A sure hand guides every step in the process of making every pair of Gaerne shoes. They are made in the Veneto region of Italy, and they are very expensive. We know that. But when a company renowned for making some of the best moto and mountaineering boots decides to bring a little handmade style to the cycling world, riders need to take notice.

Tech features: The heart of the Gaerne G.Keira Plus shoe is its carbon sole. It is designed to be lightweight while still offering stiffness and durability. The tread profile is designed for traction and instant mud shedding. Two removable front studs improve traction on variable and muddy terrain. The leather upper sports their “Air Ventilation System” with laser-cut perforations and a ventilated tongue to keep your foot’s habitat from becoming a swamp. Internal in-step mesh provides stability and support with heel grip to keep your foot planted in the footbed. Shoe retention involves one micro-adjustable aluminum buckle and Gaerne’s patented velcro straps on the mid- and forefoot. These straps feature indentations similar to the main buckle to maintain a secure fit. Our pair of size 12 shoes with Shimano cleats weighed in at 2 pounds and retails for $449. Gaerne USA can be contacted at (661) 257-3386.

Field test results: The first thing we noticed with the G.Keira was the top-notch construction with exceptional stiffness and support. The carbon sole facilitates excellent power transfer, and the tread pattern delivers on the promise of traction and mud-shedding ability. The leather upper has a great comfortable fit for most riders, and the micro-adjustable buckle with separate closure and release levers is intuitive and works well before or during a ride and even on the bike. Riders with wide feet will find the G.Keira Plus shoes to be on the narrow side, and the trade-off you make for a shoe that will last at least a few seasons is a slight weight penalty. We appreciated little features like the heel grip and indentations on the mid and forefoot straps to keep the fit consistent and comfortable, even on long rides. Overall, these are great shoes that will last many miles. They’re stiff enough to be race shoes but user friendly enough to be trail shoes.

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