The Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace shoe offers exceptional comfort for long rides. It uses a traditional lace adjustment system and doesn’t skimp on the stiffness factor with its carbon sole proving plenty stiff enough for blasting the trails and offering a strong grip from its lugged sole. The insole is adjustable for support and there is even a set of toe studs and spare laces in the box. The Gran Tourer XC Lace is not only one of the best gravel bike shoes but it can also be used as a mountain bike shoe.
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Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace shoes - Technical details
Quoc’s new Gran Tourer XC lace is the latest development of Quoc’s original Gran Tourer concept, however, this XC Lace version, while looking passingly similar to that original model, is based on the performance dual dial Gran Tourer XC and not the softer GT shoe. Quoc has adapted the shoe to offer a lace closure option whilst keeping all the same ingredients as the XC original.
In this subtle Chalk coloured version, Quoc’s signature design in chalk and off-white is smart, smooth and subtle. The Gran Tourer XC Lace has an almost seamless microfibre moulded and welded upper construction flowing smoothly around your foot with the only visual seam at the heel. The design is both modern and retro at the same time.
The colour palette is restricted to the chalk upper with contrasting purple flecked laces and lace keeper on the tongue with a black lining. The upper is divided into two sections: the microfibre perforated upper sitting above a lower off-white strip that flows neatly into the colour-coordinated TPU lugged sole. That off-white band is not just for show, it’s a more durable abrasion-resistant microfibre strip with a slightly rougher feel and is designed to offer more protection from rocks and undergrowth.
The outsole is borrowed from the Ultimate XC dual dial version and is the same carbon composite material designed to offer a high level of stiffness for endurance racing. Quoc doesn’t list a stiffness factor although they are suitable for technically challenging terrain. (I read that as pretty stiff then).
The TPU lugged sole is bonded to that carbon composite outsole and features large chunky lugs for grip and mud clearance. There are stud blanks at the toe section for rougher trails or sloppier conditions (or both) and studs are provided with a fitting tool in the box. The TPU sole wraps partially over the lower toe box to protect from trail obstacles and the cleat mounting box is both wide and long and has wide fore and aft alignment marker lines for perfect cleat positioning.
The Gran Tourer XC Lace gets a selection of arch support pads for the heavily ventilated removable insole. The insole is anything but flat and shows a lot of development from the original Gran Tourer version I tested. Not only is there adjustable arch support but there is also a ball of the foot depression for pressure relief. Fitted as standard are the low support pads but medium and high pads are provided and can be exchanged to fine-tune the amount of arch support you require.
Quoc relies on its unique style and applies only subtle branding to its shoes with only a small discrete Q logo on the front of the shoe in a contrasting purple print and an equally subtle debossed purple Quoc on the heel. The upper has a wealth of perforation holes to provide much-needed ventilation in hotter conditions and help break up the solid upper microfibre material.
Fitting cleats was a straightforward experience with no issues with the cleat plate. The cleat box in the heavily lugged sole is pretty deep which meant that I needed to use a pair of Hope's cleat spacers for optimum performance (as I would with Crankbrothers cleats) but this will depend on the brand of clipless pedal you use as some such as Time makes no mention of cleat box depth.
The Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace is available in a single chalk colourway and comes in sizes EU 38-47. My size EU45 weighs in at 718g
Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace shoes - Performance
Straight from the box and set up and with the briefest of tests around the car park I opted to break the Gran Tourer XC Lace in by testing them on a combined gravel and rough road 100km ride. Perhaps not the best option for a first test ride, but my previous experience with Quoc’s moulded microfibre construction designs and the fantastic initial feel of the soft upper and lacing pattern led me to give it a go. I was not disappointed.
These Gran Tourer XC Lace shoes feel snug with the microfibre upper cosseting your foot as you lace them up and stay that way as you pile the miles on. I’m a fan of Quoc’s lace closure design, which allows you to fine-tune tension for the lower forefoot to the upper ankle closure. That lacing pattern also prevents it from loosening as you ride. The same cannot be said for all lace-up shoes.
The XC Lace comes set up with the low arch support and my feet felt great after that first 100km without aches or pain in any area so I have left them set up like that but there is the option for more support if you require it.
The lace closure might seem old-fashioned but it works well. If your fingers are less dextrous or you don’t use laces regularly it might be a little awkward to get the bow tight enough but practice makes perfect, right? Once tied with a double knot and tucked under the purple lace keeper, I've had no loosening issues on long rides.
