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Xxx road shoe.

Bontrager XXX road shoe is the premium choice for high-performance riders who never settle. Sought after by the world's best racers and meticulously constructed of the most luxurious materials, XXX is the epitome of sophistication.

Superior stiffness

XXX features a 100% OCLV carbon sole that’s exceptionally lightweight and stiff for incredibly efficient power transfer.

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Dual IP1 Boa® dials let you make precise micro-adjustments so you can customize your fit to best suit your needs.

Function laced with luxury

Superior Form TX lace routing system takes the pressure off the top of your foot and allows for additional adjustability and a more secure fit.

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XXX features a tongue that wraps from the medial to lateral of the forefoot for ultimate arch support and better comfort and control.

Perfect perforation

XXX is swathed in a luxurious, lightweight material with 360 degrees of perforation for utmost breathability and comfort.

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Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoe

A new standard Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoe is a high-performance road shoe designed for committed cyclists who need power and everlasting comfort on every road ride, no matter the distance. All-new METNET relief zones deliver flex in all the right places. Two Li2 BOA dials provide a secure and precise fit. A carbon composite plate ensures excellent power transfer. - METNET relief zones stretch and conform to the foot to relieve common hot spots and discomfort - InForm Pro Last provides an ergonomically optimized, high-performance fit - Dual Li2 BOA dials provide low-profile, on-the-fly micro-adjustability for a precision fit - OCLV Carbon and fiberglass composite plate provides excellent power transfer - Compatible with 3-bolt cleat systems

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Cycling Shoes

Trek releases new RSL Knit shoes with patented technology that has been 'years in the making'

The American bike giant has overhauled its shoe lineup with three new performance road shoe models.

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Trek RSL Knit Shoe

Trek rsl road shoe, trek velocis road shoe.

Trek has finally overhauled its road cycling shoe lineup with three new pairs of performance kicks - the RSL Knit, the RSL and the Velocis road shoes. The American brand says its new technology represents 'innovative design complemented by a forward-looking aesthetic'.

We first spotted the new Trek RSL and Trek RSL Knit road shoes on the feet of Lidl-Trek riders a few weeks back - but now we have the details without speculation. So how do they stack up against hot competition from the likes of Specialized and Quoc, and are they really worth the hefty $499.99/£399.99 price tag?

The most interesting shoes in the lineup are without a doubt the Trek RSL Knit shoes. 

It's the first time Trek has moved away from a more standardised two-piece shoe construction and instead opted for a knitted shoe which the brand says has been engineered to defy convention and provide maximum power transfer. On first look, it seems to be a similar philosophy to the Mavic Comete Ultimate shoes , which featured a sock inner and exoskeleton outer that handled retention.

The shoe features a new stiffest and lightest in range 100% OCLV Carbon plate sole, which Trek says has a stiffness index of 14 - it's worth noting however that Specalized's S works Torch shoes sit at a 15.

Trek's party piece can be found in the upper part of the shoe. It's developed what it's calling 'Metnet relief zones'. The upper knit 'sock', if you will, has been constructed using different densities and weaves of fabric which Trek says allows it to be both supportive and breathable.

The retention is then handled by sandal like straps that sit across your instep and front of your foot. The goal of the patented Metnet technology is to allow the shoes to be worn super tight, but still let your foot find a comfortable position in the shoe which should maximise both power transfer and comfort.

It's certainly an interesting design aesthetically - Trek themselves have called it 'forward-looking'. Change continues at the rear of the shoe too, with a much higher and better-shaped heel. The new design is shaped to better clasp your foot when in a slightly heeI up riding position. That clasping is handled by the Dual Li2 BOA dials by the way - pretty much industry standard for many of the best cycling shoes.

Other creature comforts include insoles made with Rise by Bloom . A bio-based EVA foam replacement, the Bloom insoles are said to reduce water pollution, helping to make them more renewable.

On first impressions, they are super comfortable. The fit feels similar to barefoot style shoes, which are often used for weightlifting. They certainly provide security when tightened up, but still allow my foot to spread much easier than with a leather or synthetic upper equivalent.

However the heal and Metnet retention zones are all made of a suede material, so I do have my reservations as to how they will hold up in the rain. Interesting too is that of the three shoes released, they are the most expensive, yet also the heaviest, coming in at 267g per shoe (size 44). For reference, that's about 25g heavier than the S-Works Torch Shoes.

The RSL Knit Shoes are available in either a white and grey, or black and gold colour scheme. It's bold, but I think, with the right kit at least, they could be a winner. 

The RSL Knit shoes are available in unisex sizes 36-48 with half sizes from 38.5-45.5. The price is steep though, $499.99/£399.99 - so it's a good job they come with a 30 day comfort guarantee.

If the Knit style isn't for you, or if you are looking for something that will provide a little more warmth, then Trek has also brought out a more standard road shoe. The Trek RSL Road Shoe replaces the Bontrager XXX shoes , and shares a lot of similarities with its outgoing counterpart.

The RSL Road Shoes are constructed with the same OCLV carbon sole found in the RSL Knit shoes but feature a more traditional TPU synthetic upper. Metnet relief zones are still to be found though, this time in the form of perforated sections where tight spots often occur around the big toe joint and outside of the foot. 

These really do seem to provide some extra give to the shoes in these areas - something I am looking forward to testing out in the real world.

The back of the shoe is pretty familiar to anyone who owned a pair of Bontrager XXX road shoes (myself included). The heel brace at the rear remains nearly unchanged and the shoes still feel secure at the rear, with quality padding throughout.

