The Aertis are available in men and women specific versions. Ours are the monochrome but two-tone “Army yellow” and multi colour (black with bold secondary colours) and for the ladies, a matt sand/coral. 

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The MTB SR17 sole features within the range and comprises of nylon with polyurethane studs around the heel and forefoot areas. A rubberised Sidi logo continues the grippy theme.  There’s a replaceable toe insert, and the studs are an aftermarket option and aren’t included with the shoes. Talking inserts, these are reckoned to be special MTB. Beyond the Ride Sidi message, they’re lightly shaped but with very subtle support around the heel. I should point out that Sidi doesn’t have a sole stiffness chart, so difficult to make on-paper comparisons with others.

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As for the uppers, these are “Politex” - a synthetic suede, which feels quite convincing to touch, although much lower maintenance.

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I’m told it’s made of several overlapping layers with unique physical-mechanical qualities. The compacted PVC is then joined to two fabrics- a knitted fabric and a “felt”. This is then fill dyed for lasting colour retention. Firmly adhering to EU regulations, its supposedly a “green” product, highly resistant to rips, laceration, stretching and fading.     

However, being as synthetic hides generally lack the same breathability, there’s a generous perforation throughout. It feels reassuringly rugged and as we’d hope given the price point, stitching is similarly sturdy and uniform throughout. Reinforcement features around the toe box to protect against stubbing against rocks, stones and similarly unexpected trail debris.

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Surprisingly, dare I say uncharacteristically for Sidi, the contrasting black logos emblazoned across the side are very subtle. More interesting is the Firmore closure system, which is a beefy strap running from the shoe’s centre to the sole’s lateral edge. Last but certainly not least is the Tecno3 closure system, which works to a very similar principle to the Boa type.