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Giro Empire SLX Road Shoe

GiroEmpire SLX Road Shoe(Return to Product Page)

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(29 customer reviews)
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User submitted reviews

Review by ColoradoCommuter

Giro Empire GLX road shoes are lightweight with supple leather that hugs your feet
rating
by ColoradoCommuter
Daily Commuter
Boulder, CO

These are great shoes. After suffering from two different Boa failures, I'm through with Boas and am happy to go back to something that works - laces! I love the fact that these shoes come with two different types of insoles. The ones I chose have the removable arch supports. I am using the high arch supports and my feet also appreciate the metatarsal button on the insoles. Longer rides are more comfortable compared to my last shoes. The leather uppers are soft and supple. Shoes are amazingly lightweight.

Reviewed 7/19/2017
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Review by Pete

Supreme Comfort
rating
by Pete
Cycling Enthusiast
Los Angeles, CA
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.

The Empire SLX are light, comfortable, stylish and stiff. Best shoes I've ever worn. Tried the Factor Techlace and they're not even close on comfort. Laces are proving to be a non issue as after a few rides, you get an idea of how tight to tie them. They have never loosened once tied. I have flat feet and have the medium arches in and they are comfortable and supportive. I feel very fast riding in them as they are very light, stiff and minimalist. I came from Sidi Genius and they are big and bulky compared to these. My reason for getting new shoes is that I would get hot spots at the 40 mile mark in the Sidis. Finished a 50 mile ride yesterday in the Empire SLX's and my feet felt great. If comfort is a priority, look no further!

Reviewed 7/2/2017
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Review by Clarence

Great Shoes, Great Return Policy
rating
by Clarence
Cycling Enthusiast
Gilbert, AZ

My feet are very hard to fit. I usually buy (expensive) shoes that feel good for about five or six weeks, then I start having issues. Giro's policy of - try it out for 60 days, and return them if you are having problems - saved me from having another pair of shoes I could no longer use. And the staff at Western Bike Woks, especially Nate, goes well beyond the defintion of great customer service. I am a loyal fan now.

Reviewed 3/6/2017
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Review by Anonymous

Great looking, comfortable shoe
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Miami, FL
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

So far my favorite pair of cycling shoes! Comfortable for all day riding! Styling is great and shoes is lightweight, sole is stiff.

Reviewed 2/2/2017
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Review by Greg

Ultra light, great fit
rating
by Greg
Riverside, Ca
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.

Initially I was concerned there might be an issue with not being able to adjust the fit while riding. The result for me was a non-issue, these shoes fit so well, and a snug, not tight, knot is all it takes. Haven't ridden in intense so cal heat yet but they are well ventilated. Overall, highly recommend

Reviewed 1/13/2017
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Review by Anonymous

Light, stiff and comfortable
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
8 of 8 customers found this review helpful.

Tried the Empire ACC and was impressed with how comfortable they are. Decided to go for the Empire SLX and Giro has packed a shoe with comfortability, lightweight and a stiff sole. My favorite shoes right now!

Toe box is a narrow fit, so wide feet should go a 0.5 size bigger.

Reviewed 6/1/2015
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Review by Anonymous

F'ing awesome
rating
by Anonymous
Competitive Racer
0 of 14 customers found this review helpful.

Nuf said.

Reviewed 2/12/2015
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Review by Anonymous

Very light. Excellant fit.
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Bend, Oregon

Excellent fitting shoe, true to size. Very light and comfortable. Laces are long enough to tuck into sides of shoes.

Reviewed 8/2/2019
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Review by Boulderbiker

Buy these
rating
by Boulderbiker
Competitive Racer
Boulder

These cycling shoes are the best. They fit exceptionally well, they are ultra light, and they don't have any technical weaknesses. I race in mine a lot and am the envy of many.

Reviewed 11/15/2017
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Review by Mike Parrino

Most comfortable cycling shoes
rating
by Mike Parrino
Competitive Racer
Clovis ca

Road bike cycling, I having issues with hot feet the shoes give plenty of ventilation to help during hot days in the valley.

Reviewed 7/8/2019
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Review by Anonymous

Next best thing to barefoot on the beach!
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Tampa, Fl
6 of 6 customers found this review helpful.

I developed plantar fascitis this year and my Sidi Ergo2 and Ergo3 I have enjoyed for years became painful to even put on my feet. I also have a pair of Fizik's that wasn't working either. The Empire SLX has been a gift for my feet! These took a few rides to break in and are now much more comfortable than any bike shoe I have ever worn. And very , very light. My foot is fairly wide and the shoe expands in the toe and forefoot areas to accommodate. I do not miss buckles as the design of this shoe provides give where other shoes caused pressure at the point of the buckle closure on the side of my foot.. I am a 44.5 in Sidi Ergo2 and generally a U.S. mens 10 in most street shoes. These fit me in a 44.5 which is listed as 11 US mens. So I would recommend you order at least a half size larger than what your regular shoe size is.

