rapha grand tour shoes

ianbar
ianbar Posts: 1,354
edited October 2013 in Road buying advice
very tempted to buy some as they have a budge with shoe trees and over shoes..yes £315! now as i even write this i am pretty much talking myself out of it, however. is it worth spending anywhere near that on shoes never mind these particular ones!?
enigma esprit
cannondale caad8 tiagra 2012

Comments

  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    No.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • mattythemod
    mattythemod Posts: 289
    Aint they just rebadged Fiziks ?
  • calmx5
    calmx5 Posts: 230
    No, rebadged Giro's - speaking to those who have owned them, they're very durable and comfortable - but again, you must compare with similar priced shoes.
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    Fancy shoes prob. v.nice but for that money I'd want ones that can be moulded to ensure a good fit (Lake/Shimano/Bont spring to mind)
    M.Rushton
  • DHTT
    DHTT Posts: 345
    If you like Giro, the top end ones Giro Prolight SLX at Evans are 125, or factors which those look closest too are at 112. :D
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  • northpole
    northpole Posts: 1,499
    Must confess, I think Rapha are taking a liberty charging that price for their Grand Tour shoes. I'm not a fan of the styling, so probably biased against irrespective of price. I think Rapha make some great clothing, particularly jerseys and jackets (of which I have plenty) however, rebranded shoes and coffee machines just don't do it for me.

    Back closer to topic, I have found Sidi Genius 6.6 to be the most comfortable cycling shoes I've come across.

    Peter
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    Seriously, how can anyone take anything Rapha sell seriously ?
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    Just rebranded Giros. Why not get some Fiziks or Sidis for less than that?
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  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    Agree with everyone else on this. There's no way that the Rapha's are going to be better than the top end offerings from Sidi, Giro, Northwave etc. I have the top end NW's and they cost me £145 and even knowing how good they are I really couldn't justify buying them at their £275 SRP (especially knowing the iRide trade price is £140). I certainly don't believe the Rapha's would be over twice as good!

    If you just want them for the look's then that's a different matter altogether and it's just a case of asking if you can afford to buy something you really like the look of. Specialized '74 shoes are another pair of shoes that opt soft leather and quirky/retro styling, though they are much cheaper than the Rapha's.

    (and no I'm not a forum Rapha hater, I just think that they take the pi55 on how they price and market some of their kit)
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,803
    Top end Sidis are over 300 quid rrp, top end Giros are 300 rrp, top end fiziks are about 300 quid too...so what's the problem with Rapha charging that much? The problem is that too many folk have massive snobby chips on their shoulders.
  • jordan_217
    jordan_217 Posts: 2,580
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    Top end Sidis are over 300 quid rrp, top end Giros are 300 rrp, top end fiziks are about 300 quid too...so what's the problem with Rapha charging that much? The problem is that too many folk have massive snobby chips on their shoulders.

    Actually, you raise a valid point here. I agree with what you're saying. I suppose the biggest difference is that Wiggle, CRC and Co. can churn out the competition with major discounts, making them more affordable and subsequently seeming better value for money.

    Caveat: The Rapha's would still need to be as good as, or better than the top end offerings of other brands to be afforded that price though, but that's the same of any brand. Are they actually better than the Giro's they're based on???
    “Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.”
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    They have just been on sale for ages at £275. They fit is similar to Giros and use the same sole but that is where the similarity ends (Ive had both). The biggest issue for me is that they dont have replaceable heels which for a shoe at that price is ludicrous. If having real leather is important then they are nice shoes.
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  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Rapha havent much history in cycling shoes. I'd stick to the people who have been doing it for years.
    And if they're paying one of those to do the shoe for them - then why pay their margin on top ?

    I'd not pay £300 for shoes anyway - no matter what the brand.
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    goonz wrote:
    Just rebranded Giros. Why not get some Fiziks or Sidis for less than that?

    Because they may not fit.

