A Summer of Riding in the Quoc Gran Tourer All-Terrain Gravel Bike Shoes

Now, I know it might sound silly to call a cycling shoe “gravel” specific but hear me out. Traditional ‘cross racing shoes have extra padding, extra stiffness and aside from deep treads to shed mud, are different than what you’d typically want for just riding dirt roads. Lots of companies have taken their ‘cross shoe line and expanded into less racing-oriented designs and while a lot of bigger companies have stout offerings, I wanted to shed some light on the Quoc Gran Tourer all-terrain gravel shoes here.

At £219.00 GBP, they are not the cheapest options out there, but the Gran Tourer is one of the nicest constructed shoes I’ve used. Quoc’s product photos do these shoes justice, in-person. They’re made with a no-stitch pattern, save for one seam across the back heel, feature a bonded upper, and a proprietary rubber compound sole, which is plenty grippy on multiple surfaces.

People who remember when Quoc first launched in 2008 will not the same lacing pattern, allowing you to cinch down the shoe or to give your feet some extra room. I have very narrow feet and found these shoes to be roomie without being clunky. Just be mindful of your sizing, based on Quoc’s sizing selector. For reference, I almost always wear a US 12 / 47 EU and in the Gran Tourer, I wear a 46.5.

The shoes are light, weighing 800g with cleats, and the ankle support is minimal, with a thin padding rim surrounding your foot. The tongue is padded at the laces, yet thin at the top, to eliminate chaffing. Upon break-in, they are some of the most comfortable clipless shoes I’ve worn. My favorite detail is the anti-abrasion coating on the toebox that wraps around the side of the shoe, covering a 1″ of the shoe, keeping tires or rocks from marring the finish, and the raised sole lip across the front, for when you’ve gotta hike your bike up a climb. They breathe quite well, even in 100º summer riding and if you do get them wet, they dry fast with the insoles removed.

While £219.00 GBP isn’t exactly a drop in the bucket when it comes to a pair of cycling shoes, I’m amazed at how little wear they show after a full summer’s worth of riding my normal, day-to-day dirt rides. Oh and if this colorway ain’t your thing, Quoc has many colors available!