PEARL iZUMi X-Project Elite Cycling Shoe - Women's for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

This shoe fit great out of the box... I love the stiff sole, the extra tread under the mid foot (carbon is slippery if you catch that part of your shoe with the peddle), I love the color...yes, that matters! I have so many pairs of black shoes...borrrring! The problem for me is the narrow toe box. I have a very normal width foot. I use this shoe primarily for Gravel riding. I wanted a stiffer sole so that I wasn't wasting power. I am on the bike for 2-4 hours on training rides and can be on the bike 6+ hours during races. These shoes, sadly, cannot make it past 2 hours... I know because I keep trying :/ After my feet heat up and swell, I get pain and tingling under my forefoot. Not giving up on these yet... I am going to order a larger size and see if that makes a difference! Reading the other reviews, smaller gals seem to like the fit. I am 5'9" and 135lbs... tall and on the slender side. Maybe that makes a difference?

I am *stoked* about these shoes. After something of a quest, I went with the Pearl Izumi X-Project Elite shoe for my mountain bike/bikepacking racing shoe. It has great stiffness to the sole, without feeling too unnatural for hike-a-bike sections. I really like the ability to fine-tune the arch fit, too--there are included arch supports for high/average/low arches. I also love the BOA dial system, allowing me to snug up the fit as the day goes on, and also pop off real fast at the end of a long ride. Sizing is true--I went with a 38.5. For reference: I wear a 39 in Giro and 38 in Lake.

These felt like the best fit straight out of the box. Like a comfortable, properly contoured glove. And a very lightweight glove at that! I'm super impressed with how light they are, and the overall "lace design." It's SO simple and much easier to put on, and take off. I love how the boa can just pop open when you're SO ready to take off your bike shoes, and it makes it incredibly easy to slip your foot back in and tighten them up super quick before the next ride. I really don't understand why SO many other bike shoes have laces right now. They get caked in mud and become really annoying to tie and untie, and are difficult to tighten after a certain point. I also find the ratchet straps to be a bit annoying. Pearl Izumi did it right with this design. Unfortunately for me, I have a wider foot. So I've been getting a lot of foot pain once I start pedaling and my foot spreads or swells. It's possible that they might stretch, but I found another wider shoe that I've now been using instead and it has alleviated most of my issues. If I could buy a wide version of these I would jump on it! I also recently found out Giro is making "H.V." or "high volume" for us wide footed people, so that will be another one I look into for the future.

I purchased these shoes for a MTB trip to Scotland. I wanted shoes which were comfortable both on the bike and during "hike-a-bike" sections of the trip. I was a bit worried that the shoes would not be broken in prior to the trip but this was not problem. They were comfortable from the first time I wore them. The boa dial closure is a huge plus - it allows for easy adjustment throughout the day and is so easy to put the shoes on and take them off. They worked beautifully over a variety of terrain. I am very pleased with them. In a regular shoe I typically wear a 38 (size 7.0 - 7.5 US sizing) ; I wear a Sidi road shoe in a size 40 (https://www.competitivecyclist.com/sidi-wire-shoe-womens?skidn=SID006F-VERWH-S385&ti=UExQIENhdDpXb21lbidzIFJvYWQgQmlrZSBTaG9lczoxOjM6Y2NDYXQxMDAwMzE=). I ordered the pearl izumi in both a 39 and 40 and decided on the 39. There was ample room. I am very pleased with this purchase

They feel great, but run small. I am returning and going up 1/2 size. Solid shoe though!!