Check out Mike’s real-world review of the Giro Imperial II All-Season road cycling shoe after a 200-mile, 11-hour double century. He covers the dual BOA Li2 fit system, on-the-fly adjustability, carbon outsole performance, and whether the $449.95 price tag is justified for serious riders — over long distances.
Last Saturday I rode the Davis Double — 200 miles, about 11 hours in the saddle on a very warm day — and my feet feel… fine. My rear end, less so, but my feet feel fine. I’m impressed.
Note: this was only the second time I’d worn these shoes! I know, I know: don’t demo a product — especially shoes — in a race or a big ride. But again: this wasn’t the first time I wore the Imperial IIs; I’d worn them once before. On a ride that was 1/10 as long.
And yet, there I was, eleven hours later, my dogs emphatically not barking.
The Dual-BOA System is a Game Changer
Like most cyclists, I’ve been riding with various BOA and BOA-like closure systems for years, largely to essential satisfaction. My chief frustration, however, has always been the same: they’re fiddly to release. You lift it, or nudge it, or poke it, or try to pop it in some fashion, depending on the generation, and nothing happens. You try again, maybe you have to look down, fidget around. Not ideal at mile 150.
But the Imperial II’s Dual Li2 BOA dials are genuinely different. A quick lift and they release instantly. No wrestling, no second attempt, no taking your eyes off the road for more than a split second. I don’t know exactly what Giro and BOA changed, but it’s noticeable.
And having two dials matters more than I expected. One sits over the toe box area and one over the midfoot/instep, and together they let you dial in fit across the whole foot independently. My left foot runs slightly wider than my right (who doesn’t have some asymmetry?), and being able to tune each zone separately meant I wasn’t compromising one area to accommodate another. Over a 200-mile ride, that kind of precision adds up.
Hot Spots? Yes. Problem? Not Really.
Did I feel a couple of hot spots inside of my fancy new shoes? Of course! This was a 200-mile, 11-hour ride, after all. But — and here’s the thing — just a quick adjustment of one or both of the BOAs WITHOUT GETTING OFF THE BIKE and poof: no more hot spot. That’s the magic of the dual-dial setup combined with how effortlessly these dials release and re-engage. It wasn’t a distraction; it was a 3-second fix that I forgot about immediately.
The Rest of the Package
The one-piece woven TPU upper is stiff where it needs to be and forgiving where it doesn’t, and it held up through some genuinely cold and breezy morning miles on the Davis course, my feet never feeling a thing. The forged carbon outsole is rigid, as it should be on a shoe at this price — see below — so power transfer felt locked-in throughout, even deep into the back half when fatigue normally starts making everything feel mushy. At 234 grams (size 46), they don’t weigh on you either literally or figuratively.
The Supernatural Fit System’s adjustable arch support chips are worth spending five minutes with before you head out. Before the Double I inserted the large arch insert and noticed the difference right away, and throughout the loooong ride.
The experience summary: these shoes felt great. And the all-important appearance summary: they might have looked even better. The chrome BOAs on the white shoes are stunning; with apologies to Michael Matthews, just call me “Bling.”
(Though I feared that my mistake hadn’t been wearing them for 11 hours on only their second ride, but wearing them through the Davis Double’s dusty six-mile gravel section — but a bit of spit polishing and they look nearly as good as new.)
Bottom Line
I took a risk wearing one-ride-old shoes on a double century. I’d do it again. The Imperial II All-Season is legitimately one of the most comfortable performance road shoes I’ve ridden in — and the dual-BOA system isn’t just a marketing feature, it’s a genuine functional upgrade. If you’re putting in long miles, especially in variable conditions, these may well be worth the price: $449.95.
Feet: happy. Wallet: less so. No regrets.
- Find the Giro Imperial II All-Season shoe with dual BOA Li2 dials at www.giro.com
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