Australian Mountain Bike – August 01, 2019

http://www.ambmag.com.au - 93

WORDS AND PHOTOS: COLIN LEVITCH

Shimano’s top-end trail shoe the ME7 has
received a makeover for this year with
improvements to the protection and durability
while still providing an efficient pedalling
platform.
Since we last reviewed the ME7, the upper has
swapped from mesh to a perforated synthetic
leather and a Volume+ last to give your little
piggies a bit of extra breathing room at the front.
Shimano has also downsized the ankle buckle to
keep crash damage to a minimum and revised
the toe and heel armour too.
While the upper is decidedly more closed off
than the previous version with the move away
from mesh, I was pleasantly surprised at how
well the ME7 breathed, and the perforations
throughout work overtime moving air into the
shoe. It is currently winter, so I haven’t had the
chance to ride them in the blistering Queensland
heat, however, despite the amount of airflow,
I would venture a guess that they will be a tad
warm in the summer months.
With the perforations the shoes aren’t
waterproof; still, the lace cover does a pretty
good job at repelling water in the rain and
through puddles and river crossings.
Speaking of laces, Shimano has kept the quick
lace system, which as the name implies allows
for you to cinch the laces with a slider in a single
motion. The system is tried and true and didn’t
cause me any hotspots; however, adjustments in
motion are tricky as it’s a two-handed affair.
My feet are very much middle of the road,
save for a few un-strategically placed bone

spurs, when it comes to shape and size, and

the Volume+ last provides ample space for my

trotters, though, I did have to use up quite a

bit of the available adjustment to achieve my

desired fit. Those with petite feet might run out

of lace and ratchet strap.

In my experience, most of the stock insoles

found in trail shoes are basically throwaways,

and I was pleasantly surprised to see the footbed

inside the ME7 actually had a bit of built-in arch

support and even a metatarsal bubble―bonus

points for Shimano.

The heel box is reasonably deep, and padding

around rear puts your foot under lock and key so

you can really pull through the back of the shoe

when pedalling. Throughout my testing period,

I didn’t experience any heel lift or rubbing while

spinning or hiking.

The shoe comes up pretty high offering

tangible ankle support and protection, and

the neoprene sock around the back half of the

opening does well to keep the trail on the out―in

fact, I’m yet to find any trail debris in the shoes

at the end of a ride. Where the sock joins onto

the upper at the front, there is quite a drastic

transition in fabric stiffness, and this did cause

me a sore spot for the first week or so of riding

in the ME7’s, however over time, it has softened

up.

Also carried through from the previous

version is the Torbal sole. This keeps the

nylon plate stiff front to back but allows for

some lateral twist in the rear third of the shoe

allowing for a stable pedalling platform (8/12

of Shimano’s stiffness scale), but the lateral

movement offers tangible proprioception as to

what the bike is doing underneath you.

Shimano has continued its partnership

with Michelin, and the lugs are made using an

exclusive dual density rubber. It’s definitely the

tackiest compound in of any of the shoes I’ve

got on hand, even more so than the Vibram

rubber compound Giro uses. The lugs are

pretty aggressive, erring more on the side of

a football boot than a skate shoe and in loose

dirt, they manage to dig in, but still offer plenty

of purchase on slick rocks and logs. The sole

features a good bit of toe spring, so walking or

massive hike-a-bikes aren’t an issue.

Shimano has designed the shoe around

a pretty long cleat bed, and it allows for an

aggressive position should that be your style.

At $239, the ME7 are most definitely a

premium trail shoe, but when you compare

to similar options like the Giro Terraduro

the Northwave Enduro the features and

performance are bang on for the money. Overall

the ME7 offer a solid pedalling platform when

you need it, but are plenty comfortable for

extended hike-a-bikes, and I’ve found myself

reaching for these more than any other shoes

currently in my closet.

Shimano

ME7

FROM: SHIMANO AUSTRALIA

HITS

Protectionandall-day comfort

Greatoutersole

MISSES

Might be too warm for some in summer

TESTED