Pearl Izumi Barrier GTX

The Barrier GTX boot is Pearl Izumi’s attempt at the ultimate winter MTB shoe. We’ve been impressed with the Barrier series of clothing and accessories in the past, but how do the boots fair?

The first thing you’re going to notice about the GTX is the price. £199 is going to be a lot of cash for many riders, especially as it faces stiff competition from the significantly cheaper Shimano MW80 and Northwave Celsius.

The GTX features a pretty conventional nylon sole and it has a good amount of chunky tread. There are also two optional toe studs in each boot - the studs and tool are provided in the box. Traction in mud is very good but they’re very sketchy on wet rock.

The uppers on the GTX are a little less conventional. Construction is in the form of toggle-laced inner shoe which is lined with 200g 3M Thinsulate fleecing. This is then wrapped in a separate zip-up Gore Tex outer, and then sealed off with integrated neoprene ankle gaiters.

you’re greeted with what only can be described as ‘slipper’ like levels of warmth and comfort...

As soon as you slip your foot in, you’re greeted with what only can be described as ‘slipper’ like levels of warmth and comfort. They’re truly a joy to wear with even the thinnest of socks. And they feel reasonably light for what they are as well.

The toggle-style laces feel difficult to get sufficiently tight but once the zip-up outer is done up, they feel secure enough for everything bar flat out xc-racing. The zip can be a little stiff due to the waterproofing of it and even stiffer when mud encrusted. It feels a little fragile in the hand as a result, and although ours hasn’t actually broken, it’s probably best to be cautious with it. The boots do come with a lifetime warranty so it shouldn’t be an issue.

The neoprene gaiter is quite chunky and wraps right around before velcro fastening. It could do with a little more velcro as we felt we could do with cranking the gaiters down a little tighter at times. Only really an issue if you’ve got skinny ankles though!           

The Pearl Izumi boot should work with most pedal systems, though cleat clearance is a little tight – certainly tight enough for stones to get wedged between the cleat and tread, and thus interfere with clipping in - it is rare though.

each shoe is only around 100g heavier than a fairly racy summer shoe...

In use, the Pearl Izumi feels pretty much like wearing a normal MTB shoe – it doesn’t really interfere with your riding at all and you feel just as light-of-foot and maneuverable as you would in normal shoes. This is down to the fact that each shoe is only around 100g heavier than a fairly racy summer shoe, and that the zip only fastens up to a height slightly higher than normal shoe. This does give less ankle support if you’re often hike-a-biking and means you get a few cm less wading height potential, but it makes for a very wearable and uncompromised feeling shoe to wear.

Around the sole and the Gore Tex upper, the boot is completely watertight (trudging through ankle deep swamps in Exmoor more than proved this). Turning the hose on them while still wearing them post ride was a pretty effective way of cleaning them, and such was our confidence in them.

Like most waterproof boots and socks though, keeping them dry is unfortunately directly related to your ability to keep water from going in at the ankles. All neoprene gaiters are generally porous and are more to stop water gushing in than keeping them watertight. The GTX is generally good though, and certainly no better or worse than any other boot on the market in this respect. Although the gaiters could be tighter for some, they do deflect a lot of the water and the two layer nature of the shoe means that anything that does go in takes a while to fully penetrate to your foot. When they do get wet, they generally stay pretty warm so it’s not the end of the world when it does happen.    

the GTX really reigns supreme is in its cold weather performance...

Where the Pearl Izumi really reigns supreme is in its cold weather performance. If you’re a real cold feet sufferer, and can stomach the price tag, stop reading now and just buy them already. Gone are the days of multiple socks and overshoes – just a thin set of normal socks and you’re good to go in anything down to zero degrees and beyond! We recommend upsizing by one size from say Shimano anyway, but upsize by two and you can run extra thick socks and have toasty feet well into the minus temps. They’ve been brilliant given the winter we’ve had to test them in. Minus 11 was the coldest we had down south and with a thick merino sock, they were as toasty as can be!

This warmth is also down to the fact that the GTX is about as windproof as it gets. You could hang your feet out of the door into a hurricane and not feel a thing. But not only is the Barrier GTX super-toasty, totally waterproof and windproof – it’s really breathable too! And this is where the price starts to make sense. To have a boot so impenetrable (ankle gaiters aside), yet be so breathable, it’s always going to cost a fair bit.   

they’re far from hardcore and at £199 it’s not the sort of boot you want to slice open...

We touched upon concerns over the strength of the zips earlier – and in general we have other concerns over the ruggedness of the boot. We’ve not managed to damage them or break anything. The boots do feel quite protective when on and there’s a bit of armouring in the toe cap and down the sides. But they’re far from hardcore and at £199 it’s not the sort of boot you want to slice open on a rock as you clumsily plough your way down the trail!

To be fair, we’ve hit the boot quite hard on occasions and it did shrug it off without damage – it’s still a worry though. None of these concerns are about the quality of the boot – it feels really classy. It’s just that it almost feels like a really good winter road boot that’s just had tread and studs put on the bottom.

If you’re the sort of person that’s riding really big, mean trails and have a history of killing MTB shoes, you’d probably be better steering clear and choosing something else. But if this isn’t an issue and you want the ultimate in protection from the elements, the great breathability, and something that isn’t going to hamper your riding (and the cost isn’t an issue), the Barrier GTX could be for you. 

Toasty yet breathable with great protection from the elements, pricey and perhaps fragile...

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