Defender 20 Cycling Shoe - Men's
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Ultralight and ultra-stiff cycling shoes have a time and a place, and we’d argue that midway through a steep hike-a-bike section is not that venue. Sidi’s Defender 20 shoes balance stiffness and light weight with the walking tread and comfort needed when the trail conditions force us off the bike.
The Sidi Defender cycling shoes are constructed with Sidi's Politex uppers, paneled for support and backed with mesh that lets your feet breathe. Sidi's Politex material is unique in that it combines several different materials in thin layers to compound their strengths, coupled with compacted PVC to ensure rugged durability for long miles bushwhacking through trail debris. The panels of Politex combined with Sidi’s Tecno-3 system keeps feet secure for optimum power transfer on the pedals, and to eliminate slipping when off the bike.
Over time, Sidi has become synonymous with supportive soles, and the Defender Cycling shoe is no different. They use Sidi's Outdoor Sole, with rubber that adapts to variable trail conditions, offering serious grip through wet trail and rocky faces alike. The tread pattern is designed to better shed mud and improve comfort. With less mud stuck to the sole, we can clip back in more quickly to keep enjoying the ride.
Details
- Serious shoes for all-mountain adventures
- Grippy rubber sole keeps you stable on foot
- Stiff sole transfers maximum power to pedals
- Politex uppers are extra-durable and tough
- Tecno-3 closure cinches down for perfect fit
- Reinforced heel cap keeps your foot locked in place
- 2-bolt mountain bike cleat compatible
- Item #SIDZ108
- Upper Material
- Politex Suede Effect, mesh
- Closure
- Tecno 3 Buckle System
- Midsole
- thermoplastic
- Sole
- Sidi Outdoor Sole
- Cleat Compatibility
- 2-bolt
- Claimed Weight
- [single, size 43] 15.oz (441g])
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 1 year for full-price items
Reviews
Q&A
Overall Rating
3 based on 4 ratings
Review Summary
Fits True To Size
Screen reader users: the following list provides a visual scale to illustrate the product fit. Please refer to the heading above for the fit type in text.What do you think about this product?
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageAugust 8, 2023
Great at fist, BUT....
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
I bought these shoes for gravel riding and bike touring. They look great and are stiff and still walkable. Out of the box they are true to size, look great and should have been perfect. But the longer I wore them the more painful they got. When you tighten the single adjuster ratchet they tighten the toe box more than the ankle area. I find myself constantly readjusting them because my toes are so uncomfortable and my ankle is not tight enough. The only way to wear them is loose and that is not good in any kind of technical terrain.
November 26, 2021
Sidi finally figured it out except&.
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Size Bought:
- 45
This is the shoe sole that the SD15 should have had and is much stiffer but still walkable. Sidi has taken the sole and significantly stiffened it up except for in the ball of your foot and forward. They've also added a rocker shape to the sole and widened out the cleat pocket. The net of this that shoe has great power transfer through the sole without flexing but retains it's walk-ability. Sidi's version of a boa style closure works great. But this shoe has a big problem in that the heel is too wide and slips. So you tighten it down but then the toe is too tight - painfully so. I fixed most of it by getting a new insole that is a half insole and ends before the ball of your foot. I also put some material under the heel. This causes the H heel to tighten up faster but still leaves the toe looser. But what this shoe desperately needs is the dial closure to have only two anchor points for the shoe instead of three and a Velcro adjustment over the toe box. Better, given how generous it is in the heel, would be for a dial just across the top anchor point to control the heel and then another dial that covers the lower two anchor points like Sidi does on many of their other shoes. That would make this just an incredible shoe. Right now, after a lot of riding of this, I can't recommend it unless because of its weird fit and adjustment. I would love to see Sidi add the Velcro strap the SD15 has and shorten the dial adjustment to the top two anchor points. That would make this far better than it is at low cost. Add an upscale version with two dials as noted above and this shoe would be awesome. Right now, it's a miss. Classic Sidi fit. I wear a 10.5-11 in D width and I fit perfectly in a 45.
December 10, 2020
Great initial impression.
- Familiarity:
- I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
- Size Bought:
- 47
- Height:
- 6' 3"
- Weight:
- 205
I've only worn these around the house but I think they are pretty awesome so far. I know what I'm looking for in a cycling shoe and don't think I need to ride on the trail to know I like these. If they are comfortable on the ground, I'm sure I'll like them on the bike. First pair of Sidi and dude.... They are nice! Love the style. They are even nicer than the pictures show. As far as fit goes. My best fitting shoes are always 12.5 or a 13 that runs a little small. A lot of the time I end up with too much toe room in a 13 because I can't find a 12.5 and a 12 is too small. These fit perfect. If I can get a few years out of these I'll be very happy. Update: Rode about 10 hours over the last week and I love these so far. They disappear while I'm riding and the sole grips the flat side of my Funn Mamba pedals good when I'm not clipped in. If you aren't a weight weenie and are looking for a stiff shoe that offers some foot protection, has a nice grippy sole, is a decent walker, and looks great these should be on your short list.
December 3, 2020
The shoe needs a different style closure
- Familiarity:
- I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
- Size Bought:
- 48
I really wanted to like this shoe...I have owned several SIDI shoes in the past and have been very pleased with them (2 pairs of road shoes). My fiend got these Defenders, and I liked the fact they have a rugged outsole, which seemed like it would be good for adventure/bikepack trips. So i pulled the trigger and bought them. Out of the box, I saw the good SIDI craftmanship, and the overall quality of construction. Also, the outsole looked durable and rugged for future bikepacking trips. Well, after the first ride, I hated them. why? the heel kept slipping. On a 6 mile MTB ride with some tough tech sections and a few hike a bikes, I must have tightened the shoes 5-6 times during ride, because each time I had to come off the bike to hike, my heel would slip. So I would tighten. And tighten. And tighten some more. They were so tight at one point it started constricting the front of my foot. (I ordered the same size as my other 2 SIDI models, so it is not a size issue). But I could literally almost pull my shoe off my heel, even with it tightened a lot. Disclaimer; I replaced the stock insoles with cycling insoles I use in all my other cycling shoes (with a high arch support). The stock insoles are pretty much useless, although SIDI says in their included pamphlet that 'they do not recommend using any other insole other than what comes with the shoe'...yeah, right. Liability. So, back to the slipping heel. Remember, the insoles I use in all my other cycling shoes are cycling specific high arch insoles (made by Specialized). The solution to this issue is simple; make it a 2 boa style closure system like the Specialized Recon 3 shoes (my go-to MTB/bikepack shoe) instead on the single boa system. The more I tighten, the more the front of my foot would get tight, but not where it counted, that is, keeping the heel in place when having to do a hike a bike. I gave it 3 stars because other peoples feet may be okay with this type of closure system...or maybe they ill use the stock insoles...or maybe they won't ever do any hike a bike in them...me? I'll go back to may Specialized Recon 3, which served me well on 13 days of the 550 mile Colorado Trail this past summer and are still going strong...
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