Review: Garneau Women’s Carbon LS-100 III Cycling Shoes

*Photo Courtesy of the Louis Garneau Official Website.

Finding shoes in general has always been a difficult thing for me. My feet are narrow, my second toe is slightly longer than my big toe, and I have flat feet. Because of these things, shoe shopping is an absolute nightmare and after spending hours trying on every shoe in the store, I usually come home empty handed. I’d love to be able to wear those sexy heels or those super cute flats, but it’s just not in the cards for me. When I was younger, in my competitive figure skating days, breaking in my skates took forever! I had to put my skates (without the blades) in boiling water to soften them, then walk around the house for a while, and complete the process repeatedly. I also had to get the part where my ankle bone is “punched out” because they just never sat right on my foot. My point is, that for me, finding the a pair of shoes that works for me is really rare.

*Photo Courtesy of the Louis Garneau Official Website.

This brings me to my product review of the Louis Garneau Women’s Carbon LS-100 III Cycling Shoes. The shoes I had been using finally gave up the ghost and I needed a new pair of bike shoes. After much research of different brands and the products that they offered, I decided to try out Garneau’s new shoes. I like a stiff sole with not much flex and the Carbon LS-100’s checked that box. I also really like the BOA system. Being a snow skier, I was first introduced to this concept many years ago and thought it was a very convenient way to tie your shoes and be able to adjust them quickly on the fly. These shoes have a full BOA IP1-S dial system without a Velcro strap. This is great for me because it allows for uniform tightness throughout resulting in my feet being secure but comfortable.

*Photo Courtesy of the Louis Garneau Official Website.

My favorite thing about these shoes is the X-Comfort Zone technology and it’s really the reason why I splurged on this shoe in the first place. According the website, the “X-Comfort Zone technology allows the foot to swell up to 5mm while riding, thus eliminating hot spots and discomfort.” The mechanics behind this is that on your downstroke, your foot flattens out more and your toes spread apart because it is pressing against a hard surface. By having this flex zone built into the construction of the shoe, your foot is able to do what it naturally does and expand as if you were walking barefoot. Your toes spread out to increase stability, to even out pressure and this ends up maximizing power. For me, this has completely eliminated the issue I had with my feet going numb while riding. I think this feature alone is brilliant and worth the price tag of the shoe… for me at least.

Another feature that this shoe has is that the tongue is slightly off center. What I mean by this is that the top of the shoe is not exactly centered on the top of your foot. It’s a little bit off to the side. The website description does not include why they have chosen to do this. I think it takes pressure off your foot and makes the shoe fit more comfortably but that is just speculation. It could just be because it is aesthetically pleasing.

As you can see, the top of the shoe is slightly off center.

*Photo Courtesy of the Louis Garneau Official Website.

The vent system is outlined in red.

*Photo Courtesy of the Louis Garneau Official Website.

The Carbon LS-100 also has a COOLMAX insole which is supposed to keep your feet cool in the summer in conjunction with the vents on the bottom of the shoe. I honestly, haven’t really noticed if my feet are cooler or not in this shoe compared to others. I do not have wet socks after a ride. Maybe slightly moist socks at most which doesn’t really bother me. I did wear these shoes once in a torrential downpour and my feet got soaking wet, so I do know that the vent system works! Another cool bonus feature is that it has Power Zone technology for maximum efficiency. From the diagram, it appears that this section is a little less flexible to increase the power transfer from the pedal through the sole of the shoe and into the part that surrounds your ankle.

The Carbon LS-100 comes in two color patterns. One is black with pink accents and the other is split between navy and white. I bought the black and pink one initially because it matched my bike. After riding in them for a few months, I actually ended up buying a second pair in navy/white as a backup.

Objectivity statement: while we have a relationship with Garneau (that includes discounts on products and occasionally some free previews), we take product reviews and recommendations seriously, and would never recommend something that we wouldn’t personally buy at retail prices.

*Photo Courtesy of the Louis Garneau Official Website.