The Zxellium Ultimate is still Mavic's stiffest and most supportive shoe for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The neoprene cuff on the new Mavic Drift winter mountain bike shoe is articulated at the front of the ankle for less restrictive movement.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic's top-end shoes are available in trademark yellow but more subdued hues are also available.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic is using a new Energy Full Carbon SLR unidirectional carbon fiber sole plate on some of its higher-end shoes.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Mavic Zxellium shoe gets TPU-reinforced upper panels for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Mavic Zxellium shoe uses a full carbon sole but it's slightly heavier than on upper-end models.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The new buckle lever is straighter at the end so it's now easier to get a finger underneath it. Spring tension has gone up and the valleys in the straps are deeper, too, for extra security.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic says the carbon fiber laminate panels on the Zxellium Ultimate add extra support.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The revised ErgoStrap system is still adjustable - just unhook the cords and reposition them into the other set of grooves.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Padding on the inside of the heel cup on Mavic's Zxellium Ultimate looks to have gotten a little more heavily shaped for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic fits the new Zxellium Ultimate shoe with the Energy Full Carbon SLR outsole. Production shoes will have a unidirectional finish.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Laminated carbon fiber panels on the Mavic Huez shoe add a bit more support than before.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The new cutout sole on the Mavic Huez shoe is also ventilated.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic will add two new winter cycling shoes to the range for 2012: the mountain bike-oriented Drift (pictured) and the Frost for roadies.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic equips the Drift with an aggressive outsole tread for more secure purchase on snow.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Drift's sole is notably chunkier than on Mavic's standard mountain bike shoes.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The reinforced toe on the Mavic Drift should also help block a bit of cold winter wind.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The new Mavic Frost winter road shoe features a Gore-Tex liner and light insulation to help battle the cold.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
To keep costs down, Mavic equips the Frost with a fiber-reinforced nylon sole plus fairly generous heel and toe pads for safer walking.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic's adjustable ErgoStrap system gets a lower-profile refresh for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The Mavic Huez is the company's lightest shoe but it also looks superbly ventilated.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic's EnergyLock heel design effectively locks the rear of your foot in place with a carefully shaped bit of carbon fiber.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Exactly how airy is the Mavic Huez shoe? Good luck keeping your feet warm in these on cool days. (Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The TPU-reinforced panels on the revised Mavic Zxellium should provide a little more support for 2012.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Mavic has revamped its road shoe range for 2012, incorporating many of the same upgrades found on select mountain bike models we previewed a few weeks ago. While the overall fit hasn't changed, a few key tweaks to top models promise to make the new shoes more supportive in many cases, better ventilated, and easier to live with. Unfortunately, though, prices have gone up, too.
Last year's Zxellium Ultimate gets new laminated carbon fiber upper panels, a carbon-reinforced sockliner, and more aggressive internal heel cup padding for a more supportive fit than the previous version according to Mavic communications manager Zack Vestal.
Also new is a reshaped buckle lever that's easier to operate, deeper valleys on the ratchet strap and a stronger ratchet spring for extra security, and a lower-profile adjustable ErgoStrap SL forefoot strap system.
Weight has dropped substantially, too, courtesy of a new unidirectional carbon fiber Energy Full Carbon SLR outsole. Actual weight for a pair of size 9 shoes is now 504g – a drop of 67g from last year's model.
Huez – US$425
Mavic's feathery Huez shoe again puts a premium on trimming the fat with a weight of 380g per pair thanks to a spartan mesh-infused upper, a simpler carbon laminate ErgoStrap SL hook-and-loop retention system, and the same SLR carbon outsole as on the Zxellium Ultimate.
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While admittedly less supportive than the Zxellium Ultimate, one key advantage to the Huez's airy construction aside from the lack of mass is ventilation. The carbon sole cutouts are covered with mesh as opposed to the Zxellium Ultimate's airtight material and the mesh panels on the upper are practically see-through – so much so that the Huez will likely be nearly unusable in cool conditions without covers and riders will actually want to pay attention to the color of their socks.
The Mavic Huez is the company's lightest shoe but it also looks superbly ventilated
Zxellium – US$324.95
The standard Zxellium gets a big dose of support with the addition of a stiffer TPU-infused 'Energy Frame' plus stouter (and shinier) material elsewhere on the upper.
Other improvements include the same easier-to-use buckle and lower-profile ErgoStrap design as on the Ultimate plus a new unidirectional finish on the carbon fiber outsole. Mavic doesn't bother with weight saving cutouts on this version but the more generous heel and toe pads will be welcome for café stops (the Zxellium Ultimate and Huez shoes get by with tiny heel pads only).
The Mavic Zxellium shoe gets TPU-reinforced upper panels for 2012, along with a full-carbon sole
Frost and Drift – US$200
Mavic will also enter the winter shoe market with two new models: the Frost for the road and Drift for mountain bikers.
Both feature nearly identical uppers with Gore-Tex liners, wraparound neoprene cuffs, basic three-strap hook-and-loop closures, reinforced toe caps, and fiber-reinforced nylon soles. The Drift also gets a notably more aggressive tread as compared to Mavic's other mountain bike shoes for clomping around in snow and slush.
Vestal says that insulation is on the lighter side of the spectrum for winter cycling footwear, however, so colder temperatures might still find riders reaching for covers or filling the roomier uppers with thicker socks.
Mavic will add two new winter cycling shoes to the range for 2012: the mountain bike-oriented Drift (pictured) and the Frost for roadies
