If you like gravel adventures, bikepacking or just general off-roading while clipped in, rejoice – Fizik has reworked its stiff, more XC and mountain bike-focused Terra X5 with a bit more chill.
While visually pretty similar to the X5, the new Terra Atlas gets a host of changes aimed at comfort both on and off the bike (the X5 still made our list of the best gravel bike shoes, mind you, so it's hardly bad).
The fit is more generous and the heel is wider for better support, while the outsole is nylon instead of carbon and registers a five (out of ten) on Fizik's Stiffness Index.
There's a new set of fully rubber-covered treads underneath for surefooted walking, and it keeps the removable toe studs if you need a bit of extra bite.
The closure is similar with a single micro-adjustable Boa dial, but the Atlas has no toe strap so the Boa wires drop further down the front.
The price is similar to the X5's too, at $159/ £159/ €159, and it's available in four colors, which broadly speaking are black, grey, green or pink.
All these changes, which Fizik says are based on rider feedback, seem firmly aimed at making a shoe that's more comfortable for long, lower-paced days and those times you're off the bike walking. They're designed, it says, for 'a variety of off-road terrain ... everything from fast downcountry laps and epic all-mountain rides to back-country adventures, overnight bikepacking trips and cross-continent endurance races.'
The Fizik Terra Atlas is available now and certainly seems to tick all of 2022's most popular boxes. Here at Bike Perfect we're ahead of the curve with our back-continent down-lap adventurepacking, and wondering if they're good for that – stay tuned for our Fizik Terra Atlas review to find out!
