Flat Shoe review!

Shimano GR9, GR7, and new GR5

I’m really passionate about the Shimano GR line of shoes because I feel like this is the first time someone has really nailed this category, and I’m glad it was us. I’ve been on flat shoes since before New World Disorder came out on VHS. I never even gave SPD a chance except on the road bike. But for a while my frustration with flat shoes drove me to the point of considering making the change to SPD. I loved the sticky rubber offered by a single company, I did not love warrantying my shoes 2-3 times a summer. I expect to wear out soft rubber soles in a season, but I was having a multitude of issues with sticky shoes falling apart. For years the choice I and everyone else had to make was between having adequate grip and having a well made shoe with support and protection.

Imagine my interest when we were shown the new GR7 and GR9 at my first Shimano sales meeting. Jesse runs Shimano Footwear in North America, and he had prototype shoes with beefy toe protection, a 3/4 length plastic shank, lighter build for quicker drying, and fancy tread pattern. When he got to rubber, he got really excited and made some pretty bold claims. So, at the end of the meeting I asked if could try a pair out ahead of the launch, and he sent out some GR9s to try. I was a bit skeptical of the rubber, since many brands have made these claims in the past, but really hopeful since this was a product I really wanted to see work.

 I have never owned a better flat shoe, and I don’t think anyone else has either. The new Michelin rubber is as grippy as the stickiest shoes on the market, and the tread pattern keeps that level of performance throughout the life of the shoe. Many companies use a paperboard to provide support under the sole, our plastic board provides more support and a longer life. Toe protection, ankle protection, and the even the flap are all well executed. If you don’t like the flap, we have the GR7 which features laces and also receives the neoprene gasket to keep trail debris out. I used the GR7 for the last month or so waiting for new pair of GR9 to ship, and it provides the same level of support, grip, and protection, with a few differences that I’d say are more preferences than major performance changes. I was originally hoping to get the GR7 since it was a traditional lace up, but I’m a flap man now and have fully embraced it.

I did a local event that was 53 miles and over 10k of climbing in these, and they’re the same shoes I use on the lifts at Silver and for most every trail ride. I put around 1,400 miles on these shoes since I got them and have finally decided to replace them after 14 months of adventure and abuse. The longest I’ve gotten out of a pair of flat shoes in the last ten years had been six months and they were no longer useable. The shoes I’m replacing now are pristine compared to some that I’ve replaced after eight weeks in the bike park. I had a chance to try out the newly launched 2021 GR5 and I will say that the rubber on those is excellent as well. It’s a new Shimano brand rubber, and it’s on point. The GR5 doesn’t have the same level of protection or the stiff shank but they’re grippy, look great, and come in at $110 MSRP.

Shimano has ruled the roost with SPD shoes for a long time but moving forward I believe that Shimano will one of two names that come to mind when the customer asks about flat shoes. The first question about flat shoes is usually about grip, and for the first time I think a shoe checks that box along with fit, quality, durability, protection, and support.