FIZIK’S POWERSTRAP TERRA X4S ARE A RUGGED GRAVEL SHOE WITH SURPRISINGLY EFFECTIVE VELCRO STRAP SYSTEM BUT COME WITH A HEAVY PRICETAG

Words and Images: James Raison

Fizik caught plenty of attention last year when they released new road and gravel shoes with a striking new velcro closure system called Powerstrap. It’s a bold move in a world dominated by fancy Boa dials, and retro cool laces. I’ve put a few months into their gravelicious Terra Powerstrap X4 kicks and now it’s time to see if they justify their hefty $270 AUD pricetag.

ABOUT

X4 nylon outsole – with rubber tread, stiffness index 6
Weight: 292g per shoe in size 42
Powerstrap: foot-wrapping Velcro closure
X4 outsole: targeted stiffness and rubber tread for mixed surfaces.

WHAT THE FLIP IS A GRAVEL SHOE?

Good question. They’re a new market segment and they sit perfectly between road and MTB, like many items in the gravel spectrum. Imagine a road shoe with an SPD cleat mounting, a little softer sole, and a little less ventilation. Conversely, imagine an MTB shoe with less walking grip, less padding, and a little more stiffness (less stiffness than really racey MTB shoes though). That’s both a good and bad thing.

RETENTION STRAP

I got plenty of questions about the new Powerstrap retention system and it’s certainly one of the most interesting parts of the shoe.

Velcro straps have fallen out of favour in the middle and upper tier shoe market but, Powerstrap shows they can still be effective. There’s an art to putting them on; start with the top strap to anchor the shoe before doing to bottom and re-tightening the top. It winds on plenty of tension and never felt like it loosened during the ride. For me, the straps were too long with overlap almost able to touch the ground. I’d say there’s a little too much upper for me as well. I had to really pull on the straps to get the firmness I wanted.

The Powerstrap is the beeefiest velcro straps I’ve seen on a cycling shoe

They apply even enough pressure across the foot. I’d say they’re on-par with a single Boa dial system but not quite up to the convenience and firmness of a double Boa. That’s appropriate given these are in single-Boa price bracket.

FIT AND COMFORT

Shoes can be tough to review because they live and die according to personal fit. Right up front I’ll say the Terra Powerstrap X4s weren’t quite right for my foot and that will always limit how much I bond with it. So, here’s what other people considering these shoes need to know.

Fizik’s Powerstrap Terra X4s stick with their classic Euro profile; fairly slender with a long and tapered toe box. My feet favour stubbier, shorter toe boxes so I had a little more room in the end of the shoe than my usual go-to shoes. Through the mid-foot and to the heel these are right in the middle of shoe fits; neither wide nor narrow, and with a quite flat arch. Fizik doesn’t ship any other innersoles or arch pads so you might have to experiment with if you have fussy or specific arch needs.

Fizik balance stiffness and comfort in the sole fairly well. Fizik classifies it a 6/10 on their stiffness index. Personally I like some softness in my offroad shoes to take the sting out of those long days but most people will probably like the balanced approach Fizik has taken.

My main comfort gripe is the innersole needs to be thicker. There’s added padding right under the ball of your foot, right above the cleat, where your pedalling pressure is applied but the padding beneath the toes is very thin. On long rides I found my toes starting to numb from the pedalling pressure while rolling over bumpy gravel roads. The sole is compliant enough generally but I’d recommend a thicker inner sole to protect your toes.

The innersoles are selective with their thickness and a little more would be appreciated under the toe

WEATHERZONES

The nylon outsole suits most temperatures up to hot weather. Small slashes along the outer are the only air ingress on the shoe. They don’t breathe well in hot weather which I found after their Summer arrival. On a positive note, they stayed far drier and warmer in wet and cold weather than I was expecting. Even persistent rain takes a long time to get in and you’re more likely to get wet feet from water running down your legs. The holes down the side means most water splashes harmlessly off the outer without getting in.

The small side slashes keep the cold air and water out in winter but can lead to toasty toes in summer

One particularly heinous ride featured a sloshy walk through a vigorously flowing creek where my shoes filled with water. That was one of the times I was thankful for the reduced padding compared to an MTB, and reduced ventilation. The shoes don’t hold much water, whereas some of my MTB shoes would have absorbed plenty and held it in for the rest of the ride.

THE RIDE

I’ve had a vigorous summer of gravel, and more recently, a disgustingly wet Autumn. The shoes have been hammered with pretty much all conditions from blazing sun to brutally cold river walks. Their resilience and cold weather performance has impressed me most. Just today I was reflecting on their strength while scaling some terrifying walking trails with my bike over the shoulder, generally trying not do fall to my death. The outer shoes have only minor marks from months of mistreatment.

For riding, the shoes have been generally good performers but a few things have held me back from really liking them. Numbing toes when deep into a long and bumpy day was an unfortunate reminder of the innersole being too thin, and some toasty feet on hotter days meaning they’ll be left home when Aussie summer is feeling punchy. Cooler weather has seen them become my go-to shoes, deposing my long-time favourites that tend to fill up with water thanks to toe vents. I’ve bonded with them much better since the mercury dropped.

WRAPPING UP

The Fizik Terra Powerstrap X4s fall squarely into the “pretty good” zone for me. Gripes aside, I think these are going to suit buyers in the mid-to-high-range price bracket. Shoes are a very personal item which always complicates reviewing them. My feet were ambivalent towards the fit but they do, objectively, hit a lot of the right marks I expect from a gravel shoe for performance and functionality.

They’re not what I’d call cheap, but people should be open to spending if the shoe fits them well and lets them get on with riding. You can find other shoes with more features at this price but that doesn’t mean they’ll suit you better. As always, try them on before you buy.

Disclosure statement: These were sent for review. It’s not paid and we don’t get any money from Fizik sales.