Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 Mountain Bike Shoe
- Price: $149.99
- Buy from Amazon
I still tend to think of Leatt as a gravity brand because of their history making protective products like their storied neck braces for riders who really send it. Over the past several years though, Leatt has expanded well beyond the bro-brah senders and they make everything from slim-fitting trail gear and lightweight helmets to tough, downhill pants, full-face helmets, and pads.
The Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 is the brand’s latest take on an efficiency-minded, lightweight trail shoe which comes with a stiff sole and an Atop dial and a sleek look, easily shoeing itself into the XC/trail category.
Other features of the shoe include an extended cleat channel, a breathable mesh upper, an anti-compression midsole for shock absorption, and a molded heel shield for protection and heel retention. On the inside, there is a “direction heel grip lining,” AKA the cat tongue.
My size 8 weighs 453g (per shoe) with a Crankbrothers cleat attached. The Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 shoes cost $150.
On the trail with the Leatt 6.0 Clip shoes
There are a few features on the 6.0s that make them a little beefier than the standard clipless pedal shoe, although those features don’t seem to affect the weight all that much. There’s a reinforced toe cap and a cap over the back of the heel for added protection and as mentioned, some impact-resisting materials in the mid- and in-soles.
Otherwise, they fit in with a large crop of Boa or Atop-equipped clipless trail shoes. There is a little bit of flex through the toes, but the shoes err on the side of a stiff platform. Power is transferred cleanly from the legs to feet, to the pedals, to the forest floor.
Leatt doesn’t give a flex or stiffness rating for the shoe, but if I had to guess, I’d say it feels like a 7 out of 10. With more rigidity than conformity, the 6.0 is happier engaged into a pedal than hiking up a rocky or loose trail. The shoes are totally fine walking around flatter natural surfaces, but if I had a lot of hike-a-bike up to a summit or big descent, I’d prefer something else.
The anti-slip fabric inside the heel resists some slippage, but not all. I have had issues with heel slippage, especially on hike-a-bike sections. This is probably partly due to the shoe being a little too big on me. I am almost always a size 8US/41EUR and the 6.0s came in 8US/41.5 EUR, which is different than most shoes in my experience. There was definitely too much wiggle room for me, but I don’t think I could go a full size down either unfortunately. The US sizing may have been based off of European sizing. A half-size down probably would be perfect.
I didn’t have any issues with the Atop dial. The shoes tighten up just fine and there is a little pull tab you can yank to get the dial to cinch even more. It does feel like the pressure is concentrated primarily on the middle of the top of the foot though rather than being distributed through the top.
Shoe removal is great. Once you dial the Atop back to release and push your sole down, the shoe opens up like a spring-loaded door and you can pull your foot out without using your hands.
The all-black shoes look warm, but they vent very well and you can feel the wind gush in on descents. After a four hour ride with mud, the shoes in and out of creeks, my feet were still cozy when I got back to the trailhead. And the shoes dried out well considering a quick dip or two in the water.
Since I have a pile of mountain bike shoes in for review, I handed these off to a friend after my time with them. He usually wears an 8.5 and they fit him well. Unfortunately, one of the Atop dials broke when he removed the shoe after a ride. Sourcing a replacement Atop dial isn’t quite as easy as finding an extra Boa. I contacted Leatt and they treated my issue as a warranty claim, and sent a new pair of shoes.
Pros and cons of the Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 mountain bike shoe
Pros
- Good price
- Comfortable
- Atop dial makes donning and removal of the shoe a breeze
Cons
- Sizing runs big
- Not the easiest shoe for hike-a-bike
Closing thoughts
The Leatt 6.0 Clip V22 shoes are a great choice for a clipless shoe and the icing on the cake is that they are very reasonably priced for a stiff clip-in. The dial is easy to use and they are comfortable and breathable on long rides.
I recommend paying attention to the sizing though and compare the European sizing to your other shoes. My size 8 foot almost always translates to a 41 in Euro sizing and this time the 41.5 felt a half-size too big.
Otherwise the Leatt 6.0 V22s hit all the marks for a great, lightweight clipless mountain bike shoe.
- Price: $149.99
- Buy from Amazon