Pushing hard on the pedals either seated or out of the saddle is rewarded by excellent power transfer to the cranks. The carbon sole is stiff enough to keep up with the fast kids and there is no feeling of flex wasting your 'limited' power output. It doesn’t feel quite as stiff and direct as the Fizik Vento Ferrox Carbon but the sole is comfortable enough to hang around in and get a coffee, sign on at a checkpoint or scrabble over rough ground hauling a heavy bikepacking bike.
It's a really good balance between performance and comfort and Quoc has nailed it. On a hot eight-hour epic in the saddle, I had absolutely zero hot spots or soreness anywhere. Due to some poor packing on my part, I wore them to the pub and rode back to the campsite, which says a lot about their day-long comfort.
I haven’t used the spikes yet as the weather has dried up, thank god, but I’ve not felt short-changed by the standard TPU chunky lugs. The sole provides ample grip everywhere I have needed it. On one trip they coped with everything from Tarmac, gravel, chalk, flint, stone and mud. Where others slipped in the slop the Gran Tourer XC Lace managed to find grip and I kept upright and managed to walk through the worst of it.
Inside the shoe, the gusseted tongue is free to float from left to right but in my case stays put once the laces are done up. The minimalist padding on the underside of the tongue provides just enough relief from over-tightening of the laces – it's also heavily perforated which helps cool your feet on hit days.
The insole features not only the already mentioned tuneable arch support system which helps deliver optimum pedalling efficiency but is also moulded with a metatarsal pad to help spread your big toe away from the others and a depressed section under the ball of your foot to increase comfort by relieving pressure.
Heel support is good. The shoes do without a specific grip-like material (Cat Tongue) or silicone dots as used by some of its rivals, preferring instead, to rely on friction through its carefully padded design of textured microfibre. I have very slim ankles and the shoes managed to grip without slipping whenever I headed uphill or got off and clambered around in them.
The weather has not quite been hot enough to establish how they will cope in a hot summer of 25-30 degrees but in the mid-20s they have been fine and I have not overheated yet. On cold fresh mornings and long descents, you can feel a bit of airflow into the shoe but it’s no worse than any other three-season gravel shoe.
My only slight concern is the lack of a higher front bumper strip as the abrasion-resistant microfibre strip around the lower section of the upper was put to serious testing during my review period and has unfortunately taken a little bit of a battering on the front of one toe box and the top layer of microfibre has scuffed off.
Whether it occurred from kneeling to fix the puncture, scuffing a rock or getting through a sprung gate, it’s hard to say. If the front of the shoe had a thicker protective bumper or the protection wrapped a little higher (or both) this might not have occurred. It's my fault but, for a shoe labelled with enough protection for a "die-hard, all-terrain rider", it's a bit thin on the ground for front protection for my tastes.
To make the Gran Tourer XC lace as svelte and clean-looking, Quoc has reduced the extra protection that a Gravel Adventure rider might need and that someone sending £220 on an off-road shoe might expect.
It does not affect their performance or fit and can happen to all shoes if you crash hard (I haven't) It can be repaired with care and I will be investigating several informative online fix kits and solutions.
Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace shoes - Verdict
Yes, £220 is a large chunk of cash to spend on a pair of XC Gravel Adventure shoes especially when you could opt for the amazingly good 742g Rockrider Race 900 for £80. However, that is not comparing apples with apples. The fit and finish on the Rockrider are good for the money but nothing like the Quoc’s; there are neither stud holes for muddy use nor any ventilation holes in the upper for summer use. The insole is without form and it's not as stiff as the Quoc.
Looking at closer-priced rivals means we need to consider £260 Sidi Dust MTB shoes which I enjoyed last summer. The construction is first class but they are a very different-looking shoe with stitching lines in every direction and single dial closure which was easier to adjust on the fly but did get jammed on occasion. Weightwise the Sidi’s are lighter at 682g for what they call an EU 44.5 and whilst they don’t offer a carbon composite sole their nylon sole is stiff enough.
Just under the £200 barrier, are the £190 Northwave Rebel 3 Epic Series shoes weighing in at 656g which we rated as efficient racy shoes for long days in the saddle or stage races. We were impressed with the level of stiffness and their ability to shrug off rocks and knocks with excellent TPU toe and heel bumpers. Less impressive were the dials that can get clogged and the grip pattern that was best left on the pedal.
Quoc’s Gran Tourer XC Lace is a superbly comfortable off-road gravel and XC adventure shoe with beautiful looks from that wipe-clean elegant moulded design. The lugged sole offers plenty of grip in the standard setup, plus you can add studs for more extreme riding conditions. The retro lace design works well allowing excellent tension adjustment across the foot, and whilst the insole is very comfortable the outsole is stiff enough for the hardest efforts. Highly recommended.
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