17 Best Road Cycling Shoes (Review) In 2022

How We Chose Our Selection Of Road Cycling Shoes

Brand - A quality hobby such as road cycling demands quality shoes, and by researching which brands are the best around, we identified products for our selection suitable for both experienced cyclists and beginners. The brands we chose deliver superb specialized shoes no matter your experience level.

Reviews - We don’t have the time to try these shoes for over 100-mile rides, and even if we did, we never seem to get around to fixing our punctured tires. It’s a good job we have reviews to give us the ins and outs of what makes a road cycling shoe worth having while also letting us know any issues to look out for.

Price - Yeah, cycling can be an expensive hobby, but if you’re serious about getting started, you need to cough up the dough. However, we want to appeal to as many riders as old and new as possible, so we ensured we selected products with a range of prices to fit all budgets and demands.

Features To Look For In Road Cycling Shoes

Comfort - Whether you need casual or touring cycling shoes, comfort is a massive factor to think about. Just like any shoe, it’s likely you’ll wear your cycling shoes all day, and if they are not comfortable, it can ruin your ride and hinder your performance, look for padded collars and insoles and you’ll never struggle.

Fit - It’s important your shoe is snug around the heel but also offers some room around the toe box to prevent cramping and to increase stability. Also ensure there are no large empty areas or overlapping of the material when bent, as this shows the shoe is too large for you and will not provide the performance necessary. A bad fitting shoe is almost as bad as wearing no shoes at all, so don’t just accept the wrong shoe because you don’t want to deal with the hassle of returning it.

Width Sizes - To achieve the right fit, check the width sizes of your potential cycling shoe to best accommodate your feet. These sizes are B, C, D, E, EE, and EEE.

B is the slimmest shoe width, whereas EE and EEE are the widest. You will find these shoes are often referred to as MEGA shoes and add an extra 4mm to the width to ensure comfort for wide feet.

Fastening System - There are a variety of fastening systems your shoes might have, and each of them has their advantages but also their disadvantages, too.

Velcro - A velcro closure system is fast, efficient, and straightforward. It saves you time and makes it simple to put on and take off. However, some cyclists believe it doesn’t provide the security of other fastening systems, and the velcro can be difficult to clean or even be inefficient if it gets wet or dirty.

Velcro is sometimes used as a secondary fastening system to complement ratchet and BOA or Dial closures.

Ratchet - The ratchet-style is a clip that fastens the top of your shoe near the tongue to keep it secure. Sometimes, this system is combined with velcro. It is quick and easy, however, if your shoes are too small to begin with, it could end up with your foot cramping during longer rides.

Laces - The traditional lacing system allows you to tie the shoes to your preferred comfort, but it is not very efficient. This is fine if you are taking a casual ride, but for competitive road cycling, you will lose time if you need to re-tie your laces if they come undone. The loops of the laces can also get caught in the bike frame or chain, which you certainly don’t want to happen.

BOA / Dial - The BOA / Dial fastening is the premium system and if possible is the style you should get with your preferred cycling shoe. It allows you to wind the dial to find the right comfortable fit without being too tight or too loose, while also being easy to adjust the longer your ride goes on. This is essential for maintaining comfort and will make your ride much more enjoyable.

If you’re taking a break, you can simply unscrew them to give your feet a breather, and the straightforward system means you won’t hold the rest of your group up when everyone’s ready to continue.

Soles - Most cycling shoes have flat soles, but for clip-in bike shoes, the soles are more textured to accommodate cleats. There’s more to it than this, though, so also look for soles that provide a little flexibility but not too much as you will miss out on energy transfer. The quality of the sole will affect the price, and stiffer soles crafted with carbon fiber are the premium level.

Material - Lightweight synthetic materials are most common, but for better quality options, carbon fiber is widely used. Depending on where you ride, consider how waterproof the shoe is while also thinking about how the material will make your foot feel during and after a long ride.

Breathability - Much like comfort and fit, breathability is another vital factor to consider when searching for your next pair of bike shoes. To prevent hot spots and overheating, the shoes must have vents to regulate airflow and keep your feet cool and dry, which will not just keep your energy up but also ensure better comfort in the long run, or should we say the long ride?

Durability - A durable shoe will save you spending money on replacements every other month. This durability is down to the construction and is necessary for ensuring miles upon miles of successful rides without worrying whether your sole will fall off before you reach the end of your street.

