Shimano Trail Shoes

Shimano has just announced a number of new road and mountain bike and touring shoes. Of these, the most interesting for us is the creatively named ME5.

The ME5 combines trail oriented features like a wrap-around dual density rubber sole that should offer decent traction when walking. It also has more protective and robust uppers than their pure cross-country shoes, which could save you some pain if you ride rocky and technical trails (or if you tend to stub your toes a lot). The inner ankle has a higher cut and the click-lock with two velcro straps should offer plenty of support.

On the flip-side, the ME5 also features a stiff and light carbon sole for power transfer and to keep the weight down. Shimano claims they’ll weigh 770g a pair (size 40) which is pretty light for an all-round trail shoe.

The ME7 takes the level of foot protection a notch higher with even more ankle support and the stretch neoprene collar helps to keep dirt and debris out of the shoe. Again the sole is carbon and it’s even stiffer on the ME7 and the rubber compound (provided by Michelin) is designed to offer even better traction. Once again the weight is impressive with Shimano claiming 750g for a pair. While the ME7 is pitched mainly at the enduro racer, there’s no reason why it wouldn’t be well suited to all-round trail riding.

These new models are expected to be available in Australia from September 2016.

Estimated pricing - subject to change:

ME5 - $239
ME7 - $279