Shoes for gravity-fed biking: Fizik Gravita Tensor MTB Shoes review

Once the preserve of road cyclists and maybe the most committed cross-country racers, clipless pedals and shoes like the Fizik Gravita Tensor have found their way into the more gravity-powered disciplines of enduro and downhill mountain biking.

Efficient power transfer is a bonus, with the main advantage coming from the ability to charge through rough rock or root sections without worrying about slipping a pedal like you would with a traditional set of flats. But agility and a racy weight must be balanced against the additional protection this sport demands.

Verdict: Quite a specific use case means we rate these marginally behind the sublime Crankbrothers Mallet MTB shoes, which represent a better all-rounder option. That said, if you’re regularly between the tapes of a gravity-fed race, these Fizik Gravita Tensor shoes will stand head and shoulders above thanks to their clever use of protection where it’s needed and lighter materials where it’s not.

Leather motorcycle race suits have evolved in many clever ways in the last decade or so (bear with me), but most notably in the way they use armour and abrasion resistant hide in the areas that find themselves sliding against the track, and stretcher fabrics where they don’t. This means what was once a heavy and stiff garment can be made lighter and more comfortable.

These Fizik Gravita Tensor shoes seem to have followed a similar principle – where MTB footwear is often padded all over, they pack stiff protection in the toe and heel sections, and lighter fabric elsewhere. I’ve had a fairly substantial collision with a stump mid-trail (hard enough to unclip my foot from the pedal) and barely felt a thing in my toes, which is impressive.

The lighter fabric upper means they are infinitely more breathable, and although less impervious to wet weather, much faster drying at the other end. The main advantage though is how light and flexible the uppers feel compared to bulkier rivals, and the attractively slim profile.

Things stiffen up in the sole department as you’d expect to enable a positive transfer of pedal power, but there’s enough shock absorption to prevent my feet from becoming sore after a long day hammering through rock gardens, and flexibility to walk off the bike too. It’s a great balance, much like the Fizik Terra Artica boots I’ve also reviewed.

They feature a huge cleat track with plenty of adjustability and although the asymmetric styling looks a little odd when they’re off your feet, I really value the extra protective material coverage on the inside of my ankles.

What’s okay?

I’m not a big fan of the lace and Velcro closure (partly because I’ve been spoiled by the Crankbrothers Speedlace system) because the laces are quite stiff and the Velcro tends to flap around and get in the way. That said, when they’re done up, they do feel super secure on my feet.

The sole is also make of a very sticky rubber and while this does enable an extra level of assurance, at first it made it quite tricky to clip in and out. I’ve wound the pins in my Crankbrothers Mallet DH Pedals in almost all the way and now they’re fine, but the set up wasn’t quite as intuitive as using the same pedals with the matching Mallet shoes.

But that’s understandable, and once dialled-in the Fizik Gravita Tensor shoes work perfectly.

Any negatives?

As I said before in the Crankbrothers Mallet MTB shoes review, these Fizik Gravita Tensor shoes aren’t waterproof, and that means I wouldn’t wear them all year round. That in combination with the slightly more sensitive fit, which I can’t comfortably get waterproof socks under, means they are strictly a dry-weather item.

Saving them for race or pure DH-use would further narrow the window of opportunity to wear these, which would be a shame, because I really like them. As it stands they are now my race or uplift-day shoe of choice, and I’ll be ordering another pair when these finally give up.

More items to consider

How the product was tested

I tested these shoes on a Santa Cruz 5010 trail bike and Cannondale Jekyll Enduro, with Crankbrothers Mallet DH pedals and cleats. This included some local trails as well as a couple of uplift days at Bike Park Wales. Testing was conducted in spring and summer, which sounds like a limited range, but somehow managed to include everything from a heatwave to ankle deep rain.

Adam Binnie is a reviewer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in bikes, fitness, cars, parenting and cooking.

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