Review: Quoc Gran Tourer XC
Review by Chris Hunt / Photos by Ray Wood
A stiff-soled, comfortable, performance leaning off road / gravel / touring shoe designed for long distances and a variety of different riding styles and conditions.
Why I Chose The Quoc Gran Tourer XC
Much of my summers each year are spent planning and riding bikepacking adventures, and after tough innings with countless rocky hike-a-bikes and several ultra cycling events, I was looking for a replacement for the original Quoc Gran Tourer laced shoes.
With a high quality supple upper and a well-designed unique lace system, these were comfortable from the get-go and became my go-to shoes for riding off road as well as long distance bikepacking trips on the tarmac. I’ve got fairly high volume feet so always need plenty of room in the toe box, which those original Quoc’s provided and I loved the narrow profile of the outer.
Now, more than four years after purchase, as the rubber sole was peeling away from the body of the shoe (after numerous super glue repairs) it was time to find a replacement but it wouldn’t be easy to find a worthy match.
Quoc offer three options as part of their off road offering: The Gran Tour lace, Gran Tour II and the Gran Tour XC. Besides the obvious differences in lace and dial closure systems there’s little really separating the lace and the Gran Tourer II. These are comfortable off road and long distance shoes designed really for anyone using SPD cleat and pedal systems.
The Gran Tourer XC is the evolution of the Gran Tourer, suited to the rider after a comfortable, versatile pair of shoes highly customised fit, with a stiff, performance sole for, for off road and bikepacking.
What appealed to me about the Gran Tourer XC is that on the face of it, these are a spec’d up equivalent. I’ve used BOA dials on other footwear so am familiar with the set up, and having two dials means plenty of customisation with the fit. I’ve also got really high arches, so the fact that the XCs come with three arch support inserts to chose from is another great plus point. This pair is also billed to be stiffer through the sole than the standard Gran Tourer or Gran Tourer II, making it a more performance oriented option. Great for riding, perhaps less good for hike-a-bikes? Time will tell.
Out The Box
I love the distinctive two-tone design we now recognise as the Quoc trademark and across the whole Gran Tourer rang there are some great colour ways and pretty unique colour ways.
The shoes are noticeably stiffer than their predecessors but remain plenty comfortable. The thick lugs on the sole are noticeable and grippy. It’s also super cool to see three different arch systems offered in the box to suit the rider’s individual feet. I have pretty high arches so it’s reassuring to be able to try each insert before committing to one and feels like a much more accessible way to get somewhat customised insoles.
I really like both the ease of use and the refined feel and fit offered by the dial system. A criticism of laced cycle shoes is often the difficulty of adjustment on the fly. With feet that are prone to swelling on longer rides and multi-day adventures, have two adjustment points to dial in the fit so easily on the move is a great plus point.
Interestingly though, instead of using the familiar, tried and tested dials from BOA, Quoc have manufactured their own in-house system. The dials definitely feel a little lighter and miss that really satisfyingly solid click of the BOA, but they work and seem to have plenty of
It’s a shame however to see the brand stopped offering half sizes. Cycling shoes are very specific with sizing and ideally I’d sit between sizes at 43.5 which is what I owned in the original Gran Tourer laced version of these shoes. I was skeptical to go up to 44 but with the dual dial closure system was relieved to find a snug fit still.
As someone who has fairly high volume feet, I’d also generally opt for a wide option from brands who offer it. This I’m sure relies on the brand knowing they have capacity to sell a fairly high quantity before they can offer more options as part of their range, which I appreciate smaller companies are probably unable to do, but is something that given the option I’d probably always steer towards.
Put To The Test
My first rides came as part of a long weekend sampling the forest tracks of West Sweden. I needed a shoe I could use both on and off the bike, remaining comfortable for long days. Riding all day, I never felt hot spots on my feet (which I am often subject to on longer days).
