The Lab: Mavic Deemax Pro Flat Shoes in review
In the “The Lab” we present the latest products and put them through their paces for you. Some undergo long-term tests, while we check others out only briefly. This time we reveal how the Mavic Deemax Pro Flat Shoes fared.
Mavic’s Deemax Pro flat pedal shoe is the French company’s premium offering for riders who want the freedom of riding flat pedals but won’t sacrifice pedalling performance.
The fit is excellent: a wide toe box keeps the blood flowing to your toes and the snug heel cup and fitted midfoot means that the Deemax shoe doesn’t need over tightening to keep your foot firmly in place, resulting in better feedback from the pedals and more control.
Mavic has really thought about the details for the Deemax shoe. The upper materials are impressive; Mavic’s Kevlar ‘Matryx’ upper manages to be light, breathable, water resistant and hard wearing – quite an achievement for a single material! High stress or wear areas such as around the laces, heel and inside the ankle have a polyamide coating for further abrasion resistance. The whole shoe is welded together, rather than stitched, so there is nothing to unpick or unravel over time.
The upper materials don’t appear to absorb water and the fairly smooth finish, cleans up easily with a quick wipe down of a cloth.
Foot protection is good with a solid toe box and a semi-mid top to stop you from bashing your ankles or corners and cranks. Although the shoe materials felt stiff when new, it bedded in nicely over a few rides and became very comfortable both on and off the bike and over three months of winter and spring testing, the shoes are still looking great with no signs of wear. The literal Achilles Heel of every flat shoe is the sole: the stiffness of the mid-sole and the light overall weight means that the Deemax pedals well and the Contagrip sole compound is one of the best we have ridden. Traction between sole and pedal is very nearly as tacky as Five Ten Stealth rubber in the dry and continues to perform well, even in cool and wet conditions, with only a small reduction in grip when the temperatures plummet to near freezing and the rubber hardens.
Mavic has just about nailed it with the Deemax Pro flat pedal shoe; the support, grip and comfort combined with its weight and durability has seen it become our go-to shoe, happily bombing runs at the bike park or pushing hard all-day on a trail ride.
Tops
- Great fit - comfortable on and off the bike
- Grippy sole
- Impressive materials and construction
Flops
- Price
- A slight drop in sole compound performance below 5°C
Price: € 170
Test duration: 3 months
Weight: 940 g (size 46)
Tester: Felix
More info: mavic.com
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Words & Photos: Thomas Corfield
