Scott Sport Crus-r BOA shoes review

The Crus-r is one of Scott's entry-level trail shoes, priced at less than £100 in the UK.

With a trainer-like construction using plenty of lightweight mesh fabrics, it may prove a suitable option for plenty of on- and off-bike adventures.

Scott Sport Crus-r BOA specifications and details

Scott uses its Sticki rubber for the sole, which features chevron-shaped tread blocks that are reasonably deep. This is designed to give good performance on and off the bike.

At 33mm long, the cleat channel sits in the middle of what we commonly see on trail shoes, and the channel itself is positioned moderately far back in the shoe – not the most aggressive, but also not too far forward to compromise cleat position on descents.

The cleat bed itself is average in width, so there's room to position cleats towards the bed's edge without totally compromising mud clearance.

The insole has a stiffness rating of 6 on Scott's scale – this puts it in the middle of the theoretical range, though it's unlikely that many shoes would have a lower rating than this, and in terms of our trail-shoe testing, it has one of the flexiest toe sections around.

Scott has designed the shoe for comfort, though, accounting for this flex.

This focus on comfort continues internally. The Sport Fit concept gives the shoes a higher internal volume and more relaxed fit, while the ErgoLogic insoles are designed to boost comfort and aid power transfer.

The upper is a largely mesh affair, with ample padding around the ankle and rear of the foot.

The tongue is well-padded, and has a basic guide for the top rung of Boa wire.

The Boa dial is located on the side of the shoe, and the wires extend all the way to just above the toes.

There are moderate levels of toe and heel protection, but I'd like to see the toe protection reach further down our feet to fully protect the little toe.

Scott Sport Crus-r BOA performance

The trainer-like construction impacts on the shoe's performance when riding more technical trails.

This is because the upper's flexible construction gives a vague feeling when using your feet to help control the bike, and adds unwanted foot movement when the bike rattles through rocks or hits awkward landings.

On the flip-side, they're comfortable, thanks to the forgiving upper, generous internal sizing and relatively flexible sole.

They feel like a 'normal' pair of shoes, rather than a specialist cycling shoe, which may appeal to some riders.

I also like the insole. It has a metatarsal button, which helps spread your toes and prevents tiring toe scrunching.

It also has reasonable arch support and a bathtub-style rear half, which helps keep the foot centred. For a shoe of this price, it's an impressive insole.

The mesh-heavy upper, backed up with perforations at the top of the toe box, provides ample ventilation, though water ingress is fast on splashy rides.

The Crus-r is offered with a cheaper lace closure, but I tested the Boa version. I found myself tightening the Boa as tight as I could to get the shoe feeling as stable as I wanted.

The wires extend fairly far down the shoe, but only cross twice on their way to the dial.

While the tongue is comfortable, a Velcro strap would improve how secure the shoes feel and would improve heel hold too, which wasn't the best.

The foam used in construction doesn't soak up huge amounts of water, but other than the insole, they take a long time to dry out.

With a rating of 6, this isn't a particularly stiff shoe and I'd recommend using it with a platform pedal, such as a Crankbrothers Mallet or Shimano Trail.

This helps support the more flexible shoe and prevents hotspots from forming on the sole of your foot, where the metal cleat adds undue pressure.

I had no issues clipping into pedals with these shoes, and found the cleat channel well-placed and shaped.

Walking in these shoes is good too. The sole's flexibility gives them a natural feel and the chevroned tread grips well on most surfaces.

Scott Sport Crus-r BOA bottom line

The mesh upper is generous in sizing and comfort, but compromises the shoe's potential for more aggressive riders looking for a cheap, performance shoe.

As such, these are better suited to more leisure-focused riders looking for a pair of cycling shoes that feel like normal trainers off the bike, but add some performance gains.