If there’s one word that comes to mind when watching Fabio Wibmer ride, it’s ‘control’. Wibmer makes big and technical street trials riding look too easy, and with only grips and pedals connecting him to his bike it’s amazing how much it seems to become an extension of his body… see for yourself in his new ‘Street Life’ video below!
Crankbrothers decided to set up Wibmer with a new, street-specific signature model of their Stamp shoe. The low-cut Stamp Street Fabio shoe offers a flexible Match System sole, slim but reinforced uppers and a soft bootie liner to keep your feet cool and comfortable.
Crankbrothers Stamp Street Fabio shoe – Construction and features:
Perhaps the most interesting part of the Stamp Street Fabio shoe is the Match System sole. This sole offers an optimized shoe/pedal interface, particularly with Crankbrothers’ Stamp flat pedals but likely pretty effective with most other flats also. This sole design is similar to those seen on Crankbros’ MTB-focused Stamp shoes but the lugs are shallower and more tightly spaced.
You can see in the above photo how the lines between the traction blocks line up with the Stamp 3 pedals’ shape, allowing the pins to slip into the gaps between. Since the lugs are shallow and the gaps between them are small, riders can quickly and easily unweight their feet and adjust their position on the pedal. The sole also uses low-rebound rubber to help hold pedal pins securely.
The Stamp Street Fabio shoe’s outsole is made from a durable, high-friction compound called MC2, and features a grooved EVA pattern that ensures flexibility where needed. The sidewalls are reinforced with extra rubber for a little impact protection, and a cushioned EVA midsole helps absorb shock.
The shoe’s PU uppers include a reinforced rear panel to protect against crank arm smacks, which runs around the heel and up to the perforated front panel. There is a little reinforcement above your toes as well. The whole shoe’s uppers include a TPU reinforcing layer to resist abrasions.
To keep your feet cool, the uppers are perforated and the polyester sock liner provides a mesh underlay throughout the shoe. Pull tabs are included on the front and back of the sock liner/bootie ensuring the shoes are easy to slip into.
While Crankbrothers offers some shoes with BOA systems, Wibmer stuck with a lace-up version for his signature model. On the tongue you’ll find an elastic lace lock to keep those lace ends from flopping around and getting caught in your bike.
Initial impressions:
I was hoping to be able to test the Fabio shoes before they launched, but I received them just as winter was setting in across B.C. Due to sloppy wet and sub-zero weather I’ve had limited chances to wear the shoes, let alone ride in them, but here are my initial impressions.
Fit-wise the shoes worked pretty well for me; I’m wearing a size 9.5 (matching most of my other shoes) and the width is bang-on. The toes are definitely a bit longer and sharper than I need, but not excessively so. I was bit surprised how sharp the toe is, as I would assume a more blunt shape would work better for foot jam tricks… but I never learned foot jams so maybe I’m wrong!
The Stamp Street shoe was designed for Fabio’s style of riding, and it definitely offers more flex in the sole than a typical trail riding shoe. The mid-sole flexes easily as you walk, so if you’re considering these as an all-purpose riding shoe be aware they won’t be as supportive as anything designed for trail riding. Aside from providing great pedal feel, the Fabio shoes’ flexible soles make them comfortable enough to wear all day long.
The shoes have plenty of outer arch support (between the heel and mid-sole on the outside of each foot). This felt a bit odd at first but I got used to it within an hour of walking around. These shoes are pretty low-cut, so despite their reinforced inner sides your ankle bone is not at all protected from crank arm or frame impacts.
I’ve never owned shoes with a sock liner before, and was pleased to find they’re not finicky to get on your feet. The stretchy liner opens up easily to get your foot in, and settles in over your sock (even thicker casual socks) without bunching up anywhere.
“I am so stoked for everyone to finally see my new signature shoes with Crankbrothers! With this shoe, I got to design the whole collection and the shoe itself, working closely with the Crankbrothers design team to create my perfect shoe for street trials riding, the Stamp Street Fabio, that also crosses over and can be used in daily life. A few weeks ago, we headed to Nice to film a video focused on my new shoes, titled Street Life; I hope you guys check it out!” – Fabio Wibmer.
The Stamp Street Fabio shoes are now available online and through Crankbrothers retailers. The four color options are White/Gold, Black/Gold or Sage/Grey with gum outsoles, or Purple/Pink with black outsoles. MSRP is $129.99 (£124.99 and €134.99), and sizes range from men’s 3-14.
