Giro’s Imperial shoes have been a long time favorite among recreational and professional cyclists. The new Giro Imperial II is a long-awaited update to the Imperial line and adds the latest carbon fiber technology and BOA Fit system. Giro has maintained the sleek exterior design with their Synchwire upper material and wrap-around ventilation. The shoes also feature dual BOA Li2 alloy Type D dials which have micro tightening and loosening. Underneath the shoe you’ll find a new forged carbon that is stiff and anatomically shaped to optimize performance. Despite all the upgrades, the Imperial II shoes retain the same $424.95 retail price which makes them the top road cycling shoe Giro currently offers.
The Giro Imperial II updates Giro’s popular road cycling shoes with the latest BOA Li2 alloy dials and a stiff forged carbon outsole.
| Retail Price | $424.95 |
| Rating | Design: A Closures: A Comfort: A Value: A– |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 522 (EUR 43.5) |
| Likes | + Sleek appearance with Giro’s classic modern design + Stiff carbon fiber and anatomically shaped + Highly ventilated with wrap-around perforations keep you cool in any weather |
| Dislikes | – Premium price point – Limited to white and black colors currently |
| Where to Buy (US) | Giro |
UNBOXING
We received the Giro Imperial II shoes in a BOA shipping box with BOA branding on the exterior. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Imperial II shoes
- Giro branded fabric bag
- Cleat hardware bolts
- Low / high arch insole attachments
- Information pamphlet
Similar to the Shimano S-PHYRE, the insoles have removable velcro arch support pieces that let you customize the fit without the need for custom insoles.
FIT & FINISH
The Giro Imperial II shoes are one of Giro’s top road cycling shoes that are designed to maximize performance and minimize weight. Visually, the shoes have a familiar shape with their unique hyper-breathable Synchwire upper with transparent panels. Giro has retained their signature clean styling with smooth exterior and minimal Giro branding along the edges. The shoes are currently only available in an all-black finish with white Giro logo or the white version we have here that has a contrasting black logo and base. It’s a simple design with standard center tongue section and a four-row cable routing with dual BOA Li2 dials. If you look closely at the shoes you’ll also notice the flat knitted upper which gives the shoes a distinct texture and feel.
Ventilation is key here with a large transparent front section that extends along the sides. Unlike the previous version which had separate panels, this one looks like a single panel with subtle texture differences to divide the panels. As far as the closure system, you have a BOA Fit System with dual BOA Li2 dials and four rows of cable routing. Each dial controls two rows to help distribute the pressure and eliminate hot spots. These are the latest BOA Li2 Type D dial which has a beautiful alloy finish that stands out against the white shoes. You have micro tightening and loosening features which lets you make adjustments on the fly by just rotating the dial. As with all BOA dials you pull up on the dial to fully release tension to take the shoe off.
Giro has updated the outsole on the Imperial II shoes to use a new unidirectional forged carbon construction. This has a claimed stiffness improvement of 20Nm over the previous carbon sole with standard 3-bolt cleat compatibility. The sole has a matte black finish with very subtle forged carbon weave that is only visible under direct light. There is a texture section around the cleats to help them stay in place along with engraved marking to help position the cleats. Unlike most road cycling shoes, there are no vents built into the outsole and you have a single piece with a slightly raised center section. You can also see that this shoe has more anatomical fit as the outsole stays wide through most of the shoe rather than narrowing in the center. There is a thin toe bumper and a replaceable heel bumper with the bolt hidden on the inside of the shoe.
Giro calls the footbed on the Imperial shoes a SuperNatural Fit Kit with adjustable arch support. It’s very similar to the Shimano S-PHYRE insoles which have removable velcro arch pieces that can be swapped for different heights. This allows riders to customize the fit without having to buy custom or aftermarket insoles. Otherwise the insole has a pliable foam construction with wrap-around edges to eliminate any pressure points.
ON THE ROAD
Having never ridden with Giro cycling shoes before we were curious how the Imperial II shoes would compare to today’s top cycling shoes. Based on the sizing chart we ended up with a EUR 43.5 which fit surprisingly well and had similar dimensions to the Shimano RC7 and Bont Cycling Riot shoes in EUR 44 sizes. The shoes appear to run slightly larger so the advice to size down worked well for us. Even in the standard width, the shoes have a nice wide toe box and a flexible upper material that felt spacious and comfortable for our wide feet. The dual BOA dial setup along with the dual rows of cables also make it easy to adjust the toe box and ankle fit independently and make micro adjustments during a ride.
One of most impressive feature of the Imperial II shoes has to be the ventilation. The wrap around transparent region of the upper material allows cool air to flow through the shoes and cool your feet from all directions. Even without vents cut into the carbon outsole, out feet always felt cool even as the temperatures rose. In fact, on colder mornings the shoes were too ventilated and caused cold feet so we’d recommend thicker wool socks or an overshoe if you plan to use these shoes in cold temperatures. We also appreciated the adjustable insoles with the different size arch support options as a nice alternative to aftermarket insoles like the Bont Vaypor. With our relatively high arches, the medium insert provided nice support and kept our foot firmly in place during sprints.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Giro Imperial II to be fast and comfortable road cycling shoes. Giro has taken their popular Imperial shoes and given them a thorough update with the unidirectional carbon sole and the latest BOA Fit system with dual BOA Li2 alloy dials. Although they have been upgraded and updated, the shoes retain a similar design with a modern design with classic white color scheme. We found the shoes to be comfortable with a wide toe box and flexible upper material that eliminated any pressure points. The shoes also have an impressive amount of cooling with a wrap-around vent that lets air flow through the shoes. As far as negatives, the Imperial II have a premium price point and are currently only available in white and black. That said, the Giro Imperial II are high performance road cycling shoes that have been updated with the latest technology.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by BOA. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.