By Sue Rowland, PhD and Rick Schultz
Price MSRP: $199.95: SALE $139.95
Where to Buy: local bike shops, Amazon, online
Features: multi-usage, lightweight, all-weather
How obtained: manufacturer’s sample
Summary: Also works as a MTB shoe for flat pedal bikes.
Men’s: https://icebug.com/product/haze-m-rb9x-gtx-blackmaple
Women’s: https://icebug.com/product/haze-w-rb9x-gtx-blackmaple
Hot!
- Shoe construction is excellent for mountain biking
- The RB9X rubber sole is perfect for flat mountain bike pedals and for negotiating both wet and dry terrain
- The BOA lacing system is outstanding.
Not!
- This shoe is not wide enough for individuals with wide feet e.g. 2E
Icebug Haze RB9X GTX sport shoe: Is it also a mountain bike shoe?
I recently purchased a pair of Icebug’s RB9X GTX sports shoes with the intent of using them as flat pedal mountain bike shoes. This sport shoe is currently marketed as a lightweight, stable running, hiking, and walking shoe but many of the features of these shoes suggested to me that they would also perform well as mountain biking shoes. To my delight, these shoes met all of my expectations.
Let’s look at some of the key features of this shoe that make it well-suited for mountain biking.
Construction of this Shoe
One notable feature of this shoe is its durable and foot-protective construction. The shoe not only features a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort membrane that provides significant water proofing ensuring that your feet will stay dry on wet trails, but also possesses protective lamination all around the outside of the shoe that protects the foot from abrasion in rocky terrains. The collar and the tongue of the shoe are well-padded, features that allow tightening of the shoe without compromising comfort.
A second very important feature of this shoe is that it uses a BOA lacing system. It is key to being able to achieve a snug and comfortable fit of the shoe with only the turn of the BOA dial. No need to worry about untied shoelaces on the bike trail!
Haze RB9X GTX sports shoe. The construction of this shoe is outstanding in terms of what a mountain biker would look to find in a well-constructed mountain bike shoe. The Boa lacing system and well-padded collar and tongue significantly add to the overall comfort of this shoe.
Finally, the sole of this shoe is made with RB9X rubber that provides excellent traction on both wet and dry surfaces without studs. Importantly, this rubber together with the patterned design of the sole provides excellent traction on mountain bike flat pedals, as well as on the tough rocky trails often encountered on wet or dry mountain bike trails.
Sole of the Haze RB9X GTX is made out of RB9X rubber. The grippiness of this material together with the patterned design kept the shoe firmly in place on the flat pedal. This sole makes this shoe stand out in terms of checking all of the boxes for qualities you would want to find in a flat pedal mountain bike shoe.
The Shoe Insole
These shoes come with an ortholite hybrid insole that has excellent cushioning, a feature that would work for hiking whether on hiking trails or in the city. This was one aspect of the shoe that I found that I needed to modify. I found this insole to be a bit too soft and not supportive enough for cycling.
Icebug slim low cushion insole on the left and Ortholite Hybrid insole on the right in each photo.
Fortunately, the solution to the problem was easy to find. I also ride a road bike and use Icebug’s insoles in my road cycling shoes. I simply replaced the Ortholite Hybrid insoles in the Haze RB9X GTX shoes with a pair of the Icebug slim low cushion insoles that I had on hand. The low cushion insoles provided additional arch and metatarsal support, features that are important to obtain optimal power transfer to the pedals.
Shoe Sizing
Haze has a wide last with generous space, making it suitable for many types of feet. I normally wear size 40 (Eur) or 9 (US) in cycling shoes. I found that the size 9 shoe fit better than the 9.5 shoe, which seemed too wide. The shoe is wide through the forefoot, so if your feet are medium to narrow width, I would order this shoe using your actual shoe size. One bonus of the wide last is that it does allow riders to wear thicker socks in colder weather. Note: If you have very wide feet e.g. 2E, these shoes will not be wide enough for you.
Conclusion
The Haze RB9X GTX shoe is an excellent mountain bike shoe for use with flat pedals!
Sue Rowland is a new contributor to RBR. She works at Bike Fitness Coaching with Rick Schultz and is an advocate for women’s cycling and the importance of having a bicycle that fits the rider. She is passionate about lifelong fitness and enjoys running her daily fitness classes as well as her daily bicycle rides.
Sue is a Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and played a leading role in establishing the Online Biomedical Neuroscience Certificate and MSc Programs at the University of Florida. In addition to her career in Neuroscience, Sue has run over 1025 online Zoom exercise classes integrating core, strength, and aerobics into a fast-paced HIIT format. She is applying her vast experience to developing and delivering the highest quality online bike fitting courses currently available.
Coach Rick Schultz is an avid cyclist who has trained, raced, and coached in Southern California and now resides in Bend, Oregon where he works as a bike fitter and bike fit educator. Rick is an engineer by trade and a prolific cycling product reviewer. He’s the author of Stretching & Core Strengthening for the Cyclist in the RBR eBookstore. Check his coaching site, www.bikefitnesscoaching.com. Click to read Rick’s full bio.