The Fizik Gravita Versor Clip mountain bike shoe is a comfy trail shoe with a quirky look. Good for pedalling in and relatively light, too, these are a pair of trail shoes that are sure to tick a lot of boxes for most riders. The upper isn't the most protective, and they are pricey, though.
- Best trail or enduro mountain bike SPD and clipless shoes you can buy - tried and tested
- Crankbrothers Mallet Boa clipless shoes review
- Buyer's guide to mountain bike pedals - what's best, flats or clips?
Perhaps the 'shoe for every occasion' Fizik says these shoes are designed to be suitable for a mix of downhill laps and trail riding. The pair I have here is the cheaper Versor shoe with laces; for £130. There is also a £175 version with a taller inner ankle section and a velcro strap to secure laces.
What makes the Gravita Versor?
The upper portion of the Versor shoes is made from a ripstop fabric that is light and impressively weatherproof. It's not that padded, so it won't fend off knocks quite as well as the Crankbrothers Mallet shoes, but what you trade out in weight you have to make sacrifices for elsewhere. These Fizik shoes are about 90g lighter size-for-size per shoe compared to the Mallets.
The sole gets a Vibram outsole, an EVA shank and an undefined stiffness rating of 5. I'd say they are relatively stiff for a trail shoe, with good power transfer, but they won't be the stiffest things you've ever worn. The sole helps the shoe wrap around the foot and cushions it well too.
The cleat recess is plenty long enough, and it's deep too, giving great contact between the sole and the pedal interface of my Mallet DH pedals. So much so, in fact, that you'll definitely need the small plastic spacer supplied with the Crankbrothers cleats to space the cleat nearer the surface of the sole.
How Fizik Gravita Versors feel
The shoes are pretty versatile. As quirky as the offset lace might be, the otherwise plain shoe doesn't look out of place whether I'm riding e-bikes, enduro bikes or a short travel trail bike. The laces are easy to do up and move through the eyelets, although I'd like them a little longer so I can double knot them for security and then tuck them away in the lace tidy. As it is, they don't quite reach the elastic strap.
The offset nature is interesting too. I found that unless carefully tensioned, the laces tended to pinch over the top of my foot. Something not unique to these shoes as I've also worn the Fizik Terra Ergolace, and the same thing happened there.
Are they value for money?
I think £130 is a good rate for a pair of quality trail shoes. Sure, you can get cheaper in the likes of the Leatt DBX 4.0's for £100, but whilst these are super comfy, our Liam reported these were hot and heavy. There is also the Shimano AM7's for £110, but Liam said these weren't as comfy as other shoes he's reviewed.
My other go-to shoe is the Crankbrothers Mallet shoes with the BOA, which are sturdy, comfy and look great at £180. Still, I'd be tempted to see how the lace-up version faired for £130, especially if you're looking for a bit more protection than the Versor's can offer.
All-in-all, the Fizik Gravita Versor clip shoes are a lightweight trail shoe that works very well with large surface clipless pedals. They are both supportive and comfy and are a great all-around shoe, whatever your riding style.