heel. The sole tapers toward the cleat pocket shank ensuring snag-free pedal engagement. The cleat pocket allows a reasonable amount of fore/aft adjustment, though it doesn't compete with the furthest rearward position offered by the Fox Union or Leatt shoes.

The Ride

I have a medium width forefoot with a relatively low instep, and my feet don't fuss too much in a comfort sense - I rarely encounter blisters or hot spots. I've worn Five Tens, Fox Unions, Giros, Crank Bros, the whole first-gen Leatt range of shoes, Shimano shoes, etc. The feel of the Gravita Tensors is like wearing a stretchy slipper, and is the most comfortable riding shoe I've tried, by a long shot. Interior padding is minimal, and feels warm without being uncomfortable on the hottest of days - a tradeoff for their supreme fit. On wet rides, there's not much water ingress nor the dreaded heavy-foot sensation of a waterlogged shoe.

My forefoot felt well supported, with plenty of toe protection. The heel cup is slightly shallower than my gold-standard Fox Union Lace. I never encountered any heel lift, likely due to the uniformly tensioned laces and micro-adjustment of the power strap. The 11 US/44.5 EU sizing is bang-on to my size 11 US sized foot. I never felt the need to size up or down.

I would rate the sole stiffness at a 7/10, which is slightly softer than I'd prefer. These definitely aren't XC-shoe stiff, intended for maximum power transfer, though long riding days spent pedaling or riding chairlifts didn't cause any foot fatigue from a softer feel. I've spent plenty of time bushwhacking with the Gravita Tensors, and I appreciate some shank flex in this regard.

Mounting cleats onto the Gravita Tensors was simple as...any other cleat installation. While the cleat pocket doesn't extend rearward as much as other shoes I've tried, settling on the furthest aft cleat position felt natural.

Clipping in and out of my Hope Union TC pedals is intuitive, without hang-ups. The cleat pocket itself is just deep enough to interface with the pins of the outer cage, referenced by some wear marks on the surrounding Vibram rubber sole edges.

Final Thoughts

Over four months of literally riding my ass off, the Gravita Tensor has cemented itself as the most comfortable riding shoe I've tried to date for hike-a-bike missions, big climbs, shuttling or bike-park days. They feel protective enough for my own riding, breathe reasonably well and aren't a sweaty foot-fortress.

During a ride a three months into the test period, I felt a "click" accompanied by a slight increase in flex on my forward foot. The shank had fractured laterally, where the cleat pocket mates to the rubber outer sole. While I have kept riding with the broken shoe, the flex reduction is slightly noticeable, but not to the point that I need to retire them. Fizik has been alerted of this issue, and are dispatching a new pair of Gravita Tensors to my door. I'll report back over the next few months if I encounter this problem again.

Fizik Gravita Tensor 234 CAD // 189.99 USD