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Our good friend Gregory Joseph Barnabas Tissi has been touring across Vietnam on his bicycle now for a few months. We've been following his tour on Facebook and, without a doubt, it is some of the best travel-facebooking I've ever witnessed. Before he left he took with him a few gear staples from the shop, promising to review them while on tour. One of those staples, is the shoe shown above, Chrome's Midway Pro. The Midway Pro is one of the best crossover spd-compatible shoes that we sell at the shop. Anyway, without further adieux, Tissi's review of the spd-compatible Chrome Midway Pro:
I have wanted crossover shoes for so long and am so happy to finally have a pair. This is the only pair I have ever owned and before was using the same mountain SPD's for years. I put a lotta trust in Chrome here cause I got them and used them for the ole World Class Designer California Tour of the Unknown Coast (I highly recomend it) for like 4 days right before my international tour that I am on right now. They sucked. I hated them and wished I hadn't bought them because they rode right on my rather pronounced ankles and gave me blisters. They also slipped in the heel when I walked and was pretty surprised at how uncomfortable they were when I walked. I knew there had to be some break-in time so I let it go and hoped for the best...
-- Two months pass Cyclotouring through Vietnam.--
Holy sh*t, break-in time is exactly what these cute little pups needed. They are way more comfy in the pedal (I don't lace em all the way up so my ankles won't get hammered) and walking around in them feels WAY better and WAY smoother. The construction of the shoe seems fine and I haven't noticed unnecessary wear given the shit I put them through. I mean the best part of the shoe is that I can get right off my bike and have shoes on to bang the streets. It's not like I use them for hiking around or trekking in the jungle. I have paper thin Luna sandals for that. The last on the shoe is certainly stiff enough for me to ride in (with thin merino socks my feet do not go numb) and not too stiff to still have a natural stride when walking. I think the sole is soft and wears quicker when walking tons in them so I'm mindful to change into my sandals after I post up at a place for the evening. I understand these shoes were probably never made for a six month international bike tour and are more made for hip young crushers slaying the city and commuting, but they have certainly made their mark on Adult Contemporary Recreational International Cyclotourism. I love them and the times I have soaked them with street sludge grit water they have always just brushed right off when dry. I will also say that Chrome has continued to put out bangin' products with the design reflecting a few staples: durability, function, and style. When their products begin to fall victim to most brands' decline I will wave them goodbye, but until then I will hold them to a standard they have held themselves to since the beginning. Great product.
