Review: Quoc Gran Tourer XC Shoe

As someone who does all kinds of riding and often goes from road to gravel on a ride, I’m looking for a shoe that is comfortable, hardwearing and versatile. The shoe needs to be able to seamlessly transition through different terrains and environments. 

It’s also a massive plus for me if I’m able to walk comfortably in them when I hit a section of unrideable terrain or just want to pop into a cafe to grab a coffee.

I’ve worn these shoes on pretty much every ride I’ve been on since I received them. The biggest test being a 90k gravel ride in the Shropshire Hills that included some big hills, some technical descents and some forest trails. 

Quoc mentions that ‘the carbon midsole provides unrivalled stiffness for racing’ and I definitely felt this during my rides. The shoe has great power transfer and I could easily generate power both on climbs and flat sections. Despite them being aimed more towards performance, they were still comfortable during all my rides and were nice and breathable during some really warm weather. As someone who isn’t too bothered about performance and racing I would prefer them to be a bit less stiff and a bit more flexible. However if performance is your thing then these will be a great choice!

During a few rides there was the odd short section of hike-a-bike and whilst I wouldn’t want to walk far in them, they definitely worked well for short stints of walking. The dual dial closure worked really well and was great for getting a nice snug and even fit. The only downside being that if you want to loosen the shoe a little you have to completely release the mechanism and then re-tighten to the desired fit. It’s also great to see that the dials can be replaced if they break, which helps improve the life of the shoe.

Overall the shoe feels solid and have really impressed me in terms of their durability. Even after some abuse during my rides they don’t seem to show much wear.

At £240 these shoes aren’t cheap however the shoe does feel and look premium and comes with some premium features such as the carbon composite midsole and dual dials. 

This definitely isn’t a shoe for everyone but if it’s in your budget and you want something that both looks and performs great then I’d recommend the Quoc Grand Tourer XC.