The Sidi Dimaro Trail is a super stylish and comfy gravity shoe that manages to be light and airy yet tough as old boots. The sticky Vibram sole is ace and thanks to a bolt-on cleat cover made from the same rubber, it's hugely versatile, too, working great with either clipless or flat pedals, although the deep cleat recess means they don't play well with some caged clipless systems. This performance and quality construction comes at a price though – these riding daps are super expensive.
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Sidi Dimaro Trail shoes - Technical details
Sidi has been smashing out fantastic high-performance cross-country racing shoes for decades with a reputation for uncompromising quality and construction with a generous dollop of classic Italian flair. However, until recently, the brand hasn't successfully dipped a toe into the gravity sector.
This all changed with the release of the Dimaro Trail, the iconic brand's flagship gravity shoe. Sidi has called upon its many years of experience to craft innovative, high-performance and stylish riding shoes to cater for the gravity crew. Featuring a fully breathable, abrasion-resistant microfibre weave upper, paired with an impact-resistant reinforced toe box for optimal airflow without sacrificing protection in rowdy terrain. The vented tongue is lightly padded and comfortable without being bulky. Sidi has opted for a classic lace and Velcro retention strap set up for securing the shoe, and it works just fine, although the strap is a little shorter than ideal.
Vibram provides the outsole and utilises its stickiest rubber compound and a tread pattern that hooks up brilliantly with pedal pins and offers fantastic traction when walking on difficult terrain.
While I'd say the Dimaro Trail is primarily designed as a clipless shoe, thanks to a clever bolt-on cleat cover made from the same grippy rubber, Sidi claims the Dimaro will work well with flat pedals, too. The sole has been engineered for optimum pedalling efficiency but with a little flex built in for comfortable walking off the bike.
The overall build is top-notch with a very clean and low-profile silhouette, and it's pretty lightweight for such a tough and protective shoe at just 830g. This lack of bulk means it should dry quickly, too. The muted grey/black colourway is a big departure from the classic retina-melting Euro-fluoro palette Sidi's XC shoes are better known for. This is no bad thing in my eyes as the darker hues hide the grime well and they should stay looking smart for a long while.
Sidi Dimaro Trail shoes - Performance
The Dimaro Trail is a great-fitting shoe that's fantastically comfortable on my wider-than-average size 11s. The fit is supportive and the shoe feels robust, the reinforced toe box is rock solid offering superb protection to those little piggies which in turn inspires confidence when charging rocky chutes or stump-ridden off-piste tracks – just what you want from a hard-hitting gravity shoe.
While it might have been nice to see a Boa dial retention system included in what is undeniably a top-tier shoe, the standard laces and Velcro strap setup work perfectly well in keeping things secure. It also lends the Dimaro a more casual skate shoe aesthetic that doesn't scream 'bike shoe' should you end up at the pub after that night ride. The only slight niggle I had with it was I found the hook and loop strap a little short for my high instep – an extra 10mm or so would allow a little more overlap for us slab-footed folk. The stiff strap also tended to spring back and snag on my gloves or the laces themselves, making it a bit fiddly to tie them at times, this was a minor grumble rather than a real problem though.
I was lucky enough to enjoy some truly epic summer weather during my test period and as the temperatures soared into the late 20s, I was massively impressed by the ventilation on offer. The perforated and not overly padded tongue and open knit of the uppers work in tandem to keep my feet feeling comfortably cool all summer long. That open weave offers little in the way of weatherproofing when conditions get more 'British' - The Dimaro Trail wouldn't be my first choice for wet weather riding, although they do dry pretty quickly after a soaking.
The first few weeks were spent with the rubber cleat cover in place to assess Dimaro's flat pedal credentials. I was interested to see how the Vibram sole would stack up against flat pedal-specific rubber from some of the more established players in the game, specifically the benchmark for gooey rubbery goodness, Five Ten’s Stealth compound. I was a little dubious, to say the least, but to my surprise, the grip on offer was pretty flipping tenacious.
Perhaps not quite as 'locked in' as my Five Ten Freeriders, but certainly not a million miles away, perhaps losing a little bite in wetter conditions compared with the Stealth rubber. The midsole is far stiffer than my Freeriders units though, offering superior pedalling efficiency and support in rougher terrain, but at the expense of a little pedal 'feel'. Considering these are, in essence, a clipless pedal, the legitimate flat pedal capability was surprising and very welcomed.
Impressed by the Dimaro's flat pedal credentials, I was keen to see how they performed in their clipless guise. Fitting my Time cleats was a doddle, unbolt the cleat cover using the two Allen bolts to expose the integrated threaded cleat plate and generous cleat channel.
While there is a good amount of fore and aft adjustability, I was about 5mm shy of my optimum rearward biased cleat positioning – I like to run my cleats right back mimicking my flat pedal position to maximise DH control and support. Considering this is supposedly a gravity shoe and the foremost position is unlikely to see much use, it's a shame the Sidi design team didn't shift the whole cleat box a little more rearward to enable a more DH-friendly heels down foot position.
Still, with the cleats slammed as far back as possible, I was able to get them feeling pretty sweet, if not quite 'Goldilocks' perfect.
