Fearless product tester and team rider Matt McDowell hits us with his first impressions of the Giro Privateer:
I think first and foremost should be the overall comfort of the shoe. As someone who has had consistent shoe problems, the Giro's stand shoulders above the competition. Out of the box they're definitely snug but not in a debilitating kind of way. From the first moment you slip them on they do feel like an old pair of sneakers. The only caveat I would add is that folks should invest in the insoles offered by Giro to shore up any arch issues they may have.
The second feature that I love is the ratcheting system. It's simply the nicest shoe ratchet I've used. I've used the shoes on both short trail rides and a couple of longer rides. Pushing 3 hours in the shoe did begin to elicit some hot spots, this could be due to the plastic outsole (as opposed to carbon), but overall I think these shoes are a perfect younger brother to the Giro Gauge.
For the price point I don't think you can beat them plus they're white, that alone is a selling point. At this point I don't see myself wearing anything other than Giro shoes.
More as it comes in, but if these are anything like my Giro Gauge, they're only getting better!
