Giro Cadet Road Cycling Shoes review

The Giro Cadets are higher-tier road shoes that come with the option of SPD two-bolt cleat compatibility.

The carbon-reinforced sole feels stiffer when you’re wearing them, but this can transmit hard knocks through to your feet.

Meanwhile, the Synchwire upper is very neat and the Boa dial offers precise adjustment compared to dials on some competitors' shoes.

However, you’ll need to check sizing and whether the insole offers the support you need.

Giro Cadet Road Cycling Shoes Spec and details

Giro aims the Cadet at “riders looking for inspired performance”. It has the looks and feel – notably a sole with a carbon-reinforced plate – of a shoe that's ready for racing and hard riding.

The 526g weight is satisfactory, especially when you consider the extra metal necessitated by the SPD plate, though as usual I’m convinced this is virtually impossible to determine when you’re riding.

You can feel the extra stiffness of the carbon sole, though our experience suggests this doesn’t necessarily translate into greater pedalling efficiency.

The Boa differs from the Atop system in that you need to pull up the dial, which gives a nice, positive click before loosening. It tightens in 1mm increments.

Giro Cadet Road Cycling Shoes performance

The Cadet’s upper is a neat-looking affair, especially in my test shoes' ‘Harbour Blu Ano’ colour, which has a petrol-like sheen to it.

The toe section is bonded to the rest of the upper with a virtually invisible join.

The upper and tongue are extensively perforated for ventilation – laser-cut and all very tidy – but the sole is a vent-free zone, which is pretty unusual these days.

This didn’t cause any overheating during rides in moderate autumnal weather, which didn’t get beyond 20°C, but might be an issue on hot days. The flipside of that, of course, is no cold air being channelled in during winter.

The Cadet has a stiffer sole than you’ll find on most entry-level road shoes, and it's thinner and less shaped than some of the best road cycling shoes.

This means more road bumps are transmitted to your feet, which is a shame considering how comfortable the upper is.

The Cadets are also one of the few pairs of shoes I’ve tested where I feel I’d benefit by going up a size.

The shoes don't look notably short, but the shorter, narrower insole points to their slightly more compact proportions, and this is something I could feel.

It was okay with thinner socks, but wearing thicker winter cycling socks, it would be a squeeze and potentially restrict all-important circulation.

More positively, the sole is marked very clearly for positioning your cleat. A decently deep heel bumper helps when you’re off the bike and there’s a good-size reflective heel patch.

I believe you can never be too well illuminated when cycling at night, and with your feet continually moving, shoes are a great location for extra reflectives.

Giro Cadet Road Cycling Shoes bottom line

The Giro Cadets have good looks and a stiffer sole than most road cycling shoes at this price. The micro-adjust Boa setup helps you dial in a secure fit too.

However, they're a little more expensive than most. I’d go up a size for a better fit and I’d prefer a more supportive insole for greater long-distance comfort.