SIDI Drako Carbon SRS

Sole

The Drako has two full shanks of carbon in its sole. The exterior shank is replaceable, so if it gets worn out, or broken in some manner, you can salvage the shoe.

The outsole is also fully replaceable, and the lugs are widely available. While I have had no need to actually replace my current soles, my previous SIDIs had the same system, and I would replace the lugs every two years or so, which was quite easy.

The sole itself is very stiff, and pedals very efficiently over a longer period of high output (say a 20 mile, 2-hour ride with 3500 vertical feet of climbing). On a quick 10 mile, 1-hour trip, I didn’t notice all that much difference between the SIDI’s pedaling performance and the Giro Terraduro. Both are quite stiff, and the Giro sprinted up to speed just fine for me.

On longer rides at a hard pace, though, the Drako is clearly superior to just about any other shoe I have ever ridden in. The overall comfort and support the shoes provide (combined with the footbed swap) smoothes up some vibrations from the trail, and really helps prevent the foot cramping that can be so prevalent with other ultra-stiff shoes. Fresher feet and the lack of distraction over the course of the ride (about my feet hurting or cramping) also makes my legs and lungs feel fresher after a hard effort, and I am simply more stoked to ride longer and harder than I have been in other shoes.

Comfort

With the few small tweaks to the fit I that mentioned above, and the impressive range of adjustments available, I can easily say that the SIDI Drako Carbon SRS are the most comfortable bike shoes I have used, and they breathe very well, too.

Hiking

The Drako is an elite-level XC shoe, so the lugs on the outsole were not optimized for hike-a-bikes, or even riding without your foot clipped in. While hiking in these shoes is not atrocious, walking around on rocks or pedaling without your foot in the pedal can be a problem. If you are crossing rounded stones, like a dry river bed, be careful, this lack of traction is the shoe’s greatest Achilles heel, just like all similar XC-oriented shoes.

The SIDI Drako Carbon SRS was, however, surprisingly decent at riding down steep and rocky terrain while not clipped in (I use Time XC8 and MX4 pedals). I felt somewhat uncomfortable in such situations, but not downright sketchy.

Durability

SIDI shoes are well known in the bike industry for their durability. You can find 10-year-old SIDI shoes on ebay fetching the same price as their modern equivalents. SIDI’s background is in motocross, so the stitching and materials have been developed to meet the demands of motor sports: speeds and temperatures (think: touching a muffler) that mountain bikes will never see.

I have yet to develop any concerns about the durability of these shoes; they have worn significantly better than any other bike shoes I have used in recent memory. They have seen 1000+ miles of hard use, and nothing needs to be replaced. At this point, most other shoes would be headed for the dumpster.

I imagine they will last another few seasons at a minimum, and all of the heavy wear items (sole, buckles, lugs, etc) are replaceable. The upper is really the only possible candidate for failure, and there isn’t the faintest trace of an issue there at this point.

Bottom Line

It was great to verify that my fond memories of SIDI shoes are still legitimate. Once a few small tweaks to the fit were made (alternate foot bed, punch for width, closing the heel volume adjustment), these shoes fit like my favorite pair of jeans. They just slide right on and feel great every day.

I have gladly spent $180-200 on shoes in the past, but have been pretty disappointed to throw them away after a season or less. Yes, the $499 SIDI Drako Carbon SRS are expensive, double the price of many high performance XC shoes, and 20-30% more than many of their carbon-soled direct competitors.

But if I can achieve close to the same longterm durability I got from my previous SIDI shoes (and so far, there is no indication that won’t be the case), then they are worth the price tag, any day.

The SIDI Drako Carbon SRS has plenty of features, and is a very high performance shoe. But this performance gain can be subtle. If you pick up a pair, expect quality craftsmanship, great comfort, and a very durable, streamlined, sleek, and high performance shoe. Do not expect this shoe to make you 5% faster on a 20 minute climb, but do expect the comfort and overall performance to begin showing itself after a few hours in the saddle.

I am very glad I took a chance on these shoes, and hope to keep riding in them for years to come.