Giro announces limited edition Empire mountain bike shoe
400 numbered pairs will be made available worldwide, with 250 reserved for normal customers
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Mountain bikers and cyclocrossers rejoice: now you, too, can ditch the Velcro and buckles on your shoes and step into the past with a set of good, old fashioned laces.
Giro announced on Friday that it will offer a limited run, only 400 worldwide with 250 available to normal consumers, of a special mountain bike version of its Empire lace-up shoes.
The shoes will feature the same minimalist upper design but gain reinforced toe and heel areas to handle off-road use. A special Camouflage colorway sets the look apart from Giro’s road-going Empire models. Each pair will be numbered to commemorate the Limited Edition release.
The shoes will utilize Easton’s EC90 carbon sole, the same one used on Giro’s top-tier Code mountain bike shoe, which offers a stack height of just 6.5mm and utilizes dual-density TPU lugs to provide off-the-bike traction.
Weight will be only 290 grams (claimed), making the MTB Empire one of the lightest off-road shoes available.
“Giro is a design company and we wanted to produce shoes that would speak to our fans love of style,” said Eric Richter, Giro’s senior brand manager, via a press release. “The Empire combines our best technical performance with a classic laced closure to create a shoe that redefines performance, fit and style.”
So how do you get a pair? The first 50 pairs will be sold via Giro’s monthly First Friday 50 promotion, which offers specially designed Giro products from the company’s Facebook page. Two hundred fifty additional pairs will be sold through traditional retain outlets worldwide — we’d suggest checking with your local dealer ASAP. The remaining hundred pairs are reserved for sponsored riders, so as soon as those first 300 are gone, you’re out of luck.