Don’t like laces? Giro’s new Factor Techlace may be the ticket

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FLIMS, Switzerland — I have to confess, I don’t love lace-up shoes. They look cool, but I often have trouble finding the lacing sweet-spot and I’m left either stopping mid-ride to tighten the laces or dealing with hot spots on the top of my high-volume foot after over-tightening. Giro, the very brand that made laces on cycling shoes cool again, stands by lace-ups but also admits adjustability is an issue, so they’ve solved that problem with its new Factor Techlace shoes.

It’s essentially a semi-lace design that you don’t have to tie; instead, a Boa closure provides its signature adjustability over the top of your foot, and the laces are fitted to two Velcro closure straps. The idea is to give you that supple, secure feeling over the front of the foot with the laces, but to also combine that feeling with the on-the-fly adjustability of Velcro straps. The Boa provides the exceptional security we’ve come to love, now with a 1mm-per-click adjustment.

In theory, the combination should give you the best of comfort and adjustability with none of the drawbacks. Here’s how Giro got there.

Techlace

The new lacing setup is called Techlace, and it’s not just a catchy name: Giro has created a patent-pending lace/strap system that lends the benefits of consistent snugness with easy adjustability. The laces wind through lace holes like any other shoe, but the ends (known as aglets) snap into a plastic fitting on the Velcro straps, creating the heart of Giro’s patented system. The laces are replaceable and only take a few minutes to swap out, and Giro offers 12 different lace lengths — along with six colors for as much customization as you want (the Boa dial also comes in four colors).

Boa Ip1

There are three ways to adjust the Ip1 closure from Boa: Turn to tighten, turn in the opposite direction to loosen, and pull away from the shoe to release the lace. Each turn in either direction offers 1mm of micro-adjustability. It’s quick and easy to do on the fly, so as your foot expands or contracts over the course of your ride, you’ve got fit …

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