Sidi Trace - Women's Review

Advertised as an ultra-stiff, nylon soled, narrow fit shoe, our testers find the Sidi Trace to indeed be narrow, but not ultra-stiff. The Trace's sole is composed of Sidi's MTB RS17 nylon with polyurethane inserts designed to increase stiffness. The Trace is not as stiff as the carbon-soled shoes we tested but does offer moderate stiffness for its price. Sidi uses their Techno3 lacing, which works very well and allows the rider to dial in the fit to their foot. The shoe's narrow fit caused us some fit issues, ranging from hot spots to pressure points, making these best suited for riders with a narrow foot. The Trace is more of a cross-country shoe, which is evident while testing on technical trails that involved lots of rocks and drops; it is here that the lack of impact cushioning was apparent, causing us to feel vibrations from the trail in our feet. For the cross-country rider with a narrow foot who is looking for a race day shoe, the Trace is worth consideration.

Performance Comparison

Stability and Control

Sidi touts the Trace's MTB RS17 nylon sole with polyurethane inserts to be ultra-stiff, but in our testing we found them to be moderately stiff in comparison to others tested. In part, this could be due to the shoe's very small cleat opening, which has just 1" of fore-aft adjustment, and places the cleat more forward than we are accustomed to.

The Trace lacks an impact-absorbing footbed and the MTB RS17 sole and footbed sent trail vibrations into feet while riding through rock gardens. While landing drops we felt this pressure in the back of the arch. However, we did not feel the cleat through the footbed or sole of the shoe while pushing or pulling on the pedals allowing reasonable control over the pedals; the only feedback to the feet was from vibration and impact.

Comfort

Our testers have enjoyed wearing Sidi's road shoes for years, known for making durable and comfortable shoes, and we had high hopes for these lightweight shoes. However, a narrow fit combined with a lack of impact-absorbing materials in the sole and footbed left us disappointed.

Out of the box, the tongue of the shoe cut into our ankles. However, we quickly resolved this by cutting through the perforations in the shoe's tongue, allowing it to flex. Sidi uses their Techno3 and hook and loop (aka velcro) closure system to ensure a dialed-in fit. The Techno3 system is similar to the Boa system and allows the rider to dial in the fit very well, especially in comparison to shoes that only have velcro closures.

We found the shoe's fit to be snug but not uncomfortably so and expected it to loosen up over time. But, during our testing, the shoe did not stretch out. Due to the snug fit, hot spots and pressure points developed in the mid-arch on our right foot. While not a show stopper, it was irritating and was a sign of fit issues that would plague us over time. Over the coming rides, we would continually experience pressure points in the forefoot, mid-arch, and back of the arch, making this shoe uncomfortable for our foot.

The Politex uppers are perforated allowing airflow into the shoe making the Trace one of the more breathable shoes we tested. Our testers never experienced any issues with our feet being too hot while wearing the Traces.

Walkability

The Sidi Trace has a bit of flex through the toebox, allowing the shoe to flex, making walking easier and more comfortable than stiffer carbon-soled models. The toe lugs on the sole of the shoe are replaceable. This is a nice touch, as Sidi feels this to be an area that can quickly wear out.

During our testing, we spent time hiking on wet, leaf-covered, loose, and rocky terrain. The sole of the Trace lacks grip compared to models with sticky rubber. The toe lugs were not soft enough nor aggressive enough to allow us to comfortably hike on rocks without thinking about, and carefully planting our foot to prevent slipping. We found shoes with softer lugs gripped rocks better, as did those with sticky rubber soles. On wet and muddy trails, the Sidi's lugs caked with dirt, rocks, and leaves to the point of encasing the lugs in mud, rendering them useless, as the soles became very slippery.

Protection

The uppers of the Sidi Trace are made of Politex a material that seems fairly tough and durable, and during our testing, we had no issues with the shoes' durability.

The Politex resists scuffing remarkably well, leaving these shoes to look surprisingly new despite their use. The toebox and heel area feature two layers of overlapping Politex providing additional foot protection from rocks and other trail debris. While not as substantial as a trail shoe, the Trace does offer the rider more foot protection than some higher-priced cross-country shoes we tested.

Weight

Our size EU40 shoes weighed just 335-grams, placing them on the lighter end of the spectrum of shoes we tested. The Trace does have a fairly minimal construction and thus we would expect it to be relatively lightweight.

Value

The Sidi Trace's price tag is on par with most of the shoes we tested and can be found discounted through many online retailers. However, we felt for the price that the Trace offered quite a few features, such as replaceable parts to extend the shoes' life, that makes them an attractive purchase.

Conclusion

This shoe could be a good value for the rider who understands its limits in terms of fit and function. For those with narrow feet looking for a cross-country shoe, the Trace is definitely up to the task, and with replaceable parts, they should outlast many competitors. However, if your preferred terrain involves lots of rocks, drops, or if you have a wide foot we recommend a different shoe.