Yesterday I was wearing my first-edition Giro Empire lace up road shoes. Ever since I first put those shoes on, I couldn’t get over how comfortable they were, right out of the box. There was virtually no break-in period.

Now they’re the only road shoes I wear. I’ve found that the laces actually allow for a lot more wiggle room and stretch than traditional buckles or velcro, meaning I don’t need to adjust them at all once they’re on my feet. Also, the laces have never come out of the loops, which is a concern of many people.

My only qualm with the first edition Empires is that I don’t always want to wear patent leather, which is why I love the new offerings (not pictured: white, because I hate white shoes). The all matte black, black and fluoro orange / yellow look amazing.

Check out more at Giro and yes, I’ll post my pair of well-used shoes later this week.