You cannot help but be hit in the face with the design of the Giro Empire SLX Lava Reflective. Inspired by a dorm room lava lamp, this limited-edition Empire SLX features a reflective lava graphic, which inspires a love or hate reaction, personally I am not a fan but I respect the risks Giro take with their colours and patterns. It makes for an exciting collection and brightens up the shoe rack, if nothing else! At just 175 grams (size 42.5), the Empire SLX are some of the lightest road shoes Giro has to offer and aims to keep the weight low without compromising the structure or stiffness needed for good performance. The shoe is constructed from a one-piece upper and uses premium Evofiber, this material takes the best attributes of mesh and microfiber and fuses them together into a single fabric, that not only repels water but allows the foot to breath throughout the shoe. Extra seams have been eliminated as well as adhesives required to insert mesh panels.

The durability, comfort, and weight of the shoe has been improved. Evofiber also strives to hold shape well and is fast drying and easy to clean. The closure system uses Empire Laces and these certainly hold a knot! They are durable and light and during our testing the knot remained tied throughout. However a lace system can never compete with either the dual systems or BOA closures, plus they also made it difficult to adjust the fit on the fly. The outsole is made from Easton EC90 SLX2 High-Modulus carbon fibre which has been engineered to provide a direct connection with the pedal, the class-leading stiffness puts full effort into forward motion, it also features titanium hardware and replaceable heel pads. The foot-bed is an ultralight SuperNatural Fit Kit with adjustable arch support to help optimise comfort and enhance pedalling efficiency. The X-Static antimicrobial fibre material uses natural silver to conduct heat to keep your feet warm, and has anti-microbial properties to help keep your shoes free of odour-causing bacteria and fungus.

The Giro Empire SLX Lava Reflective comes along with a zip up travel bag with a carry handle and ventilation to let out heat and odour, they also throw in some spare laces. These shoes provide a good fit for lace ups, they are nicely ventilated and provide a stiff purchase for hard pedalling, but the lace up system is time consuming and makes it harder to get a precise fit all along the foot. Having said that the best thing about the shoes is the low weight so they’re ideal for those who want to shave off every gram in their cycling shoe. RRP £175

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4.5 out of 5

Pros

Lightweight

Reflective

Comfortable

Stiff

Cons

Lace up system

Ugly “lava” design