Italian shoemaker Gaerne has long been making their top G.Stilo road shoe Boa dials plus one velcro toe strap. And they’ve been raced to many a victory under some of Lotto Soudal’s riders like Andre Griepel, Tony Gallopin, Maxime Monfort, among others. But now a few seemingly minor tech updates to the shoe for 2017 have made big steps forward in both performance and fit. They’ve also even added a special ‘Summer’ version of the new shoes with even more openings for improved ventilation. Plus, Gaerne is now offering all of these top performance updates in the new G.Sincro+ mountain bike shoe at the same time for those ready to hit the trail…
G.Stilo+
At first glance it is probably the lack of the velcro strap across the forefoot that stands out most against the current road G.Stilo and mountain G.Sincro. Even though you can typically spot pros racing in the products that might turn up in the next season, we still saw Lotto Soudal racing in this older shoe and they only now were finalizing their fittings for next season. The new versions of the G.Stilo+ & G.Sincro+ drop that strap in what Gaerne is calling a Dual Fitting Closure System. While many other premium shoes had long ago dropped velcro altogether, Gaerne wasn’t satisfied with the unbalanced fit of using one dial pulling a single loop of wire, and a second pulling two loops. That layout on many shoes effectively gives more fine control at the mid foot, and less at the ankle.
Now by spacing out the pair of top-level micro-adjust BOA IP-1 dials so that each gets two complete loops, the new shoes get fine adjustment from ankle to toe with no pressure points. The design of the new dials also offers improved grip over the previous generation and now come with BOA’s lifetime-of-the-shoe functional guarantee.
Also giving the shoes a new look is the so-called Tarsal Support System which is highlighted by a plastic, structured vent in the side of the shoe below the upper dial. Besides adding some ventilation, this added element is said to provide an improved comfortable grip on the foot where it narrows, to make sure that your foot stays consistently positioned in the ideal spot inside the shoe for the most efficient pedal stroke possible. At the back, the shoe also gets a new injection molded, carbon-reinforced heel cup that is designed to retain its stiffness over the life of the shoe for the best fit and limited heel lift combined with a grippy inner material.
Underfoot the shoes get a new perforated anatomic insole that pairs tarsal support to work with the TSS for pedaling efficiency. Then outside, the G.Stilo+ gets an improved EPS Light Weight Full Carbon sole that is both thinner and lighter than its predecessor. The thin sole gets your foot closer to the pedal for less power loss, but still manages to include a pair of internal channels for through ventilation. Non-slip toe rubber helps walking off the bike, as does the replaceable rear tread block.
An updated four-bolt EPS Carbon Speedplay sole is also available for those looking for the lightest and most rigid pedal platform, with a wide range of fore-aft adjustment and official Speedplay certification (but no undersole venting.)
The new Carbon G.Stilo+ sells for 370€ with a claimed weight of 275g, and comes in four colors: fluo yellow, black, red & white (Speedplay, only in white.) It also is available in silver for the extra ventilated Summer edition.
G.Sincro+
On the mountain bike side the tech is exactly the same, with the addition of a small rubber bumper at the toe, lugged tread and toe spike threads for cross country trail use.
The G.Sincro+ gets the same laser drilled, perforated synthetic upper for all around breathability and reflective detailing, and in the silver-only Summer edition adds in large laser cut openings down the side of the shoe backed by a moisture wicking mesh for even better ventilation in the hottest of weather.
The G.Sincro+ uses the same two dial, four-loop Dual FCS, TSS, updated heel cup, and improved insole. For its outsole, the mountain shoes add a bit more versatility, with the same overall construction available with two different soles. Again 370€ gets you the Carbon G.Sincro+ with Gaerne’s newest, lightest, and stiffest off-road sole with a long-wearingset of tread lugs.
A bit heavier and more flexible, but probably better suited for trail riding with the occasional off-the-bike section or for cyclocross, is Gaerne’s MTB 3density sole. It uses a typical fiberglass reinforced nylon for a balance of durability, thin construction, and stiffness. Only a bit cheaper at 330€ the nylon-soled G.Sincro+ actually gets a more sticky dual compound rubber tread that is said to also work well in more wet and icy conditions.
Both carbon and nylon soled versions of the G.Sincro+ come in each of the same four colors as the road shoe: fluo yellow, black, red & white, plus silver-only for the Summer edition.
