The Distanza marks Italian brand UDOG’s first foray into off-road footwear, with a particular focus on gravel riding. With its distinctive styling and mesh upper, it’s a shoe that immediately stands out. Drawing inspiration from approach-climbing shoes. It promises a blend of grip and agility, though it falls short in some key areas, and the lace-up design won’t suit all tastes.
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UDOG Distanza Ash Grey shoes – Technical Details
The UDOG Distanza is available in just the single Ash Grey colour, although the brand does also produce a carbon-soled off-road shoe, the Cinder.
With a distinctive look, UDOG says it is inspired by “crag shoes”, although this is likely lost in translation and refers to what would typically be known as approach shoes — usually featuring an oversized rubber toe cap for added protection.
The Distanza is available in sizes 38 to 48 (UK 5 to 12.5), and while the brand doesn’t offer a specific fit guide, it does provide a comparison chart against other manufacturers. This suggests the sizing is equivalent to Shimano, Giro and another Italian brand, Fizik. However, the guide doesn’t specify which models are used for comparison. From experience — using SIDI as a reference — I know the Millennium fit doesn’t match the chart, so I wouldn’t rely on it too heavily.
The claimed weight is 330g for a single size 42 shoe, and our sample in size 40 weighs 330g without cleats installed.
The upper is constructed from a mesh fabric, similar to the style used in previous shoes tested, including the DMT KM4.
UDOG Distanza Ash Grey shoes – Performance
The Distanza shoes have a distinctive shape, noticeably far from flat, with a raised heel that’s clearly visible in the contour of the insole. The insole itself offers more definition than most at this price point, with additional shaping and padding at key areas. There’s a raised arch too, though it’s not particularly pronounced and should suit the average foot shape comfortably.
Once on, the forefoot isn’t the narrowest I have ever used, but they still feel restrictive, and those with wider feet will find them tight, and UDOG doesn’t offer a wide-fit option. While the forefoot is acceptable, the midfoot area is very narrow and lacks support underneath. I found this most noticeable when walking, with the shoes occasionally feeling unstable.
Cleat placement is highly adjustable, with enough range to position them quite far back towards the midfoot if preferred. A helpful touch is the pull tab at the rear, which made it easier to put the shoes on, particularly useful given that the lace design doesn’t slacken off easily.
The lacing system itself is unique, using underfoot loops that UDOG claims improve stability. Lacing up is straightforward, and they feel secure at first. There’s a built-in lace garage on the tongue, which worked well and kept the laces neatly tucked away.
However, despite my best efforts to evenly tension the laces before riding, they regularly worked loose, often to the point where I needed to stop mid-ride and retie them, sometimes more than once. While lace-up systems can work well for some riders, this one didn’t perform as reliably as others I’ve tested.
The rubber sole offers excellent grip when walking over technical terrain, which is a real benefit when off the bike. Oddly, however, the most aggressive tread is positioned at the very front of the sole — an area that rarely makes contact with the ground. The rubber bumper at the toe could be useful for riders who regularly dismount and navigate rocky sections on foot. Still, for a shoe primarily aimed at gravel riding, its inclusion raises questions, especially given the minimal support through the midfoot. The toe area typically doesn’t endure much wear on standard gravel routes, which makes the feature feel more stylistic than functional.
Under power, the amount of flex is acceptable and compares well to most nylon-soled shoes. However, the combination of a flexible sole and a soft mesh upper allows for quite a bit of lateral and vertical movement, which can make them feel like they are flexing and twisting under power.
The mesh upper also offers next to no water protection. Any contact with moisture soaks straight through like a sieve. Unlike many shoes that offer at least some resistance to light rain or splashes, you’ll feel every drop in the Distanza. That said, airflow is significantly better, which could be a real benefit in hot conditions, and it always means they dry quickly when they do get wet.
UDOG Distanza Ash Grey shoes – Verdict
As a first attempt, the UDOG Distanza introduces some notable features, and the design certainly stands out among other off-road shoes. Priced competitively at £160, they go head-to-head with the Crank Brothers Candy Lace, which outperformed them in most key areas. Other lace-up alternatives include the Specialized Recon ADV at £200 and the QUOC Gran Tourer XC Lace at £220, with the non-XC version coming in at £170. If laces aren’t your thing, there’s no shortage of options across a range of price points — including the Rockrider 900, which offers impressive value at just £80.
The UDOG Distanza Ash Grey is a shoe that catches the eye with its distinctive looks, and features like the lace garage and pronounced arch support are welcome additions. However, when it comes to outright performance, there are several key areas where it struggles to match up to the tough and well-established competition.
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