Scott’s Shr-alp shoe is big. I don’t mean ponderously long like a clown’s, I’m talking about the space inside, the actual box where your foot sits, which in this case feels custom designed for large, flat feet like mine.

It’s this that’s drawn me into riding the Shr-alp after over 10 years riding flats, and helps make it one of the best mountain bike shoes going. 

The Shr-alp shoe is riddled with holes, but they’re still great at keeping out water in foul weather

The Scott Shr-alp uses a standard synthetic upper, with laser cut holes for ventilation and to help it conform easily around your foot. Inside is Scott’s own ErgoLogic insole, which adds a whole load of support for your arches, and raises your foot slightly in the shoe. It’s far better than most of the insoles I find on other brand’s shoes, which are usually flat and about as supportive as naan bread. 

So much space is there inside the Shr-alp I think you could opt for an even more supportive aftermarket insole, to really tailor the footbed to your foot’s profile. Even then there would be ample room inside, because Scott has been generous with the accommodation here right down to the rubber-armoured toe box.

Scott has three different fit styles across its shoe range, with the Shr-alp bang in the middle using Performance Fit with “regular volume and natural fit.” I’d argue this is on the generous side, but I’m not complaining, especially as it means you can easily fit a bulky waterproof sock in there without pinching. 

The long velcro strap is one of the simplest and most effective ways of ensuring perfect stability

There’s a simple lace closure to the Shr-alp, backed up by a long velcro strap to really lock your foot into position. There’s no fancy BOA dial here to drive up the cost, and I really don’t think you need it because adjusting the strap pressure once your foot has warmed up and swelled slightly is easy and effective. Laces also deliver very even pressure across the top of your foot too, better than multiple strap options or clever dials. That said, the strap is probably a few centimeters longer than it needs to be and ends up poking way lower than the other pad. The laces are very long too, but never to the point of flapping or getting in the way as you can tidy them away with an elastic strap on the tongue.

With a minimal sole and high stiffness the Shr-alp is race orientated, but I like it for its feedback from the trail

At your ankles the Shr-alp shoe is almost always very comfortable, the tongue is just the right thickness to cushion your laces without being too bulky, and it doesn’t slide down one side or the other. At the top of your heel the shoe is cushioned and holds your foot perfectly when riding. The one thing it’s missing is a slightly higher cuff on the inside, as I did knock my ankles a few times during wobbly moments.

Flip it over and Scott has used its own house Sticki Rubber compound for grip, shaped into lugs that look like they come straight off an astroturf boot. They’re tacky enough for walking or pushing back up again to session something, although the stiff nature of the shoe makes your heels slip as you do so.

How it rides

I tested the Shr-alp with both the Crankbrothers Mallet Trail and Mallet Enduro, and the Time Speciale 12 pedal, and had no problems clipping in. The recess has plenty of clearance from the lugs that surround it, and sits at the right level to let you easily clip in and out while still allowing contact between the pedal platform and shoe. There are chamfered edges to it to help guide the pedal into place, while the sole’s rubber is slicker and less proud here too.

The cleat box is easy to access, and there’s a ton of space to trim the cleats to your liking

I run the cleats as far back as possible in all my shoes so the pedal can rest more in the middle, which I find less tiring on longer descents. It does bring some problems with it though, the front of my trailing foot can get trapped against the chainstay and prevent me unclipping unless I’ve been very careful to clock the cleat to ensure easy release. Fortunately there’s plenty of space in the Shr-alp’s cleat box to adjust the release angle, all without bringing the cleat too close to the sole’s lugs.

For a shoe with laser cut holes in its sides, the Shr-alp is actually pretty good at keeping the weather out and releasing your sweat too. At no point this winter have I had wet feet inside the Shr-alp, which must in part be to good luck, and in part to its weatherproofing. 

Scott’s got sole

The Shr-alp very much feels like a racer’s shoe – I like that it sits close to the pedal without much bulk underneath you, and the connection to the bike is really stiff and secure. There’s a tradeoff here of course, and while it’s not the most damped clipless shoe I’ve ever tested I wouldn’t call it harsh. In fact, plenty of riders will like the extra feedback you get from the trail.