Gravel centered products are nothing new. Honestly…I think it is a way to market products to more road biking centered riders as most of the products closely remember XC mountain biking gear that has been around for ages. Bontrager/Trek has released their lineup of gravel oriented products and they asked if we would take a look at their GR2 gravel shoe.
Bontrager GR2 Gravel Shoe Specs
- inForm Race last offers a slightly roomier, high-performance fit
- Nylon composite Bronze Series sole provides stiff yet walkable performance
- Classic laces closure system with convenient elastic lace keeper
- Tachyon rubber outsole allows great grip in all terrains
- Stiffness index 6 of 14
- Durable, GnarGuard rubberized coating protects against abrasions and fights debris
- Compatible with 2-bolt SPD-style cleats
Bontrager GR2 Gravel Shoe Review
Let’s get into what I liked about the GR2’s first.
The Lace Up Shoe Design
Outside of my flat pedal shoes, I don’t think I have ever run a set of lace up clipless shoes…and I have reviewed A LOT of shoes.
I have to admit. I really like the lace up design of the Bontrager GR2 gravel shoe. The worry was that the laces wouldn’t hold tension on a long ride but I found that to be the opposite case. Even on longer gravel/road rides, the laces kept their tension without loosening up. I also found that the elastic strap (that is replaceable) held the laces away from the chain and cranks nicely.
There is one big benefit of lace up shoes over the typical Velcro or dial straps, there is a more even and more adjustable fit across the top of the shoe. I often find that I will get pressure points from straps and the dials can wear out over time. With the laces, you get completely even pressure and fit do to the pure amount of connection points with the top of the shoe material. This made these shoes more comfortable than my typical XC/gravel shoes I have used in the past.
You also get the added benefit of them looking like more of a “normal shoe” when you actually get off your bike and walk into your favorite local brewery.
Stiffness and Protective Materials
For gravel riding (and XC if you are going to use them for those), the shoes you wear have to be durable unlink typical road biking shoes. The GnarGuard toe and heal coverings do a good job of protecting high impact areas that you will get from rocks and other debris that you find on gravel roads and trails.
I also found the stiffness of the Bontrager GR2 gravel shoes to be about perfect for light trails and gravel. They rate these as a 6 out of 14 in stiffness which is just about right on par with their XC mountain biking shoes. We interlink roads with our gravel roads in my area so you do notice a difference on the road vs my treadless road shoes but you can actually walk with them on gravel and any other off bike excursions without looking stiff legged. I wouldn’t say they are flexible enough for any hike-a-bikes so they are purpose built for gravel and xc trail use.
Pricing of the GR2’s
At $140US, the Bontrager GR2 gravel shoe are seriously affordable in comparison to how the cycling shoe trend has been going. It is nice to see a high performing shoe under $150.
So what do I not like about the GR2’s?
The Gravel Marketing
While I realize why companies have to market products like this as “gravel”…the reality is that…these are XC mountain biking shoes and they would actually be perfect for that as well. I am actually surprised they don’t just over some different colors and market it as an XC shoe too on a different page.
The Brown/Yellow/Something Color
These shoes come in both black and this yellow/brown color. I feel like with a more leisure looking shoe like this one, they should have more natural shoe colors. If you look at the Bontrager website, they have some cool greens, blues and other colors that these would look great in. The yellow/brown is not horrible…but it isn’t the best. There are a lot of colors these would look at a lot better in.
Overall Thoughts on the Bontrager GR2 Gravel Shoe
Bontrager did a great job with the Bontrager GR2 gravel shoe on creating a lace up design shoe that is very comfortable, long rides on gravel and trail. They aren’t going to be stiff enough for really long road rides but they aren’t built for that just like they aren’t built for Enduro style mountain biking. They do a great job at bridging the gap between hardcore mountain biking shoes and hardcore running shoes. I really like the lace up design since it doesn’t loosen up over longer rides and the build quality is great for $140.
If you are looking for a great gravel/XC shoe and don’t want to spend $300+…these are a great option. I personally think they would sell more of them if they marketed towards mountain bikers and added some colors but I am sure they have their reasons.