Crono CW1E Winter Shoe

When asked about reviewing a pair of Crono Shoes, I replied, "Shoes made by who?" I hadn't heard of Crono Shoes before but it turns out they're a family-run Italian business that's been making shoes for a while now. The factory started in 1973 making shoes for brands like Sidi, Fizik, and Time. The Crono brand was founded in 2011, and all of their shoes are designed and manufactured in Italy. A pair of the Crono CW1E will set you back 220 EU or 325 CAD.

The Crono CW1E is intended as a performance mountain bike shoe for the cold months of the year. The shoe is internally lined with Primaloft fleece to keep your feet warm. The external gaiter is water repellent lycra to keep your feet dry. The shoe is moderately stiff. The Vibram sole is decently sticky making it great for short hikes, or riding that sketchy section with your feet unclipped. They hit the scales at 860 grams for the pair, which is reasonable for a winter boot.

The first impression you're going to have with the Crono CW1E is how easy they are to put on. The cuff is stretchy, and the two loops make pulling them on a breeze. They're easier to put on than a pair of socks. Once on, they are incredibly comfortable. They feel like a pair of slippers that are giving your feet hugs. The BOA tightens the shoe in seconds, providing nice even pressure across the foot. I like the stiffness of the sole and they're a reasonable weight, so they're comfortable over long days in the saddle. Some of my favourite loops have some hiking sections involved and, you guessed it, they were comfortable then, too. The tread height felt perfect allowing a small amount of engagement with the pedal, but didn't impact clipping in or out in any way.

On Crono's website, they suggested using this shoe in the -15°C to +15°C range. The wind does pass through these as they're more of a soft shell than a hard shell. I've found them warm enough for all the rides this year with relatively thin socks. That said we've had a mild winter, so I haven't ridden in these in much below 3° C. For weather colder than 0° C you'll want a thick sock, and may want to consider shoe covers. I think Crono's suggested range down to -15°C is a bit ambitious. If you regularly ride in temperatures below freezing, I think a hard shell winter boot like the Shimano MW-702 might be a better call. For around here though I like the warmth of the Crono CW1E. I've ridden these exclusively since getting them in February for conditions ranging from 3°C and raining to 18°C and dry and my feet have been comfortable on every ride. Another benefit of the soft shell nature is they seem to dry quickly and haven't developed a funk yet.

I've been thoroughly impressed with the Crono CW1E shoes to date. They've held up well through the riding here. They're not cheap at 220 Euros, but the price is in line with other winter riding shoes. The stand-out features of these shoes are how easy they are to put on and how comfortable they are; I actually look forward to pulling them on before a ride. They're not as warm and waterproof as the Shimano MW-702, but I think they're probably a better shoe for 95% of winter riding in this part of the world. I'm at a loss as far as finding anything to critique. The only downside is they are a bit tricky to get in North America. They're distributed by Gizmo Cycling, or can be found on Merlin's online store.

The Crono CW1E has quickly risen to the shoe that gets put on every time I go for a ride, and that's about the highest praise I can give. If you're looking for a winter boot, and don't routinely ride in properly frigid temperatures I'd highly recommend checking these out.

Crono CW1E - 325 CAD (currently on sale for 172 CAD here) / 229 Euros