Tech

Review: Fizik M3B mountain bike shoes

· By BikeHubCoreAdmin · 1 comment

Notably one piece of equipment that is very rarely reviewed on Bike Hub seems to be shoes. Given the opportunity to muck about with a pair of Fizik M3B mountain bike shoes, I was ready to get ankle deep into the task.

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First Look

As far as any cycling shoes go these look incredible. They are sleek, stylish and understated in comparison to other shoes that I have seen or owned. They are not flashy or bright, but exude Italian class and these are MTB shoes! I felt almost compelled to try them on with a pair of jeans and a casual shirt to see if it worked, they really are that good looking.

The shoe is completely black with lazer perforated Microtex stitched in between a leather toe and heel; a red grip plate attaches to a carbon sole. The lines are simple and uncomplicated and the embroidered Fizik logos add a nice classy touch.

Comfort

A few kilometres into the first ride I found the touch points on the tongue at the top of the foot to be a bit uncomfortable, but after a second and third ride, this area softened up substantially and eventually offered no discomfort at all.

The BOA lacing system can often be a problem for riders that have a slightly wider foot as it fastens the shoe too tightly around the wider and narrower parts of the foot simultaneously, with the M3B’s you have the best of both worlds. The BOA lacing system keeps the top part of the foot snugly fitted and tight, while a Velcro strap a little closer to the toe box of the shoe provides some adjustability for comfort.

Another nice feature of the BOA IP1 on this shoe is the ability to tighten and loosen the shoe with a turn of the dial where many other cycling shoes require that you release the entire BOA system in order to loosen the shoe.

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Unless you are inclined to ride only district roads chances are somewhere along the trail you will come across a portage or have to walk your bike through a section perhaps up or down. So I took the shoes for a 750m walk along a trail and, with little to no discomfort anywhere on the foot, but the stiffness of the carbon sole could definitely be felt on the walk.

The Acid Test

It is never the cleverest idea to play with new kit on race day, never mind an ultra-distance event, but nonetheless after only 3 rides and 60km in the shoes I was strapping them on at the start of the Trans-Baviaans with 230km to go.

For the first 30km the feeling in my quads may have masked any discomfort in the feet, but as my legs eased into the race and I felt better, I was astounded at the comfort of the shoes. I was hoping to be able to break down the points where I felt the shoe fell short or had issues, but the truth is the only times I thought of my feet for the duration of the race was when they got wet during river crossings. I felt very little, if any, flex from the carbon sole which translated into good power transfer from shoe to pedal, something we are all looking for. If there was any criticism, I have of the shoe it might be that it drains a bit slowly when filled with water, but really that’s the only part of the shoe I can rate as below awesome.

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Verdict

The Fizik M3B gets 5 out of 5 from me, it met my expectations on performance, comfort and most definitely on looks; the R3000+ price bracket may seem a little high, but these shoes are well made and feel like they will last an age.

Manufacturer Specification

  • Materials: Microtex laser perforated/Anti scratch Leather
  • Outsole: UD Carbon Fiber/Removable Skid Plate
  • Closure System: Boa IP1
  • Insole: fi’zi:k Cycling Insole
  • Available Size: 39, 40-47 and 48
  • Weight: 350 g (size 43)

See more on their website.

Comments

shaper

Sep 30, 2015, 10:38 AM

Also have a pair and have found them to be one of the most comfortable shoes right from the start.

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