Far from the most important part of your kit, but not the least important either, are shoes. They are almost a rite of passage in a way, too: buying clipless cycling shoes is a sign you’ve become invested enough in cycling.
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to shoes, depending a lot on what type of riding you do. If you are a racer or a sprinter, you likely prefer a stiff shoe that doesn’t flex when you really push the power. If you like long distances, you might want something more flexible to allow the foot to move over hours on the saddle – and also work a little better on that walk round the supermarket sweets aisle.
The following shoes are our team’s favourites – things we’ve loved using over the years, and as you can gather from the responses, something we keep reaching for over other options. (As tech writers, we have usually a few shoes to choose from.) If this approach seems familiar, this is much like the “Pick One” we’ve done in the Geek Warning podcast.
This isn’t a comprehensive guide in telling you everything about cycling shoes – we have other features planned for that purpose, for example looking specifically at the need for wide-fitting cycling shoes. And finally, it’s not an affiliate commerce story; we make no money from any purchases you might make off links.
That said, even if this isn’t an all-compassing guide, it’d be silly to not share a few things below for general advice on cycling shoes.
What we look for in cycling shoes
Before we get to a few things that we look for in cycling shoes, let’s start with a little definition of road cycling shoes. Broadly speaking, road shoes are defined by the cleat and pedal system that is a three- or four-bolt design instead of the two-bolt interface that is the more common for off-road or all-road riding. Though, as you’ll notice later on, there are no hard rules on what type of pedal system you should run on your road bike.
Generally, road cycling shoes are lighter and less robust than off-road versions, simply due to the fact they are less likely to get scuffed on rocks or be used for walking unridable trails.
Fit
This might be an obvious one but from conversations with bike fitters and fellow riders, it’s quite surprising how many people ride in shoes that simply don’t fit their foot shape. The reason there are so many options out there isn’t only to cater for every style combination, but also to provide different fits for different foot shapes.
A basic step before choosing any shoes is to know what shape and size your foot is. An easy way to do this is to place your foot on a piece of paper, draw around it with a pen, and measure. Take the length and width of your foot and then compare that to the size chart of the shoes you’re considering.
Don’t forget width. There are wide-fit shoes available and again, different brands define what ‘wide’ is differently, but once you know that for example, your foot is 92 mm wide, you’ll know whether it fits better in the regular or wide-fit shoe.
Sizing
Don’t trust the size labels. A size 5 shoe from one brand might be a good few millimetres longer or wider than the same size from another, so pay attention to the actual millimetre measurements of the shoe size rather than the size label. If the brand doesn’t provide these in their size charts online, ask. They will usually have them available and if not … maybe not the best sign.
Materials and closure
The two main parts of the shoe are the sole and the upper. In cycling shoes, the sole is what defines the stiffness of the shoe and unfortunately, stiffness ratings are brand-specific and generally arbitrary. Some brands go from 2 to 12, some from one to 10, and some just stay it’s a stiff shoe or it isn’t. True cross-comparison isn’t possible for a consumer, but looking at the ratings the brand gives the shoe indicates how the shoe is likely to feel.
Then there’s the upper. Almost all “leather” shoes today are made of synthetic leather, but that comprises a wide variety of textiles. Add in mesh panels, plastic support, and fabrics like Dyneema, and there are lots of different styles and technologies in uppers. Some are more rigid and support your foot; some are soft, moldable and breathable.
The upper is also where the different closure system is placed: laces, dial- or buckle-based ratchet systems, Velcro straps. Sometimes there is a single closure system, sometimes it’s a combination. Connecting the upper part and sole of the shoe is usually some sort of toe guard – and as you’ll see in our favourites below some have a more robust design, others are meant for well, not walking at all.
The upper and the sole of the shoe also play a big part in the ventilation of the shoe. If you hate smelly shoes, more ventilation is better (but also some materials deal with odours better than others), and if you regularly ride in colder temperatures, then fewer vents might be more desirable.
