Sidi Shoes: Mesh vs Lorica

[Louis]

I'm guessing that the mesh offers better ventilation and is therefore better in hot weather. Is that correct? (I've only used the mesh.)

Thanks
Louis

[dirtdigger88]

I have never like the mesh because it seems to soak up water much worse on wet rides. I also dont like so much ventilation in my shoes- Im still wearing wool socks when I ride though :D I have tender feet :rolleyes:

Jason

[csb]

the extra material (2 separate layers) on the outer edges of the lorica models
have come (and still do) in handy. a crash sanded the outer
layer of 'leather' away. i thought it was curtains for them,
but alas it has been three years since and i'm still wearing them.

[Climb01742]

i found lorica surprisingly cool in the summer. the whole sidi shoe is "lighter", meaning less material, which helps make it cooler. vs. shimano shoes that use heavier, thicker fake leather and material, making them hotter. i wish sidi shoes gave me enuf support, because i find them very comfortable. a fine summer shoe, IMO.

[wwtsui]

fwiw, my Sidi Lorica shoes have been plenty cool in the summer (and I can't even come close to claiming that it's because I ride so fast :crap: ). I too was concerned about it before purchase, because my feet always get really hot in dress shoes, sneakers, etc., but for whatever reason, these haven't been a problem. In fact, in the fall/winter, my feet get cold at warmer temps than I would have thought (mid-40s), which I'd have to attribute to the ventilation. Good luck!

[dgauthier]

When I swapped from mountain pedals (hey, I was a newbie) to Time Imacts, I swapped some Sidi Dominator solid lorica mountain shoes for the nearly identical Sidi Genius mesh lorica road shoes. Though my feet were never too hot while wearing the solid lorica shoes, even in 100+ degree weather, the mesh shoes are noticably cooler, and feel even better. You can feel the wind penetrate the shoe a little bit, which feels kinda nice. :rolleyes:

[PsyDoc]

...bought the mesh model, because that was what my first pair of G2's had back in '93. My G2's lasted until about 2 months ago when the plastic outter piece shattered when I dropped them in my closet. Although the G2's had been delegated to "rain shoe" duty since 2001, the mesh on that shoe held up fine and the uppers looked almost new. I never noticed the mesh soaking up water like dirtdigger88 has. A friend of mine, who has the nickname "puddles" because he sweats profusely on the bike, bought a pair of the lorica ones this year because the store did not have the mesh in his size. Although the claim is that the lorica is very breathable, he said that the mesh model breathed much better and the lorica is noticeably hotter. He should know as this is the only rider I know of that when pedaling has a "shower" of sweat flinging from the heel of his shoes. If you ride behind this guy in temps greater than 70, then you end up with more of his sweat on you than your own (only takes one ride with him to know to avoid this situation). Living in South Georgia where the summer temps and humidity are high, I would never consider the lorica.