Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe review

The Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe marks the Three Stripes’ first foray into the off-road drop-bar market. Thankfully, what it lacks in an imaginative name, it compensates for in aesthetics and comfort.

The shoe has a sporty mid-top silhouette with an elasticated ankle gaiter to keep trail debris sealed out. It also features a surprisingly robust knobbly lugged sole for tackling the odd hike-a-bike section.

Adidas’ designers have forgone fancy Boa dials in favour of good old-fashioned laces, and the reinforced ripstop upper stands up well to the sort of abuse that comes with gravel.

Unfortunately, that durability comes at the expense of breathability, which means cyclists prone to sweaty feet may want to look elsewhere.

Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe specifications and details

The Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe uses reinforced ripstop fabric paired with a stretchy internal sock that extends up and over the ankle.

There’s a stiff heel cup for support and stability, and a squishy strip of gel cushioning to prevent any potential heel lift when pedalling or walking. An additional strip of fuzzy fabric to the outside of the toe offers another barrier against inevitable scuffs and scrapes.

Adjustment comes courtesy of a simple lacing system, which includes a band of elastic to the tongue for keeping the tied laces out of the way of moving parts. There are also pull tabs with reflective detailing to the front and rear of the ankle opening.

Adidas is vague about the sole material, referring to it only as ‘synthetic with TPU walking pods’. Whatever it is, it’s more than stiff enough for recreational gravel riding and bikepacking, and features a slight curve to make walking more comfortable.

The so-called ‘walking pods’ are actually knobbly studded panels on the forefoot and heel of the outsole. Adidas says they’re there to make walking easier when off the bike.

Visually, this is a pretty striking shoe. The pair I tested came in a jazzy coral and lilac colourway that divided opinion among my riding buddies. Their comments ranged from ‘cool’ and ‘quite nice actually’ at best to ‘loud’ and ‘obnoxious’ at worst.

If you want a quieter look, there are also black and white or ‘silver pebble’ (a kind of muted green) colourways, among a few other loud options.

The overall shape and styling of the shoe is very much in keeping with the rest of Adidas’ new cycling footwear range. That is to say it looks more like something you’d expect to find on a five-a-side football pitch than sitting on a shelf at your local bike shop.

Adidas doesn’t specify the weight of the Gravel Cycling Shoe, but my size-42.5 test shoes weighed in at 385g each, including Shimano SPD cleats.

Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe performance

I tested the Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe in a variety of conditions, on rides ranging from quick lunch-break leg stretchers to all-day Dirty Reiver training rides in Kielder Forest. Overall, I was pleased with how it held up, but it wasn’t without its faults.

First and foremost, these are very comfortable gravel bike shoes – among the most comfortable I’ve worn. The sock liner hugs the foot and ankle nicely, and I experienced no noticeable heel lift, rubbing or hotspots.

That said, I’m usually between a UK 8 and a UK 8.5, and my size-8.5 test pair fit pretty snugly. I’d recommend going up a half size unless you like your shoes tight.

The traditional lacing system may not offer the same ease of use and micro-adjustability as a Boa dial, but I was surprised by how infrequently I had to re-tighten it. Even on long rides in excess of four hours, it stayed firm and tight throughout.

One grievance I have with the lacing system is the position of the elastic strap to secure the laces. It could do with being a centimetre or so further up. Those with broad feet may struggle to make the tied laces reach it, in which case they’ll have to be stuffed in between the sock liner and the upper to prevent them from flapping around.

Alternatively, you could replace the laces with longer ones, if required, though it may be tricky to find a precisely matching colour in this instance.

While we don’t know exactly what the sole is made from, we do know (just from looking at it) that it’s not carbon. With that said, it’s still pretty stiff. There’s a small amount of flex, but just enough to aid walking without noticeably impacting power transfer.

I have to admit I was dubious when I first saw the TPU ‘pods’ on the outsole; they don’t look particularly durable. However, looks can be deceiving, and they’ve performed well and resisted wear impressively.

I usually reach for either the Quoc Gran Tourer II or Fizik Terra X5 when heading out on gravel bikes, both of which I consider to have fairly aggressive tread patterns. I would put the Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe on a par with them in terms of grip.

Unfortunately, they’re not replaceable, so once they do eventually give up the ghost, it’s game over for these shoes.

The reinforced ripstop upper is very durable, too. It shrugs off scuffs and scrapes without fuss and can be wiped clean easily.

Sadly, the same can’t be said of the fuzzy reinforced panel to the front, which was filthy within 10 minutes of pulling the shoes on for the first time. I haven’t been able to get it clean since. However, I can see this being less of an issue with a darker colourway.

As great as the reinforced ripstop upper is in terms of durability and water resistance, it’s also the shoe’s biggest drawback. This material is far from breathable, which combined with a lack of ventilation means things can get sweaty on hot days.

Granted, this isn’t much of an issue in the autumn and winter, but then there’s another problem: rain. The shoe is water resistant, but once water does get in, it's there to stay until you tip it out. For this reason, I’d recommend this shoe mainly for cool, dry conditions.

Adidas Gravel Cycling Shoe bottom line

The Adidas Gravel Cycling shoe is an extremely comfortable and colourful option for those who value stylish, streamlined looks. It’s a quirky alternative to the usual gravel-shoe suspects and it performs well too.

That said, there are better options out there when it comes to breathability and ventilation.

It wouldn’t be my first pick for rainy rides either, because the lack of drainage means it tends to hold water.