Road bike shoes from the leading brands

Road bike shoes formen or women are characterised by their smooth, stiff, slightly arched sole and by their upper featuring a tight fit. A firm heel counter keeps your foot well in place and optimises a firm hold. The upper shoe material, in most cases faux leather, is slightly elastic so the shoe can adapt to the shape of your foot. Mesh inserts or perforations provide good ventilation inside the shoe. The sole is the most important quality trait of road bike shoes because the stiffness of the sole determines the degree of power transfer. Road bike shoes by Sidi are known for their excellent sole construction and therefore very much sought after among ambitious cyclists.

Standard road bike soles are made from Nylon. Possible carbon reinforcements in the pedal area partially enhance the stiffness. Demanding cyclists prefer completely stiff soles. These are soles made from carbon-Nylon composite material and of course soles made completely from carbon. The higher the carbon ratio of a sole, the stiffer and more lightweight it becomes and the more expensive the shoe will be. Soles of road bike shoes for men have 3 treaded holes in the pedal area for mounting road bike shoe pedal plates (cleats).

For the individual adjustment to your feet the closure of road bike shoes is crucial. A classic in this area is lacing, yet it is difficult to re-adjust on bike. Ratchet closures and Velcro straps allow for easy re-adjustment. Ever more cyclists meanwhile favour dial closures (e.g. BOA). Fine wires serve as large scale lacing and are continuously fixated with a dial closure. The dial closure is very lightweight and super easy to operate even one-handed on bike. All closure systems are often combined with Velcro straps.

Shimano provides SPD-SL pedals for road bike shoes. These flat pedals are very well compatible with the smooth sole of road bike shoes. Road bike cleats (SPD-SL) are connected to the soles at 3 points. They feature a better off bike comfort einen flächigeren Aufbau. Cleats for MTB shoes are connected to the sole at 2 points. Cleat and pedal for MTB (SPD system) are more robust and compact in their construction. They perfectly match MTB treaded soles.

Some road bike shoes for women and men, e.g. by Northwave, are SPD compatible and also compatible with 2-point MTB cleats. Please check for information on how to re-adjust beforehand so your shoe – and specially the sole – is not damaged. Usually when you purchase road bike shoes pedal plates are not included in the scope of delivery. Pedal plates are available individually or as part of a complete SPD system (pedals + plates).