Dave Rome – Bont Vaypor 2023
For many years, I’ve kept returning to the old faithful, the Shimano S-Phyre (regular fit). Ignoring the misstep that was the RC902 series, these have otherwise felt like home to my feet. Add in a great heel cup, durable construction, decent weight, great stiffness, plus a reliable heel gripper, and there’s a lot to like.
However, that may be changing. The S-Phyres have long been my fall-back whenever I try something new, but I got a pair of Bont Vaypor 2023s some nine months ago and am yet to stop using them. These were the first new shoe from Bont to take a far more relaxed approach to the bathtub sole design and so they offer a more relaxed fit for the foot. I feel like my toes can spread out a bit more in these versus the Shimanos, and they’re even more supple feeling in the uppers.
I also upgraded them to Bont’s premium inner soles, something made by Cobra9 – a worthy upgrade. I have experienced a few durability woes with the toe guard, but I’m informed that’s all fixed up in an even newer version.
Price: US$449 / AU$550 / £370 at bontcycling.com
Alex Hunt – Canyon Tempr CFR
When it comes to picking my favourite road shoes, I am sure I’ll get a lot of stick for my answer, given that they aren’t actually road shoes. Being in the privileged position of gear tester, I get to ride all kinds of bikes. One thing I like to keep constant is the interface between my feet and the bike. For this reason, I opt to use a two-bolt XC race shoe even on my road bikes. I have spent many a kilometre with my feet in road shoes, and in all honesty, I can’t find a big enough reason to continue to use specific road shoes for the type of riding I do.
If I was pressed to pick my favourite traditional road shoe, that accolade would have to go to the 2016/2017 Bontrager XXX road shoes: comfy, stiff as anything sold today, and in the red and white colourway a shoe to behold. Given that these are no longer available to purchase and the XXX shoe range has gone through multiple iterations I cannot pick them as my favourite.
Instead, my favourite cycling shoe of today goes to Canyon’s Tempr CFR. The carbon sole is as stiff as they come in an off-road shoe, the styling on my limited edition pair gets people talking, and using a fully floating Boa closure design, the fit works really well for my feet. They also offer a road version for those who wish to stick with convention.
Price: US$330 / £319 at Canyon.com
Caley Fretz – Giro Empire SLX
The number one thing I look for in a road shoe is a soft, supple upper. I don’t tend to have problems with arches or toe box size, but I do run into hotspots and other discomforts on the tops of my feet, particularly in shoes with stiffer uppers. Badly placed Boa dials are a particular issue. I’ve been running various Empires pretty much since they launched, initially because I loved the old-school look of the laces and now because they’re the most consistently comfortable road shoes in my stable.
The simplicity works for my feet, and I’m a big fan of laces in general. I like that I can keep the instep a bit looser and tighten down closer my ankle, preventing movement without making my feet feel suffocated. They’re light, stiff, comfy, and look good. What’s not to like?
Price: US$375 / AU$499 / £330 at Giro.com
Suvi Loponen – Bont Vaypor
Like Dave, my favourite road shoes are the Bont Vaypor 2023. After years of struggling with poorly fitting shoes that made my feet ache and my toes go blue after longer rides, I discovered that my size EU37 feet are not only short but also wide – a combination many brands overlook.
It is, in fact, pretty hard to find wide-fit cycling shoes that come in smaller than size 38. Bont is one of the few brands that cater for the little duck-feet-like customer base, and as such once I got my tootsies in the wide Vaypors, I haven’t really wanted to use any other pair (despite my bank account not being too happy about this find). They’re certainly on the stiffer side and not ideal for any long walks – but that’s ok for me when it comes to road shoes, as long as my feet stay ache-free when I ride. And in short, these shoes have effectively eliminated the issues I had with my feet. I’ve yet to find a shoe that fits the shape of my foot as nicely as these, especially when heat-moulded.
Especially in the white colourway (there is a black option) these are not the most winter-friendly kicks and require frequent cleaning (I am a sucker for white road shoes). Also, as Dave mentioned, the toe guard in the early production pair that both of us have is thin as paper and almost non-existent after a few, um, cyclepath rides.