    I've got Giro Factors and Trans and they fit like a glove. Fiziks and Sidis are a very different fit and are very uncomfortably on me.
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  • ianbar
    ianbar Posts: 1,354
    well i have calmed down and not at all considering them, i don't actually NEED any new shoes anyway, i have mavic pro road currently which are fine...no harm in looking. i will amuse myself with the new overshoes i have bought(sealskins) and tri bars ...which apart from anything else now the iPad sits perfectly for turbo sessions....added bonus!
    enigma esprit
    cannondale caad8 tiagra 2012
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    Don't see any compelling reason to buy the Raphas.

    S Works, Lake 331 or above and Bonts Vaypor+ or Zeros.

    All very light, very stiff, very comfy. All more than £200.

    I bought them all, and just slightly preferred the S Works, (strangely the only one of the 4 that's NOT heat mouldable) which is what I'm keeping, the rest are for sale (41).
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I was gonna say - are you a centipede or something !

    The good thing about bike shoes is that they do last.
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    On one hand, if you want something b/c you like the looks then go for it. Like most cyclists, I totally cheap out in certain areas (e.g I buy cheap jerseys, bulk Decathlon inner tubes, and cheap bar tape) but splash out on the areas I want to (wheels, tyres, saddles). If someone wants expenive shoes then so be it. Sidi Wires at full retail are north of £300 so not much different.

    Ian - I'm glad you mentioned your shoes are Mavic b/c that changes a lot. Mavics are a narrow shoe with low fore-foot volume, so if you're happy with the fit you're on shaky ground moving to a new company without really tring them out.

    I get along with Mavic, Sidi and Giro, but not Speshalized - they're too roomy in the forefoot. Standard Bonts are also too wide but the narrow Bonts are like gloves. If you're buying the Raphas mail order, you might have to send back a few pairs before you find ones that fit or you might have to buy large insoles to eat up some of the extra room.

    e.g. I needed to buy the green Spesh BG insoles and use a lot of the wedges to reduce the volume of my old S-Works road shoes. Finally worked but needed some solid experimentation.
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    My last shoes were Giro Facors. My current ones are Pro Lights. I bought them because they're the only brand that fits me properly and I've been really impressed with the quality of the shoes. That said, I bought the Pro Lights at £150 (£100 off)...

    The Grand Tour shoes are modelled on the Pro Light but with a rather nice kangaroo leather upper. No idea if that makes them better or worse than the Pro Light but it does add £50 (although you do get the slightly bizzare shoe tree thrown in).

    Personally, like a lot of Rapha gear. I like it but I'm not willing to part with the cash to buy it.
  • ianbar
    ianbar Posts: 1,354
    Ian - I'm glad you mentioned your shoes are Mavic b/c that changes a lot. Mavics are a narrow shoe with low fore-foot volume, so if you're happy with the fit you're on shaky ground moving to a new company without really tring them out.

    funny enough i bought them online and had to send first pair back as they were too tight at the front. my feet are not massively wide but not narrow and really narrow shoes won't work for me. i would probably like to try lots of other styles before buying this time.

    as for where to spend, i totally understand spending less where you can, what i tend to be doing instead is trying to buy quality and not need to replace..hopfully and resisting temptation etc.
    enigma esprit
    cannondale caad8 tiagra 2012
  • FransJacques
    FransJacques Posts: 2,148
    Even my dad, a devout religious man, gave me some surprisingly liberal advice if you take it to mean something else. He said: "son, you need to try on several pairs of shoes before you find the ones that fit"

    Assuming he WAS talking about shoes and not something else, Evans is a great place to try them. Just surf their site, order several pairs into a store and send back what doesn't fit. You can even take them home for a few weeks and wear them around (on carpet is best).

    Giros are great b/c Evans do half sizes, I ordered a 44, 43.5 and 43 and kept the 43.5 - brilliant! http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gir ... 183#select They're MTB shoes but basically the same as the Factor: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gir ... s-ec039194
    When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.

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