Louis Garneau Actifly shoes

Maybe you spent several hundred dollars on your race shoes and you want to save them for outdoor days on the bike. Or maybe they’re just not breathable enough for your sweat session in the basement. Louis Garneau aims to address both issues with the super-breathable and affordable Actifly shoes.

There’s not much aesthetically sexy about these indoor-specific shoes, but that’s not the point anyway. What the Actifly shoes lack in looks, they make up for in venting and comfort. These are indeed comfortable shoes, though if you’re expecting the glove fit of your high-end racers, you’ll likely be disappointed. Think of these as cozy sweatpants rather than tailored slacks.

Garneau’s collaboration with Reebok aims to create an airy shoe that allows your feet to dry quickly between sessions at the gym or Zwifting in the garage. And ultimately the Actifly shoes accomplish this. The question is, while you’re drenched in sweat head to toe, do dry feet really matter to you?

Only you can answer that question. If the answer is yes, these are worth a look. As an indoor-specific shoe, the Actifly requires a significant amount of venting in the upper, unlike a more traditional outdoor shoe that has the advantage of air movement to help keep your feet cool. The mesh zones throughout the upper, along with air-channeling vents in the outsole certainly keep your feet dryer than they’d be in race-specific shoes that usually place a premium on stiffness in both the outsole and the upper. And you’ll do without much of that stiffness here. The composite outsole flexes more than a dedicated race shoe, and you’ll notice it during hard sprints on the trainer.

Sizing runs big, so consider a half-size smaller than you’re used to. Securing your foot in the shoe relies on two Velcro straps. Don’t expect Boa snugness here. It’s quick and easy to adjust the straps on the fly, though, which is handy as you settle into a long trainer session.

A generous toe box accommodates wide feet. If you’re of the narrow-footed ilk, there’s definitely a lot of room to wander. It’s best to try on a few sizes to make sure you get the right fit, because while the Velcro straps are easy to adjust on the fly, once they reach a certain snugness, you’re out of luck.

These shoes address a very specific need. If you’re in search of dry feet in between sessions at the gym, or you want to keep your expensive race shoes in the locker while you tick off the indoor miles, give the Actifly shoes a look. Otherwise, your regular riding shoes probably fit the bill for your indoor needs.