Sidi Jarin Gravel Bike Shoe – First Look

New for Sidi's 2020 cycling shoe collection, the Jarin closes the gap between road and mountain with its gravel-focused design.

From bolt-on cleats to dial closures and carbon soles, Sidi’s rider-centric approach has always led trends in cycling shoe design and by embracing the culture-shift towards gravel riding, the Jarin is no exception.

At a time where mountain biking is becoming more and more specialist with niches within the sport requiring different bikes, kit and attitudes, gravel riding has been spreading into the off-road world with the same spirit of adventure that saw us departing tarmac in the first place.

Whether exploring local bridleways, taking on multi-day challenges or even just avoiding traffic with a mixed-terrain commute, the gravel-riding movement returns fun, nature and peacefulness to riding – all while scratching that itch to turn the pedals.

There’s something almost transcendent about gravel riding. Escaping the hustle of modern life and replacing the noise and tension of closely overtaking cars with the rumble of fat tyres over rocky trails, the chirruping of birds and the warm sun on your back has a magic all of its own. It can also engender a completely different mindset, forgetting about segments, pace and power to embrace the riding experience and bring a smile to your face.

It’s for just such adventures that Sidi has created the Jarin, a shoe that’s the perfect marriage of off-road capability and road aesthetics. It’s a shoe that’s equally at home tackling day-long gravel rides and conquering smoothly paved cols.

With over 50 years of perfecting fit and hand-making shoes in-house, lasting comfort and quality construction are a given but the Jarin also pairs robust design features from the Italian brand’s longstanding mountain biking range with the Sidi’s instantly recognisable road styling. Add in the choice of an olive-green colourway that matches the adventurous mood (and virtually every wardrobe option) or the stunning iridescent finish and you’ve got an undeniably beautiful shoe.

Sidi’s famous soft instep strap takes pride of place on the upper, a design proven over decades in the peloton for its comfort and security. On the Jarin, it’s locked down with a Tecno-3 Push dial, giving incremental adjustment, even on the go. Meanwhile, the centrally-aligned dial pulls the shoe closed symmetrically to perfectly cosset your feet in the durable and breathable Techpro microfibre upper, which is finished with a textured toe protector.

With a no-compromise attitude to performance, Sidi has equipped the shoe with a full carbon sole for lightweight strength and just enough give around the toebox to maintain the comfort needed to win three-week Grand Tours or tackle XC World Championships. The carbon’s natural durability is complemented by a range of replaceable parts, the SPD-compatible cleat-mount plate and chunky, super-grippy tread blocks can be swapped out, exponentially extending the life of the shoe. There are also fittings for toe studs if you need maximum grip on the toughest of trails.

We’ll be putting plenty of miles into the Jarin this summer as we go further with our off-road explorations. Stay tuned for more from Sidi’s 2020 collection as it lands at Saddleback later this year.

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