Review: Giro Ventana Fastlace Shoes

How does the Giro Ventana compare to the Terraduro? While Giro hasn’t explicitly stated that the Ventana is a successor to the popular Terraduro, it’s what everyone is going to compare it with, so we’ll do that. And I happen to have a pair to hand, so let’s get stuck in.

The Ventana Fastlace shoes I have are a size 44/UK 9.5, while the Terraduros I have are a 43.5/UK9. Near enough to compare I reckon. And in terms of shape (and fit) it’s immediately obvious that Giro has widened the fit. The Terraduros were great shoes, but pretty narrow and not always great for every rider (and though I maybe should have gone up to a 44, the 43.5s fit fine in a snug racing-style. The Ventana has a much more roomy toebox, which is welcome. The lace adjustment covers the same sort of area that the two Velcro straps and ratchet strap covered, so adjustment should be similar. As the Terraduros were so narrow, I ran the toe-most strap completely untensioned. The Fastlace allows a much more even tension and hasn’t felt too tight in fit.

I’ve not tried the BOA versions of the Ventana, but with the Ventana Fastlace, I found that I’d tighten the shoe up tight at the start of the ride, then after 20 minutes, where the brief bit of hike-a-bike is on my ride, I had to stop and tension the shoes again. Not because they’d slackened off – when you tighten these, they don’t go anywhere, but just because ALL shoes need a little snugging up after a while, as everything settles in. With the Terraduro, this would be a click or two on the ratchet, usually while riding, but on the Ventana, I have to stop, put down the bike, unhook the Velcro and haul on the fastlace to get the shoes tight enough before carrying on.

In terms of riding performance, they’re every bit as good as the Terraduros. I would quibble that the sole tread could have been made far more aggressive, particularly at the toes, but generally all over. Having to smear your sole – relying on sheer surface area, or sidestepping into the slope to get enough grip on a muddy slope just isn’t something you can explain to Californian shoe designers. However, for any more groomed riding, on race courses or bike parks, you’ll be fine. Probably. 

It’s worth mentioning that the rubber on the soles is Sensor rubber rather than the trusted name of Vibram, which appeared on the Terraduro. Better or worse? Under a thumbnail, the Terraduro sole feels a tiny bit softer and definitely more matt, compared to the slightly ‘school pencil rubber’ feel of the Ventana. Ask me again after the winter. Definitely needs more tread though. 

Comfort was very good on longer rides. The nylon shanked sole bends enough for comfortable walking off the bike while still allowing plenty of power transfer. (Giro makes the Sector if you’re worried about your precious power escaping while you crush your opponents). The tongue, compared to the Terraduro is particularly thick and comfy, so no worries about the slim laces digging in. However I did have issues working out where to put the laces when riding. Pulling the laces tight leaves a good 20cm of loose lace length, which is too skinny for the lace tidy to do anything with, so I ended up tucking it back under the Velcro strap. Compared to shoes with little ‘lace garages’ (or shorter laces) this alone nearly makes me want the £30 more expensive Ventana BOA model. 

After three months, the shoes have worn very well with no real signs of wear apart from a bit of burnishing of the rubber bumpers and a sense that they’ll never be properly clean again, but that’s fabric shoes vs fake leather for you. I do think that olive green is going to date rather fast, but the shoes do come in black. 

Overall

I’ve given these Giro Ventana Fastlace shoes a hard time for three months now, including riding in the deserts of Baja, the world’s muddiest ‘cross race in Prestwich, plus near daily outings into the hills here. They show no signs of wear and they’re great to pedal in. I do think that the Fastlace system has flaws though – both in tensioning and in what the hell you do with the laces, so if you’re looking spend this not-inconsiderable amount of money on a pair of trail shoes for the next couple of seasons of riding, racing and training, then you should look at the plain Ventana model with the BOA dial instead as much of the problems I had should be solved. 

A worthy successor to the Terraduro? Well, the Giro Ventana is a smart looking shoe that works well, but I can’t see it making the waves that the Terraduro did.