Since then, the shoes have been my footwear companion for about 18 months of riding off road, bikepacking the famous high passes of the Pyrenees, with just one pair of shoes for back to back days of riding as well as the time off the bike, including shops, cafes and around camp as we bivvy’d in the mountains. The perfect opportunity to really put the shoes to the test.
Most recently I fast-packed an urgent lap of The Republic of Ireland in preparation for riding the Transcontinental later in the year. As mentioned earlier, I’ve got quite wide, high volume feet meaning ideally I need quite a wide toe box, wide enough for the model to be part of a wide fit range offered by specific brands.
On these much longer back to back days, where my feet are likely to swell somewhat, there’s definitely a little discomfort and slight numbing of some of my smaller toes (particularly on my left toe). This sounds quite dramatic but is pretty customary for ultra distance riders particularly as they’re in the process of dialling in their fit.
Features
Aesthetic
Across the range, Quoc have developed a distinctive design across their shoes with unique colour ways making for a low-key, timeless aesthetic.
Out the Box Comfort
Supple and comfortable out of the box, despite my first use being a three day bikepacking trip, there was no breaking-in period of experience of discomfort.
Stiff Soles
A stiff sole means more power is transferred through the pedals meaning more speed with less effort. In reality, most bikpeacking trips don’t really need the stiffest of soles, but it is reassuring to feel the maximum of your effort propelling you forwards. A stiffer carbon sole in the Gran Tourer XCs mean that while the shoe remains comfortable enough for long days back to back and walking when it’s required, the stiff performance sole makes them a great option for gravel and cyclocross racing too.
Customisable Fit
Two dial closures and three arch support options as standard means there’s a lot of opportunity to really dial in the perfect fit. As someone who is used to returning shoes due to weird fits and sore spots, any chance to maximise comfort is greatly appreciated.
Unlike most companies in the market though, Quoc have opted for their own in-house dial design which don’t have quite the same premium feel as their BOA counterparts. Having broken a set of Boas on my road shoes and struggling to source a like-for-like replacement, it is reassuring to find replacement dials available directly on the Quoc website.
Thick rubber Lugs
The rubber used across the sole is noticeably thick with deep lugs and the option of two different length toe studs. This makes for really reassuring footing off the bike and by the depth of the rubber, I’m confident they’ll last plenty long enough too.
Sizing
As with any premium sports shoe, a really good fit in a cycling shoe is paramount, particularly when it comes to ultra distance cycling with a poor fit lending itself to injury. It’s a bit of a shame then to see that after offering half sizes in the original Gran Tourer, that the newest iterations are available only in round numbers. Not the end of the world but if you’re paying premium prices, you’ll want to be sure you’ve got the absolutely best fit possible.
Cons
Price will be too high for some
No half sizes
Not super wide if that’s your thing
Pros
Great style
Comfortable out of the box
Arch support inserts
Great power transfer
Summary
The Quoc Gran Tourer XC are an excellent evolution of the already popular iterations that came before them, with the dual dials and the addition of a stiff carbon sole providing a great step towards a performance more race oriented shoe with lots of fit customisation out the box.
£240 RRP is no joke for a pair of bike shoes. So really it comes down to what you need out of your shoes. If you’ve got a pretty agreeable pair of feet, you are after a great looking touring, bikepacking shoe without the added stiffness of the XC, the Gran Tourer II is a fantastic option that will still save you £50 and the Escape will save you almost £100.
The Gran Tourer XC sits a the top of the pyramid for Quoc. So if you’re after premium, stiff customisable pair of off road shoes these could be for you. And while £240 is definitely a lot of money, it’s pretty comparable in the market considering a double dial closure system and also customisable arch support options. At the time of writing, they’re also available in certain colours with some pretty hefty discount.
Ultimately as a fit specific product, the real decider if the Gran Tourer XC shoes are fo you will come down to fit. So if there’s a store near you that you can try before you buy, I’d certainly recommend doing so.
If the shape of your feet match the shoes though and you’re aftera really stylish, versatile, customisable and high performance, off road shoe that’s stiff enough to race, the XC could just be for you.