Compatibility - It’s imperative the shoes you selected are compatible with the bike cleats you use. There are some shoes that boast universal compatibility, whereas others will only be suitable for specific cleats. To ensure you find the correct pair to match your cleats, check the product descriptions or contact the manufacturer if this information is not available.

Types Of Road Cycling Shoes

Flat Pedal - The standard pedal you find on most bikes you’ve used since you first learned to ride, the flat pedal is the more traditional design. These are the pedals that spin around on the bar and have grip along the foot area to keep your feet secure.

Clipless - Let’s just get one thing straight, clip in and clipless cycling shoes mean exactly the same thing. Don’t ask us why, we don’t make the rules, but we get how it can be confusing, especially to beginners. Also, don’t be fooled by the name, despite the -less suffix, they do actually clip in, hence why you might sometimes hear people talking about clip-in shoes while discussing clipless. Are you confused? Don’t be, you’ll get it, eventually.

Anyway, clipless cycling shoes work using a dual system that first uses a small pedal with a locking system and then a cleat that you attach to the sole of your bike shoe. These connect, and you get a secure, comfortable connection to keep you stable on your bike.

Unlike flat pedals, there’s no chance of your foot slipping when it’s wet, and despite the smaller surface area of the clip-in (or clipless, or whatever) pedal, you also get better stability.

Road Cycling Shoe FAQ

Q: Are clipless pedals and shoes better for cycling?

A: If you’re new to road biking and want to know the ins and outs of which style of shoe and pedal is better for you, there’s a chance you are wondering whether clipless pedals and shoes are better for cycling. To give you a better idea of what’s what, we’ve identified the three things you should think about when trying to decide whether clipless pedals and shoes are for you.

Power Transfer - The power transfer of clipless pedals is far greater than that of flat pedals. Because your foot is secure to the pedal, there is always a consistent amount of power focused in that area with no loss of energy you get when your foot leaves the flat pedal.

Efficiency - This power transfer ties in with efficiency perfectly. Unlike flat pedals, which can only utilize the downstroke to generate energy, clipless pedals allow you to maximize the strength of your legs - particularly your hamstrings - on upward strokes, too. This increases efficiency by enduring none of your motion is wasted, and while it may take a while to master, you’ll never want to go back once you do.

Bike Handling - By being clipped-in you’re granted better stability on your bike, allowing you to move even control to improve the bike’s handling and ensuring a smoother ride. Because the bike becomes what is essentially an extension of yourself (like skis or snowboards) you can maneuver more efficiently to avoid sudden hazards.

Clipless bikes are not entirely perfect, though, and we wouldn’t recommend using them in heavy traffic as you risk holding up those behind you as you need to unclip every time you stop. They can also be difficult to master, so when you do make the switch, practice somewhere you won’t hurt yourself when you topple over and trust us, you will topple over.

Q: Do cycling shoes break in?

A: Road cycling shoes do not break in much compared to other shoes like hiking boots or runnings. However, we still advise you to wear them around the house as this will give you a chance to get a decent idea of how they will feel when you finally hit the streets.

Some cycling shoes have an anti-stretch design, which prevents them from expanding too much, but considering you want the shoes to feel secure (more on that soon), this is a good thing rather than a bad thing. If your shoes are not stiff enough, you risk losing the energy transfer required for a successful ride.

Q: How tight should cycling shoes be?

A: To provide the necessary stability, security, and control, your cycling shoes should be tight, but not too tight. The golden rule is to look for shoes that have room in the toe box but still feel secure around your heel. This gives you the optimal performance necessary for rides both long and short,

The last thing you want is for the shoes to be too tight when you’re already on your way and it’s too far for you to turn back and call it a day.

A: Do cycling shoes run true to size?

As with all shoes, how close they run to size will vary. Some shoes are a size too small, others a size too big, while there are some shoes which sit somewhere in between too large or small and just right. If you’re unsure about the fit, it’s advised to look at the fit description on the product page and also consult reviews to compare how other customers rate the fit.

In case of bad weather, you can always perform your cycling routine indoors if you choose one of the best spin class shoes from our buying guide.

Sources:

1. Anatomy Of A Cycling Shoe - MapMyRun
2. Flat vs Clipless Pedals - Experience Plus
3. Why You Should Switch To Clipless Pedals - Gizmodo
4. How Should A Well Fit Cycling Shoe Feel And Other Considerations - Fitwerx