# Giro empire and other lace up shoes



## FasterStronger (Jun 6, 2014)

I'm currently using four your old pair of Shimano's and was looking to replace them with something with a boa. I like the idea of the ease of adjusting on the fly. Completely out of left field someone mentioned the Giro empires and I've been looking at them and reading online reviews and all seem very favorable.
Lots of talk about how comfortable they are and how the laces offer an advantage in terms of Fine tuning the overall fit and comfort.
I have a tendency to over tighten my shoes at the beginning of a ride and will usually loosen them on the fly in the first 5 to 10 minutes. Of course with laces this would be an issue. I could of course learn to not do this
Wondering if anyone is using the shoes or other similar with laces what your feedback is.
Also I have a fairly wide foot any input regarding the general empires and wider feet.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Friend of mine has these and absolutely loves them. Says they're the most comfortable ever and really great for fine tuning the fit with the laces. But he readily admits they are more time consuming getting them tied up. Last I talked to him, he said once on he didn't need to adjust them during the ride. They had some flexibility in them.

Personally I like the simplicity of BOA's. So quick and easy to get the shoe on and off and micro adjust while riding. Great when you're running late for a ride! 
I hate lacing shoes.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

There are also https://dromarti.com/cycling-shoes/race-black which are leather and should conform to your foot, possibly reducing the tendency to overtighten.

They are on my radar, but I haven't used them.


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## majbuzz (Nov 30, 2012)

I have a pair of the Empires and I really like them. It took a little getting used to how to lace them properly for fit so I didn't feel as though I needed to adjust mid-ride, but very minor issue. They are extremely comfortable, very stiff and I like how the laces allow you to adjust them based on your foot shape vs. having fixed point boa's. I will say my other pair of shoes are boa's and I like them as well, but my go to shoes are now the Empires. I can lace them very quickly, so it really is a non issue regarding lacing time. If you are into fashion, you can change lace colors if you like. I don't give a rip about that so just use what they came with but a friend of mine is forever changing colors.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

just bought a pair of Empires.

very nice shoe, looks good, fits well even with my narrow feet. 

the lacing is a little fiddly for the first few rides, but once you figure out how snug to make them to accommodate any swelling of your feet, they're not any more hassle than my Lakes with BOA.


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