Not technically part of the Chrono range, these caused much excitement when we first arrived to check out the kit laid out for us ready to ride in.

Giro’s Empire shoes took the men’s market by storm when they first arrived.  As Director Mack explained, “we didn’t want to just use a dial or a boa because everybody else [in the market] does it.”

Initially, there was cynicism – can laces really cut it in a sprint? With pro teams’s like BMC wearing the shoes, that question was soon answered with a positive ‘yes’.

Until this launch, the shoes have been one of those ‘not for girls’ products we’ve drooled over from afar. Some women have opted to wear the men’s shoes, but many women do have narrower feet than the data sets and averages used to make the men’s “last” (the 3D form shoes are built around).

Last year,  Giro produced what they called a ‘super limited edition’ women’s run, using a women’s last, but they’re now available for a wider market. We can confirm these beautiful booties fit like a dream.

With laces you get 7 points of adjustment, which means you can dial the fit to work with your body, and we adored the well formed insole. The shoes come with a selection of arch supports, so you can dial the fit even further – and the extra support felt great to me.

I did feel a little bout of ‘hot foot’ pressure during the second of two long climbs of the day – but I imagine if I’d taken more time to dial the laces in to fit me exactly, this issue could be eliminated.

You can fit them with black or green laces, which give more of a ‘pop’ of colour, to complement some other items in the range.