Test: The smooth-surfaced off-road shoe G.Stilo by Gaerne is, so to speak, the counterpart to the cross-country bike with internal trains: it collects less dirt and is easy to clean. And the white racing shoe is also convincing in other respects.
With white shoes through the mud? That doesn't sound like a good idea, but test samples don't give you color choice and the Gaerne G.Stilo that was provided to us for a Ridley Bikes event happened to be white. The amazing thing is, of course, that it still is! The mud packs of the cyclo-cross season have hardly left any traces, as our photos show. This is not surprising when you take a closer look at the tread: the G.Stilo is a shoe with relatively few corners and edges, but with a lot of smooth surfaces on the sides - in this way it does not collect quite as much dirt and is also easy to clean . This has to do with its construction: Gaerne relies on a double BOA closure instead of straps for the top model; one is only used at the very front.
This makes the shoe unbeatably comfortable: a twist forward tightens the lacing, a twist backwards gradually widens the shoe, which makes fine-tuning pretty easy, even while riding. And in contrast to Velcro fasteners, which accumulate all sorts of biomass on off-road shoes over time and eventually no longer hold up so well, the twist-lock fasteners have proven to be very dirt-resistant.
So why the small Velcro strap at the front? We ask ourselves that too, especially since Gaerne offers a completely non-velcro shoe with the G.Kobra (which is located just below the G.Stilo in the range), in which the lower BOA closure pulls together a larger area via deflection. In any case, the strap on the G.Stilo has no effect whatsoever.
Overall, the shoe is not particularly wide; However, it leaves a lot of space for the toes, which contributes to its high level of comfort. The included insole is thin and flat; Anatomically more sensible variants with foot arch support and the like can be retrofitted. The smooth upper is backed with a textile material; the tongue is softly padded so that the BOA ropes do not press uncomfortably. The stable carbon heel cap ensures a secure fit when walking; the sole profile, which is particularly pronounced at the heel, digs into the ground without clogging.
Of course, the G.Stilo is not a winter shoe; apart from the small air holes and a tight mesh insert at the front, however, it is tight. Combined with a pair of warm socks, it can also be worn quite well at temperatures below five degrees - at least for the typical cross-country ride.
Gaerne is asking a whopping €309,90 for the company's top MTB shoe - that's quite a lot considering the high-quality design and the good wearing comfort. It may be comforting to know that the family business Gaerne manufactures all shoes in its own factory - made in Italy instead of mass-produced goods from the Far East. The processing is accordingly very good, adhesive residues or imperfections are nowhere to be found.
Minus the SPD cleat and insole, a size 44 G.Stilo weighs only 360 grams, which is quite a good value – fit and design are much more important anyway. And since the Gaerne G.Stilo shows no weaknesses. And as far as the color goes: why not a white shoe? Because once apart from the limited special colors, this is perhaps the most beautiful variant.
Conclusion
The Italian company makes a well-fitting, high-quality shoe with an almost perfect closure system, which of course also has its price.
price and web
- € 309,90
- www.gaerne.com