Pearl Izumi X-Project 2.0 shoe

One shoe to rule them all?

Looking for all the world like full-blown race slippers, Pearl Izumi’s X-Project 2.0 shoes are unique in that they are designed to work nearly as well off the bike as on.  With a tapered carbon fibre sole plate, usefully-sized lugs, and even a cushioned heel, the pride of the Pearl stable aims not to add injury to the insult of walking in cycling shoes.

The middle model of three, the 2.0s combine a usefully durable upper with the lighter and stiffer of two available X-Project sole plates.  The candy-coloured translucent outsoles proudly display the underlying carbon fibre, with grippy rubber tips providing traction.  The usual two straps and a ratchet arrangement is designed to hold the shoe firmly to the foot, with a back-swept arrangement to better follow the top of the arch.

While unlikely to be anyone’s first choice for a daylong ramble, the X-Project 2.0s really do deliver when off the bike.  The flexible forefoot approaches less-supportive ‘enduro’ shoes’ ability to find stability and purchase on uneven ground.  Having drawn the short straw in a recent 24-hour race, it can even be said that the cushioned heels make running Le Mans-style starts (more) bearable.  For those of us whose adventures trend toward misadventure, the ability to push comfortably and confidently is a godsend.

On the bike, the picture is every bit as good: there’s plenty of stiffness and support to go around (…and around, and around).  Ventilation is good, thanks to the perforated uppers, but can’t match that of more mesh-intensive shoes (for that, there’s the X-Project 1.0).  In exchange – and in keeping with their on bike/off bike mission – the 2.0s’ microfibre uppers have done a great job shrugging off the usual scuffs and scrapes, suggesting a long life ahead.

Included with the X-Project 2.0s are Pearl Izumi’s 1:1 insoles, which have pockets for forefoot wedges and arch inserts of varying thicknesses.  A welcome no-cost addition, the inserts do take up more volume than other cycling insoles- be sure to check fit both with and without before committing to a size.  Also on the subject of fit: your reviewer’s low-volume feet mean that the ratchet often bottoms against its stop, even with high-arch insoles fitted.  Those with more normal feet shouldn’t have any issue, but do try with summer-weight socks before buying.

All in all, the X-Project seems like just the shoe for adventure- or cyclocross-inclined riders.  The company has delivered on its promise of pedaling stiffness and off-bike capability, and – six months in – the materials have been more than up to the task.  If the fit works, there honestly seems little reason for anything else in the closet.

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