Judging anything 'gravel' nowadays is becoming increasingly difficult as the gravel genre itself diversifies and branches off like icebergs off a glacier. You've got racing through to pseudo-MTB, and so judging a single pair of shoes the best overall for such a wide range of uses is nearly impossible.
Nearly impossible, but it is still my job to try and decipher the good from the average in an increasingly saturated market space. I've been using a slew of gravel specific footwear over the last few months from a great number of brands in order to create my guide to the best gravel shoes, and while there are a great number of options on the list that are good, or even excellent options for a specific purpose, rider, or situation, there was one pair that stood out.
The Giro Privateer is a pair of shoes that, in my eyes, manages to tick all the boxes. It's not necessarily the top performer, but it is comfortable, easy to walk in, durable, and great value. More than any other pair of gravel shoes, it seems to me like a pair that could well be all things to if not all people, then most of them.
If you want to know a little more about the thought processes behind my decisions, I also put together a parallel guide to the six things I learned testing gravel bike shoes, which goes into things like fit, comfort, carbon soles, closure systems, and much more.
The winners
Best overall & Best value
Why are these the best overall, over such flash options as the S-Works Recon and the Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon? Simply put because they are the epitome of a perfect generalist.
With gravel riding bifurcating and nebulising into more and more niches, with equipment often following suit, this is a pair of shoes that can do most things with a good degree of aplomb, which is especially impressive considering they have an RRP substantially lower than many competitors.
In terms of performance they don't match the race options, but being realistic how many of us are actually racing gravel? No, didn't think so. What you lose in a bit of stiffness by ditching the carbon sole you gain in walkability, a real godsend for hike-a-bike sections or just at the café. Sure, they're not a race shoe, but I've used previous iterations of the Privateer for several 'cross seasons on the bounce and they've been absolutely fine.
Fit is an important factor too, and while Giro shoes aren't the widest even my troll feet can be accommodated without discomfort. Add into the mix a lace-up system that, while a little more fiddly, does allow you to get the perfect tension across the upper foot in a way no BOA dial can, and you've got a package that's coming together nicely. They're durable, too. I've never had a set of laces snap, but if they ever do they're a lot easier to replace than the internals of a dial.
So we've got a shoe that can cover most riding types, accommodate most feet in comfort, and is durable? Next up it's their weather resistance. No, I'm not going to claim these are anywhere near a patch on something like the Giro Blaze for use in the winter, but they are also noticeably cosier than thin-skinned race slippers or those shoes with woven meshy uppers. Yes, you get a little bit hotter on those truly scorching days, but add in a set of the best winter cycling socks to the mix and you can keep using them deep into the colder seasons.
All of this for an RRP of under £130, and regularly discounted to under £100. That's pretty compelling, which is why I rate them so highly. They're a shoe I'd be happy to buy and use myself, and the money I'd save over more premium gear can go towards something else.
Honourable mention
The new S-Works Recon from Specialized is an exceptional shoe. In actual fact I'm loath to label it as a gravel shoe at all, as in my eyes it's more of an all-road shoe. I'd happily use these and some XTR pedals on a road bike, in fact, I have done and they feel right at home. Clearly, these are designed as a gravel race shoe, and for that they are brilliant, but if you're like me and your gravel riding is often best described as "fast road riding plus a bit of being a silly goose in the woods on the way home" then they'll likely also be up your street.
My gravel bike is effectively a road bike with big tyres, the geometry is very snappy, and I like to ride it like a road bike too. With a set of these on my feet it feels closer to a road riding experience. The foot retention is brilliant, particularly at the heel with a ridge of hard foam at the upper of the ankle port to really hold things in place. The twin BOA dials mean you can crank things up for hard efforts and loosen them when you want, and blissfully the 4mm wider forefoot has made a world of difference over shoes like the (admittedly road-only) S-Works Ares.
The outer skin is low profile and stiff, adding to the locked-in feeling they offer, but perforated all over meaning they're excellent in the summer sun, especially in white. The main drawback for me is that the outsole is only really lugged now to allow what I'd like to call "café walking", rather than any hike-a-bike, but if you like to ride hard and fast and never put your feet down there really isn't anything that comes close to them... if you can afford them, that is.
