Specialized RIME shoes

Here's a new shoe from Specialized, called the RIME. They say on their website it's a mating of XC performance and All Mountain/Freeride features, something many riders are looking for these days. There is a fairly stiff sole, that flexes nicely at the toe, gripy Vibram rubber for walking across rocks and a niffty Boa closure system to snug the upper in across your foot.

I spent 3 full days recently wearing these shoes, while I was chasing people around the Gold Rush Multi-sport event, taking photos. On and off my bike a lot, running up and down hills with a pack full of camera gear and standing around for hours waiting for athletes to come by, is a great way to learn about how good a shoe is.

On the comfort side, the RIME is definitely more comfortable than normal XC shoes, almost street shoe comfort to walk in especially. They peddled ok too, the slightly rear set cleat placement was a bit odd though. I did feel like I couldn't get the same amount of power into the shoe, but this positioning would be better for more recreational users, offering them more stability. The heel cup could do with a bit more padding and a snugger fit. On the 3rd day my narrow heels were needing some more plush back there and to be held in tighter. The Boa closure system worked well, relatively easy to use and snug up the upper around your foot. A bit tricky to get the little cable to un-hook when hands are wet and cold, but so are most riding shoes.

All in all a pretty good shoe for those looking for a modern shoe to cover most bases in MTB riding. They don't have the performance of a XC race shoe nor are they as burly as a DH/Freeride shoe, but pretty squarely in between. They are light and easy to get on and off and looking at the construction, should last a while too.