Aksium or Ksyrium, Cosmic or Comete, this roundup of the Mavic Shoes range will explain all
(Image credit: Courtesy Mavic)
Based in Annecy France, Mavic was founded by Charles Idoux, and Lucien Chanel and has been producing bike parts and accessories since 1889. With its bold yellow branding, Mavic is an acronym for Manufacture d'Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Chanel, or Idoux and Idoux & Chanel’s Manufacture of Articles for Velocipedes.
Mavic’s first big break was when the brand decided they would replace the wooden rims used on road bikes, with metal. Duralumin was the alloy of choice, a mix of copper and aluminium, and the wheels were tested at the Tour de France by Antonin Magne who won the yellow jersey. At that time metal rims weren’t allowed so Mavic painted them to look like they were wooden.
Jumping up to the 1970’s Mavic started providing neutral service cars packed to the brim with replacement bikes and wheels for riders who experience bad luck on the road.
Over the years, Mavic has pioneered more than just the metal-rimmed bicycle wheel, they also invented the hooked rim, allowing for clincher tires, were the first to begin anodising alloy rims and produced the first aero road bike and deep-section wheels. The French brand also produced groupsets for a time, and even trialled the first electronic drivetrain (Mektronic), though they’ve since moved away from shifting components.
The French manufacturer helped push the Universal System Tubeless for mountain bikes in 1999 and in 2008 first launched its range of rider equipment, including clothing, pedals and shoes.
Scroll down to see Cyclingnews’ round-up of Mavic road shoes available to buy this year
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Mavic has a vast range of footwear for both road and off-road riding, starting with your basic riding shoes with a nylon sole to tricked out WorldTour level carbon fibre kicks.
Men’s Mavic road shoes you can buy today
Mavic Comete Ultimate shoes
Price: £630 / $999 / AU$1600
Closure: Ergo Dial II
Sizes available: UK 6.5-12 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 100
When Mavic initially launched the Comete Ultimate shoes, most were dumbfounded at the £900/ $999 price tag (the RRP has dropped to £630 in the UK), which was higher than quite a few of its road wheelsets and nudging up against what full custom shoes would set you back.
Mavic uses a carbon exoskeleton, starting at the sole and comes up around the foot and provides the mounting surface for the brand's own version of cable and reel closures for plenty of stiffness and minimal weight. Inside the exterior shell are replaceable booties, one for hot weather riding and one for cold or wet weather.
The carbon shell weighs 144.5g in size EU 45, and the summer bootie tips the scales at 125.5g in the same size for a grand total of 270g. According to Mavic, with a low collar, the Comete Ultimates offer increased ankle angular freedom which in combination with the 4.5mm stack height is claimed to save you 4.2-watts per pedal stroke — we are dubious, to say the least, but for what they cost the Comete Ultimate better have something special up its sleeve.
Mavic Cosmic Ultimate SL shoes
Price: £340 / $360 / AU$ N/A
Closure: Boa IP1
Sizes available: UK Mens 3.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 100
Mavic designed the Cosmic Ultimate SL to be a WorldTour level ultra-rigid, lightweight shoe, that still offered plenty of comfort. With a 6.5mm stack height, the brand says it’s shaved 10g off the full carbon Energy SLR sole, bring the shoes down under 200g each. The shoes have a single Boa IP1 dial, with the cable routing offset to one side to allow the upper to wrap around your foot to provide the best possible support.
The upper is made with a TPU frame with laser welded mesh panels to eliminate seams, and Mavic has widened the toe box and added heel support. Like the Comete, Mavic say it has also taken angular ankle freedom into account with the Cosmic Ultimate SL shoes and has lowered the profile of the collar to prevent rubbing or constriction.
Mavic Cosmic Pro shoes
Price: £230 / $260 / AU$450
Closure: Mavic Ergo Dial QR system
Sizes available: UK 5.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 80
The Cosmic Pro slides in just below the Ultimate SL version in Mavic’s range with a cheaper carbon sole with an 80 on Mavic’s stiffness scale. The shoes also trade the seamless TPU frame upper and welded mesh panels for a Synthetic microfiber upper with laser-cut perforations.
The shoes feature two of Mavic's Ergo Dial QR closures and use what the brand calls the Endofit tongue, said to offer a ‘glove effect’. The shoes have also carried the wider toe box down from its more expensive counterparts.
Mavic Cosmic Elite shoes
Price: £135 / $160 / AU$250
Closure: Ergo dial, Velcro
Sizes available: UK 5.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 60
Taking another step down in price, the Cosmic Elite shoes trade the bottom Ergo Dial for dual non-stretch aramid velcro straps, and the carbon sole steps down to Mavic's Energy Carbon Comp plate with a stiffness rating of 60 — it’s carbon-reinforced rather than full carbon.
