The new Kestrel is an All Mountain clipless shoe has been designed for efficient power transfer, so the sole is much stiffer than it's other biking brethren. It has a low-profile design and uses the Boa reel closure system for maximum fit and tunability. It comes in the Team Black color, full and half sizes from 2-15 (15 only full) and retails for $180.
It uses their uber sticky Stealth Mi6 rubber on the outsole except for a section of C4 rubber that surrounds the pedal interface. By using this dual compound design, they have sticky and soft Mi6 rubber on most of the shoe for grip and a durable and stiffer C4 rubber around the pedal area for improved power transfer and wear resistance. I am looking forward to trying out the Kestrel since the dual compound sounds an extremely functional design, and additional stiffness should help out with pedaling. When I started to rock climb, the C4 rubber was the stickiest stuff on the market, and now it's being marketed as a harder compound. In addition, I am a big fan of the Boa closure system since it helps the shoe conform to your foot contours for better fit and increased comfort.
Over in the flat shoe world, the new Freeride Contact is an updated version of the Freerider VXi and features their sticky Stealth Mi6 rubber, a stiffer midsole and additional toe protection. They use the new Contact Outsole, which was designed specifically for flat-pedal riders. The synthetic uppers, rugged toe box and Contact outsole should make for a durable and tough and functional shoe.
They new Freerider Canvas is a more casual shoe, and the two-tone shoe utilizes a non-marring Phantom rubber outsole. Although it's a lifestyle shoe, you can use it for most anything, biking, commuting, etc. The canvas upper is comfortable and breathable, and it has a supportive midsole and sticky Stealth.
They have added a women's specific shoe to their Freerider lineup. It comes in a Black and Berry color scheme and retails for $100. The Freerider is an all-purpose shoe that can be used for just about anything, riding a bike, strolling to the mall or just hanging out.
RSS Feed brought to you by Grams Light Bikes