It has to be said, things didn't get off to the best start with the Dimaro in its clipless format, with an annoying compatibility issue with my usual Time ATAC MX enduro pedals. Due to the combination of the shoe's particularly deep cleat recess and the profile of the large pedal platform, the cleat was unable to properly engage the rear spring making it impossible to clip in, no matter how hard I tried.
Although I was unable to source any for this review, I'm pretty sure this could be remedied fairly simply with some cleat spacers to raise the cleat a few extra millimetres allowing it to engage the clipless mechanism without interference from the pedal cage. This is an additional cost to factor in though, and is rather disappointing in a gravity-focused shoe where thanks to the extra traction and support they provide, caged and often pinned clipless pedal systems are pretty standard fare nowadays.
Thankfully I had a spare pair of cageless Time ROC ATAC pedals on my other bike that I swapped in that worked flawlessly with the Sidi shoes, engaging perfectly every time - Back in the game!
On the trail, it was immediately evident that the Dimaro is much more than just a gravity shoe, it's light and airy and pedal efficient enough for general trail riding duties too - Sidi has balanced sole stiffness brilliantly, rigid enough for efficient power transfer and support in rough terrain, but with enough flex for comfortable walking and a bit of feel in flat pedal mode.
As alluded to earlier, these are more of a dry-weather shoe as I discovered on my first wet ride – the open weave of the upper provides stellar ventilation, but sieve-like water resistance. They'll stand up to a bit of drizzle and the odd puddle splash, but not much more than that. Paired with some waterproof socks they'd do the job, as they do drain well and the fairly minimal padding doesn't seem to absorb too much water, but I think the breeziness would make for frozen toes come winter time. There are certainly better options available for wetter rides.
Apart from a bit of dirt in the weave, the Dimaro's are wearing exceptionally well. I was concerned the airy uppers would lack durability and be susceptible to rips and tears, but I needn't have worried, the microfibre weave is super tough and has taken the hits like a champ. Speaking of hits, I put the reinforced toe box to use on several occasions including one huge smash into one sniper stump hidden in the undergrowth that would have certainly resulted in a broken toe in less protective footwear. In an ideal world, I would have liked to have seen a raised inner ankle for some added protection against crank knocks, but the fit is quite deep anyway and I had no real issue with this during testing.
Admittedly I only ran the Dimaro as a flat pedal shoe for a few weeks before switching to my preferred clips, but the Vibram sole unit seems plenty durable for how grippy it is, with minimal tread wear from pedal pins and the cleat box is free of damage too. Wear would be increased if used as a full-time flat pedal shoe, but I'd say the durability of the Vibram rubber is noticeably harder wearing than the Stealth rubber of my Fivetens.
Sidi Dimaro Trail shoes - Verdict
While the Sidi Dimaro Trail is an impressive performer to label it purely as a 'gravity' shoe is selling it short. I'd say it's a perfect super protective hardcore trail riding shoe, with fantastic pedalling manners and a very cool and comfortable fit for long days in the hills. The fact that Sidi has even dubbed it the Dimaro 'trail' hints at its versatility. Speaking of versatility, the fact it can do double duty as a competent flat pedal or clipless shoe is awesome.
My only niggles are the clipless compatibility with some larger platform pedals without resorting to modifications and the (for my tastes) very slightly too forward-placed cleat channel.
As a super stylish and protective shoe for all-round trail and gravity use, the Dimaro is hard to beat. Unfortunately, this all comes at a price, and it's a big one. Just shy of £200 is quite the investment, which could perhaps be forgiven if they were without fault. As it stands, there are other options available from rival brands that offer similar performance and build quality at a more affordable price point, although it has to be said, that none can offer the flats or clipped cross-compatibity of the Sidi Dimaro Trail.
At £170, Five Ten’s Hellcat is an obvious high-end rival and it's a well-respected gravity-focused shoe, having graced many a World Cup Downhill podium. It's a robust and stiff-soled number, built to take the hits and features a supremely grippy Stealth rubber sole unit for unrivalled pedal traction for those unclipped moments. At 1,100g a pair, they're significantly heavier and less trail-friendly though, and they can't offer the same flat pedal versatility of the Sidi offering.
A slightly more wallet friendly option is the excellent Leatt DBX 4.0 Clip shoe that retails at £100. Liam praised them for their comfort and the protection on offer, as well as a super long cleat channel that offers loads of adjustment for perfect cleat placement. The thick padding does make them rather bulky and they can get a bit sweaty in the warmer months.
Finally, another solid performer in this segment is the Specialized 2FO Clip 2.0. With a price tag of £160, it's a tad more affordable than the Dimaro and it's a brilliant shoe in every respect. Quality and comfort are top-notch with a super robust build designed for full-bore DH use. They offer a little more protection thanks to a raised inner ankle to stave off crank strikes and the synthetic uppers are impressively weatherproof making them much more suited to wetter riding than the Sidi shoe, although that does mean they run warmer in the summer. The Body Geometry footed may not be for everybody though, and the cleat box can get a little beaten up over time, although this doesn't seem to affect performance in any way.
If you can afford the premium asking price and value the ability to chop and change between flats and clipless pedals, Sidi's Dimaro Trail is a class act and pretty unique in this regard. Build quality is superb with durability that belies its airy build and it's one of the comfiest riding shoes I've had the pleasure of wearing. The only niggles marring an otherwise perfect scorecard are the cleat compatibility issues with certain pedals and a slightly short retention strap.
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