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review

Chrome Kursk Pro SPD shoe

7
£76.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Stylish SPD compatible shoes for everday wear on and off the bike, be aware of the sizing though
Weight: 
1,184g
Contact: 
www.alwaysriding.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Don't want to turn up down the pub sounding like you've come from a tap-dancing lesson but don't have the time to swap your pedals over? You need casual cleats, and Chrome's Kursk Pro is more casual than most. They're pretty good on the bike too, but watch out for the sizing.

Round these parts we'd call the Kursk Pro a dap. It's got a rubber sole and flexible Cordura upper like your gym shoes from school, the same as the regular Kursk which has been Chrome's best selling shoe for ever. To handle the cleat the sole has been thickened and stiffened and a slight curve introduced to make the shoes easier to walk in. The cleats are recessed as far as they can be and still work with all styles of pedal, but as with most trainer-style SPD shoes they still catch on the ground every now and then.

Kursk say on their website that the shoes run half a size big; whether they've added that in response to the user reviews on the site or they knew all along I'm not sure. They're right though, they're a bit on the large size. I've been wearing thick socks in mine. Aim small and you'll probably be okay, but try them on if you can.

On the bike they're pretty well behaved. You wouldn't want to ride a sportive in them but they're fine for trips into town or down the pub, and if hopping on and off a bike is part of your daily routine and you want the pedalling efficiency of clipless pedals but without the look of the shoes, these will do just fine for all day wear. Off the bike they're easy to walk in once you've worn them in a bit. The reflective touches and elasticated lace holders are nice touches. They're a bit stiff to begin with but they ease up after a few weeks. The cleat plates allow plenty of movement fore and aft (although one plate in my test pair had picked up some glue and needed persuading to move) and I had no trouble with hot spots during testing. The flat sole isn't the grippiest but I've managed to stay on my feet. They look just the ticket with jeans or riding trousers; trainers and lycra has never been a good look, so don't.

Verdict

If you're looking for a pair of shoes for everyday wear with SPDs or Candys then the Kursk Pros are certainly worth a look. Be aware of the sizing though.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Chrome Kursk Pro SPD shoe

Size tested: 47

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Our top-selling style, now SPD compatible. Cleat plate is recessed in sole. Order 1/2 size smaller than other Chrome Shoes.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

* 1,000 denier Cordura with back-padding

* 100% vulcanized construction

* Low profile design

* Compatibility with most clipless pedal systems

* Full-length nylon shank plate for added riding rigidity

* Built-in foot rocker for added walking ease and comfort

* Board lasted sole with Polyurethane slam pad to eliminate pedal hot spot

* Skid resistant contact rubber on the sole

* Durable rubber heel cup with reflective safety hit

* Lace garage so laces don't get caught in your chainring

* Steel aglets to keep laces from fraying

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Pretty good, one of the cleat plates was stuck in though

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

decent round town, decent on the bike. Shoes like these are always a bit of a compromise between outright performance and off the bike wearability

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

They've been wearing fine

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

Pretty weighty but it's not a big issue

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
6/10

A bit roomy for the stated size, but comfy enough

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Not bad for the money

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Pretty well, solid rather than exceptional

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The look

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The sizing

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes in the main

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 190cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with SRAM Apex

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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3 comments

Avatar
crikey | 9 years ago
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People will point at you and laugh because you've got your pumps on.

(Pumps = gym shoes for small children in the North)

Avatar
bdsl | 9 years ago
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I'd be interested to know about why you say we wouldn't want to use these in a sportive. Other than the aesthetic issue of trainers and lycra not being a good look what problems would you expect in a sportive?

Avatar
INA19890424 | 13 years ago
0 likes

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