The shoes retain the Endofit tongue and feature an OrthoLite open cell foam insole. With a synthetic leather upper and plenty of mesh panels to help your feet breathe, Mavic also offers a winter ‘Vision’ version of this shoe that’s waterproof and insulate for a little extra, depending on the weather conditions where you live.
Mavic Cosmic shoes
Price: £115 / $140/ AU$ N/A
Closure: Boa or Velcro
Sizes available: UK 5.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 50
Available with a single Boa L6 dial or three velcro straps, the entry-level Cosmic shoe features a nylon and fibreglass sole rated 50 on Mavic’s stiffness scale. With a one-piece synthetic upper, it’s perforated throughout for a bit of airflow and features the brands 3D EVA tongue which is not only is said to hold your foot in just the right place, but also prevent the Boa Cable from digging in.
According to Mavic, the entry-level Cosmic shoe has a slightly adjusted volume compared to other models, and the brand recommends ordering a half size up for the best fit.
Mavic All Road Pro shoes
Price: £225 / $275 / AU$ N/A
Closure: Laces
Sizes available: UK 5.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 80
Gravel riding has blown up over the past few years and with gravel bikes evolving at nearly the speed of light, so are the riding parts and accessories.
Gravel shoes are essentially paired down XC mountain bike shoes and have less built-in protection and a less rigid sole for more comfortable hike-a-bikes. The All Road Pro are Mavic’s top-end gravel slippers.
The Nylon sole is rated 80 on Mavic's stiffness scale and is only compatible with 2-bolt SPD style cleats and features rubber lugs on the sole for scrambling up those near-vertical fire roads.
The upper is made from what Mavic calls ‘Matryx’ technology, which uses a unique blend of Kevlar and polyamide for a material that’s said to be supportive and light, yet more abrasion resistant than traditional or synthetic knit uppers from other shoe brands.
Mavic All Road Elite shoes
Price: £165 / $135 / AU$ N/A
Closure: Laces
Sizes available: UK 5.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 80
The Elite version of the All Road trades the knit upper for perforated synthetic leather complete with mesh panels over the toe box, but the same carbon reinforced sole, rubber lugs and 2-bolt cleat mounts.
Mavic Aksium shoes
Price: £89 / $100 / AU$180
Closure: Laces
Sizes available: UK 5.5-13 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 50
Just as you’d expect to find Mavic’s Aksium wheels on an entry-level road bike, the shoes under the same name are aimed at those just getting started road riding. Based around the brand’s Energy Comp Nylon sole with a stiffness rating of 50, Mavic say it has kept it low profile for optimum foot positioning.
The upper is made from synthetic leather and is complete with perforations, mesh panels over the toe box, reflective detailing, and the tongue gets an elastic loop to keep your laces safe from chainrings. For the same price in the US (£9 cheaper in the UK) there is also the Aksium II which trades the laces for three velcro straps and adds a few additional mesh panels to the upper.
Women’s Mavic road shoes you can buy today
Mavic Sequence SL Ultimate shoes
Price: £340 / $360 / AU$ NA
Closure: Boa IP1
Sizes available: UK 3.5 to 9 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 100
Featuring the Energy Full Carbon SL sole, 6.5mm stack height a single Boat IP1 dial and TPU frame with welded mesh panels, the Sequence SL Ultimate is Mavic’s Women’s World Tour level shoe.
If these feature’s sound familiar to the Cosmic Ultimate SL, that’s because it’s the same shoe, for the same price, just available in smaller sizes and only in white.
Mavic Sequence Elite shoes
Price: £135 / $160 / AU$NA
Closure: Ergo Dial QR
Sizes available: UK 3.5-9 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 60
Same as the Sequence SL ultimate, the Sequence Elite corresponds with the Cosmic Elite, being the same shoe. It’s only available in white, and in the smaller end of the size range starting at UK 3.5 and going all the way up to 9.
You still get the Ergo QR dial, dual aramid velcro straps, Energy Carbon Comp outside and Endofit tongue.
Mavic Echappe shoes
Price: £89 / $100 / AU$NA
Closure: Laces
Sizes available: UK 3.5-9 including half sizes
Stiffness rating: 50
The Echappe shoe is the women's specific version of the Aksium kicks. Like the two shoes above it’s the same shoe as the Aksium, (and the same price) but is only available in white and available in smaller sizes to accommodate petite feet.
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Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, Colin has written tech content for cycling publication for a decade. With hundreds of buyer's guides, reviews and how-tos published in Bike Radar, Cyclingnews, Bike Perfect and Cycling Weekly, as well as in numerous publications dedicated to his other passion, skiing.
Colin was a key contributor to Cyclingnews between 2019 and 2021, during which time he helped build the site's tech coverage from the ground up. Nowadays he works full-time as the news and content editor of Flow MTB magazine.