Reviewed 6/26/2017
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Review by Carl

Yes, the reviews are right
rating
by Carl
DFW, TX
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

Comfortable Oh yes, unlike anything I've ever used dating back 20 years. My feet just disappear into them. They wrap around my feet with the most uniform pressure I've ever experienced. For lacing i just get them as tight as i can and they loosen up just a bit as I ride. But even when they're a little loose, no change to the comfort. The included arch supports work great. I use the highest of the three.

Stiffness oh yeah. Sprint finishes, no problem!

Weight I don't know how it matters but it really does seem to. I'm just flat out faster turning over the pedals in these.

Intangibles There's a significant stack height difference. These shoes feel REALLY close to the pedals! Perhaps it's really this and not the weight i feel.

Bottom line Sidi's now used on the trainer! These are the go-to's

Reviewed 5/30/2017
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Review by Lance_notstrong

Great performer and styling
rating
by Lance_notstrong
los angeles

Giro empires are a classic high end race shoe! Once you get the fit down, about half size smaller than usual. Great shoes and love the ability to tighten areas more than others with the lacing system.

Ive customized the uppers and its a great canvas for that. Highly recommend.

Reviewed 8/2/2019
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Review by Lance_notstrong

Top quality shoes
rating
by Lance_notstrong
los angeles

These are one of my go to shoes with great design. Would suggest going up half a size from your normal size in cycling shoes as this particular Giro model are a tad narrowersmaller. The laces allow for personal fit in terms of tightness at lower and upper portion of your foot.

Power transfer feels great and shoes fit snug once you get them broken in. Got another pair of these as a backup pair as I'm not a big fan of the imperial with their mesh design as I like to have the ability to customize the design on this shoe and it's generous surface area.

Reviewed 7/25/2019
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Review by rareclan

Super light and comfortable
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by rareclan
Competitive Racer
SoCal

After reading about this product, as well as other reviews, I decided to give them a shot and I'm glad I did. These shoes offer a rigid sole and very light weight. I have not yet ridden them in the heat of summer, so I cannot comment on how cool they will be as the temps go up, but I have very happy with them so far. The laces do cause a bit more time and thought when putting on the shoes versus Velcro andor ratchets, wire, etc., but I think it is well worth it as to how you can get the shoe fit exactly how you want it.

Reviewed 2/23/2017
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Review by Anonymous

Great fit, very comfortable and with a stiff sole
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
phoenix, az

I picked these up on sale and couldn't be happier. My old Specialized BOA came completely off and I had been struggling to find a shoe that was as comfortable as those until i took a chance and tried SLXs. First ride was a bit of trial and error on how tight to tie the laces but once thats figured you'll forget you have them on, which is the idea with any new bit of kit. Overall I'm glad I tried these out cases not only do they look sharp (got the bright orange pair) they also fit great.

Reviewed 2/24/2017
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Review by EnduranceJunkie

Light weight and comfortable
rating
by EnduranceJunkie
Cycling Enthusiast
Yonkers, NY

So far, the lightest and most comfortable road shoes I've owned. I've been using these pair with my Speedplay Zero pedals and walkable cleats. Current mileage is 217 miles and my longest ride was 57 miles and it's very comfortable shoes and it's so light. No complaints here.

Reviewed 6/2/2016
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Review by Anonymous

Size Matters.
rating
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Seal Beach CA
4 of 4 customers found this review helpful.

Yes, these shoes are a wonder to behold. Wonderful fit, beautiful construction, super light. Have a chair or stool ready to put them on as the laces do take a little more time to get ready. When they are on sale, the price is ridiculous.

However. The size chart is ALL wrong. I wear a 9.5 and the size chart recommends a 43 for that size. I had to get a 44 for proper fit. That is the same size as a Specialized shoe I wear. I don't blame Biretiresdirect for this as this is the same size that Giro recommends from their website. I did tell them about this.

For the weight weenies, the 44 weighs 201 gramsshoe.

Reviewed 2/18/2016
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Review by Fpetrulli

Wow! Light weight and comfortable.
rating
by Fpetrulli
Cycling Enthusiast
Rochester, Ma.
2 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

Saw these online at a great price. I was a bit skeptical about the laces but was pleasantly surprised when I laced them up and rode 80 miles without them ever feeling loose. These are great, light weight and fit like a pair of your favorite slippers!

Reviewed 6/21/2015
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Review by cjheimerl

Love the fit and the weight!
rating
by cjheimerl
Competitive Racer
Littleton, CO
3 of 3 customers found this review helpful.

I was absolutely amazed when I pulled these out of the box. I had no clue how light they really were. And the lace up fit is so custom and snug. The little elastic strap for the laces is perfect. I've had so many compliments on these shoes and again, the weight and the fit are perfect. Bravo Giro!

Reviewed 6/15/2015
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