Giro Latch - Women's Review

The Giro Latch shoe continues to impress us with its grip, comfort, and midsole absorption. It features a flattened and lightweight profile and excellent fit. The rubber grips various pedals well, and the tread design provides plenty of nooks for pedal pins to bite into. This well-balanced shoe combines grip, all-day comfort, and trail absorption into a lightweight package.

Performance Comparison

Grip

One of the unique characteristics of the Latch is the use of Mute Foam. Giro developed Mute Foam to reduce the bouncing between your shoes and pedals on rocky terrain, similar to how suspension rebound works. Mute Foam uses a slow rebound to help your feet stay planted on the pedals with a foam-injected midsole. It may sound like a gimmick, but it works, and it works quite well in combination with the Tack Rubber and Gamma tread sole.

Giro worked with a team of engineers to design the Tack Rubber found on the sole of this shoe. This rubber is soft and provides a great grip on the pedals. We tested the Latch with four different flat pedals, which always had excellent grip. During our testing, we never experienced our feet slipping on when going up or down, and it was easy to plant our feet and find our sweet spot on the pedal.

Working in tandem with the Tack Rubber is what Giro calls their Gamma tread design, which comprises two different-sized squat pentagons extending from toe to heel. These “treads” are soft, well-spaced, and deep. The tread pattern helps the pedal pins bite into the sole, and the Mute Foam helps your foot stay firmly in place with no bouncing. However, the sole is not so sticky as to make repositioning your foot difficult. During testing, we found it easiest to reposition our foot on the fly with the Latch shoe and were never concerned about losing grip, even on loose, chunky terrain. Overall, we're very impressed with this combination Giro has designed and find ourselves repeatedly reaching for the Latch for our daily rides.

Comfort and Protection

One consideration is that the Giro Latch has an initial break-in period, and those considering it should be aware of this as the shoe may initially feel awkward. When we tested it, the shoe creased oddly in front of the most forward lace, putting pressure on the top of the foot when walking. However, after two hours of wear, this went away, and we have not since experienced any pressure points on the top of the foot.

The area surrounding the ankle and the tongue is nicely padded without being bulky and helps to provide a comfortable fit. It also has a wide fit. The Latch runs true to size with a medium-width toe box and has a medium volume. There is enough space to wiggle your toes comfortably, but not so much that the fit is sloppy. The 3D molded footbed remains comfortable for hours, and we never experienced any pressure points or hot spots during our testing. The Latch is light, adding to its comfort both on and off the bike.

The Mute Foam midsole is designed to “…cut the chatter and vibration and help keep you connected to the pedal….” We put this to the test on a variety of trails and were surprised at how well it reduced vibrations. It lacks impact protection, such as D30, for the top and sides of the feet. Giro wraps the sides of the toe box and heel in Rockprint reinforcement to help prevent abrasion and increase durability. This extra layer adds rigidity to both areas and is more noticeable at the very front of the toe box. However, it should not be seen as an impact protection layer. If you're prone to hitting the crank arm or chainstay with the inside of your shoe, it is worth noting that there is no impact protection along the midfoot, only the layer of microfiber upper.

Rigidity and Power Transfer

This shoe sports a sensitive and thin midsole. In the past, thin midsoles have typically meant a soft shoe that does not dissipate much trail chatter and is uncomfortable. However, that is not the case with this model. In our testing, we felt close to the pedal while the design reduces chatter and offers great rigidity and power transfer.

The thinner midsole and sole allow you to feel the pedal underfoot. Unlike shoes that are so stiff you can't feel anything underfoot, we can always tell exactly where our foot is on the pedal, which aids in making adjustments on the fly. Trail forces are quickly dissipated when riding chunky terrain before they reach our feet.

Inside the outsole is an HD Polyethylene Power Plate that helps transfer power from your foot to the pedal. It flexes easily just in front of the first lace underhand and then quickly stiffens through the midfoot, right where the sole contacts the pedal. During our testing, we were able to power up a variety of climbs easily. We never felt like we were losing power. Overall, the Latch strikes a great balance regarding rigidity and sensitivity. It's not too hard nor is it too soft. Power is easily transferred when riding.

Breathability

The Latch is a fairly breathable shoe that performed well in temps in the low 80s, in full Sun, and at elevation.

The uppers of the Latch are made up of a fast-drying microfiber with small ventilation holes above the toebox, at the back of the midfoot, and at the front of the heel. Even though our test shoes are black, which can typically feel warmer than a lighter color, our feet did not feel excessively hot while wearing them in the Sun. While it's not the most breathable shoe in the fleet, it offers average performance for warm days on the bike.

Durability

Giro uses a Rockprint reinforcement layer around the toebox and heel as an added layer of abrasion resistance and durability. These areas have fared well during our testing over the years, and the only noticeable wear is a few scratches from an unknown object on the inside of the upper of the left shoe. Aside from being dirty, the shoe's soles show no signs of scarring from the pedal pins or wear. The uppers are perfectly bonded, and overall the Latch seems to be a quite durable.

Lace length often gets overlooked in shoes, and having the proper length of laces for your shoe size helps keep them out of your crank or pedals. The laces on our women's size EU 40 Latch shoes are perfectly sized with no need for double knots to tuck excess length out of the way. Hidden under the laces on the tongue is an elastic lace retainer with a small pull tab that helps ensure your laces stay on top of your foot and out of your chain.

Weight

The Latch is very lightweight, weighing just 593 grams for a pair of women's size EU 40. While weight is typically not the most important factor for most wearers of flat pedal shoes, we can say they are light on the foot while walking, hiking, and spinning the cranks.

Should You Buy the Giro Latch Women's?

The Giro Latch is a great shoe for most riding. It is lightweight enough for those who are weight conscious, provides adequate protection for general trail riding, and is comfortable. However, it lacks the impact protection that enduro and downhill riders may prefer. The Mute Foam midsole easily absorbs trail chatter, so your feet and legs don't feel fatigued during or after a ride. The Tack Rubber outsole keeps your feet confidently planted on the pedals, allowing you to focus on what's important - the trail ahead.

What Other Women's Flat Pedal Mountain Bike Shoes Should You Consider?

If you're looking for a flat pedal shoe with a more relaxed fit, we recommend the Specialized 2FO Roost Flat. It is available in unisex sizing and has a more generous cut through the forefoot than the Latch. Like the Latch, it lacks impact zones for additional foot protection. The SlipNot™ ST outsole grips the pedals confidently, and the EVA midsole does a good job of soaking up trail chatter. We recommend the Ride Concepts Wildcat for gravity-orientated riders. With a mid-top design, and an EVA midsole and footbed, the Wildcat provides additional foot protection, and the Max Grip outsole grips the pedals during high-speed riding.