Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Sidi promotes this shoe as mountain bike attire – XC to be specific – but it’s just as capable as a gravel shoe, which is why you’ll find it gracing both sections of the brand’s website. So, if you see it elsewhere, described as the MTB Aertis, don’t worry; you’ve found the correct shoe, despite the ambiguous name.
In fact, Sidi also makes a near-identical shoe for roadies, called the Prima. The only difference is the sole – smooth and three-bolt ready on the Prima, vs knobbly and SPD compatible on the Aertis. If your road cycling is focused more on coffee stops than celerity, this shoe is the more satisfying solution for frequent café raids and the inevitable comfort breaks that follow. It’s the shoe I chose to wear when I crossed France earlier this year, which gives some insight into our itinerary.
Construction
The Aertis is smart in appearance, with a clean, minimalistic vibe.
(Image credit: Simon Fellows)
Sidi has a reputation for making elaborate-looking shoes – its flagship Shot 25 model, for example, features a multitude of fabric panels, dials, and an externally adjustable heel retention system. In contrast, the svelte Aertis is noticeably minimalist.
A single large swath of suede-effect Politex material envelopes the top of the foot, augmented only by a Politex reinforcement patch on the toe box and a rubber backstay strip at the heel. The upper, which bears a single Sidi logo and a series of subtle stripes on the wrap-over closure, is perforated from heel to toe box for ventilation. Other than these modest embellishments, it’s completely unadorned. To further aid ventilation, the tongue is made from soft, cushioned, open-cell mesh.
The cuff and heel cup are fashioned from a lightly padded piece of microfibre cloth.
(Image credit: Simon Fellows)
A lightly padded collar and heel counter are upholstered in microfibre cloth of contrasting colour, in my shoes’ case, a lemony yellow, which gives the relatively sombre khaki Politex upper a visual kick. It is, of course, the broad, vivid lime-coloured, mesh-like hook and loop strap that really pops. It’s a chief component of Sidi’s Firmor closure system, which the brand says provides superior lateral support and foot stability.
The upper closure features a rotary dial, not Boa’s ubiquitous Fit System, but Sidi’s own,…