Price: US$449 / AU$550 / £370 at bontcycling.com
Ronan McLaughlin – Trek RSL Knit
Truth be told, I don’t have a favourite shoe. Having spent far too long obsessing over finding the perfect shoe that anchored both my vastly different-length left and right feet, which also feature a high instep, high navicular bone, but an otherwise low-volume forefoot, I somewhere along the way forgot about the width.
As such, while I have various shoes that do a great job of the anchoring aspect of the fit I desire, having not yet owned a specifically “wide-fit” pair of shoes I’ve yet to find something that works over the long long hours in the saddle that my goal events typically entail these days. Finding such a shoe was a goal for 2025 before this article came about, so hopefully I can update sometime this year with a definitive favourite.
In the meantime, I do though have a few shoes in rotation that at various times have been my favourites. For a considerable time that was the Northwave Extreme Pro II, but right now I most often reach for the Trek RSL Knits. The RSL Knits are effectively a sock stuck to a carbon sole with two straps to hold the foot in place. They are incredibly comfortable, light, breathable, and in terms of uppers, there’s nothing more supple than a sock. Lucky for me, those straps sit above and below that high navicular, and so the RSL Knits are the first shoes I’ve used that literally exert no pressure on this area, even with the retention mechanism ratcheted up. There’s literally just a sock covering this area. I just wish Trek would add a wide-fit option to the line up.
Perhaps not a feature that exists on many “perfect shoe” lists, but ought to, is the RSL Knits’ incredible ability to not smell. I do plenty of sweaty hours on the trainer and in dirty wet weather outdoors. This means the smells coming from every cycling shoes I’ve ever owned mean they really get their own bio-hazard warning signs and perimeter tape … except the RSL Knit. For reasons I can only attribute to the knit construction, the RSL Knits simply don’t smell. As far as random added bonuses go, not smelling is a good one!
Price: US$500 / AU$750 / £400 at Trekbikes.com
Jase de Puit – Fizik Tempo Decos
Buying shoes and helmets can be annoying. The chances of local stores having the appropriate model and size are slim. Fizik had been on my radar for classy-looking shoes for a while so when I saw a local deal on the Fizik Tempo Decos in my size I headed right over.
The fit was good in the store. The shoes are pretty minimalist and light. Tightening the Boa dial causes the large tongue to wrap nicely around the top of my foot. I had concerns about the cleat placement based on some Powerstraps I use on the trainer. As it turned out, the range of motion for the cleats was beyond any other shoe I’ve had and it was simple to get the cleats settled into position.
On the road the shoes disappear. Despite not being top-of-range they look and feel premium. Being carbon-soled, there’s no issues with stiffness while being comfortable enough for longer rides.
I was a little concerned that the single Boa dial may cause some fitment or comfort issues but nothing has eventuated. I feel like this is a typical example of the cycling industry which often dictates that you must have X (dual Boas) when Y is actually just fine for most applications.
And if you’re interested, I talked about my favourite shoes and the journey from laces to Boas in my 2024 favourites, too.
Price: US$300 / €290 / £290 at Fizik.com
Escape members favourite – Specialized S-Works Torch
As part of this feature, we asked you – our members – on Discord to tell us what your favourite road cycling shoes are. From the dozens of answers, one pair came up more than others: the Specialized S-Works Torch. The reasons members gave for choosing this pair included that they accommodate wider feet, have “excellent ventilation and adjustability,” and – of course – stylish design.
Many of the otherEscape members echoed Nole Studley, who favourited the Torch shoes (speficially white ones) for the following reason: “I have found with the stretch panel built in that these have the best hold in the heel and can accommodate a wider front toe box, including a bunion. It helps they are white!”
Wider fit, white colour and adjustability were trends that came up with the runner-up nominations too – and highlight that while the fit is important, especially when it comes to road cycling shoes style matters, too. When it comes to runner ups, Bont Vaypor S and several different Lake models (including CX238, CX241, CX332 and CX403) got mentioned a fair few times.
Thank you to all of you for your replies – we loved learning more about the issues we all have with our feet – and keep the responses coming in the upcoming surveys (the next one is already up and running as you read this!).
Price: US$450 / AU$650 / £350 at Specialized.com
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