The same pair of Li2 BOA dials can be found on top of the shoes taking care of foot retention, as well as the same Rise By Bloom insole.

As far as weight is concerned, the RSL road shoes are the next lightest released today, coming in at 253g per shoe (size 44) - yes I did double check these!

The Trek RSL Road shoes are available in sizes 36-48, but lack half sizes for the median range. They do come in slightly cheaper than the RSL Knit shoes though, at $449.99/£349.99.

Trek has also updated its midrange shoe offering - just a couple of days after Specialized released updates to its Torch 2.0 and 3.0 shoes . The Trek Velocis shoes directly replace the outgoing Bontrager Velocis shoes , and are priced at a much more palatable  $249.99/£229.99.

The Velocis Road Shoes forgo the OCLV 100% carbon fiber sole and instead use a more cost-friendly carbon composite plate. Trek says this makes for a 10/14 rating on the stiffness index which will equate to slightly less favourable power transfer.

As you may have figured though, they are the lightest in the lineup, weighing a feathery 235g per shoe in a size 44 - very intriguing!

Trek's Velocis offering also utilizes a different upper. This time its a synthetic PU upper section. Metnet technology is once again present, and perforations in the front and sides of the shoe have also been included to allow for better ventilation where it counts, Trek says.

Retention has been improved over the outgoing Velocis shoes too. Instead of a single Boa dial coupled with a hook lock strap, Trek's latest model now features two Li2 Boa dials, which is a nice touch. You don't get the same eco-friendly insole on the Velocis shoes, however, on first impressions, the shoes still feel pretty comfortable.

The Trek Velocis shoes are available in sizes 36-48 with half-size increments available between 38.5 and 45.5 shoe sizes.

For more details on the new shoe lineup, head to the Trek website .

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Joe is Cycling Weekly's tech writer. He's always had a love for bikes, since first riding a two wheeled steed before the age of four. Years down the line, Joe began racing at 16, and enjoyed great experiences internationally, racing in Italy, Spain and Belgium to name a few locations. Always interested in tech, Joe even piloted his Frankenstein hill climb bike to a Junior National Title in 2018.  After taking a step back from elite level racing in April 2022, Joe joined our team as a freelancer, before becoming Tech Writer in May 2023. 

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Review: Trek RSL Knit Shoes – Incredibly Comfortable, Hard to Keep Clean

These might be the most comfortable shoes you’ve ever worn but stay away from the white option..

• BOA Li2 dials
• No slip heel design
• Plenty of room for swelling
• Excellent toe protection
• Wide toe box
• Painted base shows damage quickly
• Upper is impossible to clean

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It seems like every recent product launch in the cycling world focuses on one word, comfort. More and more everything from bikes to wheels to tires is all about keeping the rider comfortable first. The idea is that no one is all that fast when contorted and uncomfortable.

Of course that seems obvious when you say it, or read it in this case, but it’s not always been something the cycling world takes into account. Road cycling in particular has a reputation for the glorification of suffering and, in the past, fast meant uncomfortable. That’s shifting though, and there’s momentum building as time goes on. New products recognize that it takes energy to be uncomfortable and when a brand can mitigate that, we can ride faster.

Shoes are just one of those categories focusing on comfort now and every new shoe launch seems to also mention a wider last. Among those launches, Trek released the RSL Knit shoe in February. The Trek RSL Knit is a shoe that stands out even in a sea of shoe launches and I’ve been lucky enough to spend time in them since launch.

At first that meant a lot of rainy days riding and racing on Zwift and TrainerRoad but as the seasons have shifted, I’ve also had a chance to spend considerable outdoor miles in them. With that background, I’m ready to discuss the details of the Trek RSL Knit shoe. If you are looking for a new pair of road shoes, Trek might have the right option for you but there are things to consider.

Quick hits: Six things to know about the Trek RSL Knit shoes

• Insoles use a bio based foam​​ made with Rise by BLOOM
• OCLV carbon sole is a 14 out of 14 on the Trek scale
• The Trek RSL, launched alongside the Knit version, uses the same base
• BOA Li2 dials mount to a non-stretch material covering a knit upper
• The knit upper allows your foot to swell without pain
• The new Trek Pro Last is wider than before
• Check out Trek.com for more info

Trek RSL Knit Details

In February of this year, Trek launched a trio of shoes and the Trek RSL Knit was among them. The stated goal of all the shoes was to update a four year old design which sold under the Bontrager name. The update wasn’t just in name alone though.

It started from the base with a new last designed to fit a wider range of real world foot shapes. Mostly that means wider with a stubbier toe box and it’s something other brands are also doing. Specialized is the most notable in that group but Trek adds a secondary technology called MetNet into the mix to further enhance fit.

MetNet means different things in different shoes but the basic idea is to create a low structure area around the first and fifth metatarsal. In the Trek RSL shoe that looks like a series of punched out three-pointed shapes that create stretch in a material that doesn’t stretch. The RSL Knit version takes things in a totally different direction.

Instead of using an upper without stretch, the RSL Knit has an upper closer to a sock than a shoe. There’s no opening down the center and no structure of any kind. From the back of the arch all the way to the toe you’ll find a thick knit fabric in either white or black.

Actually, it’s not totally fair to say there’s no structure. There’s no traditional shoe structure but Trek uses a sophisticated pattern of varying knit patterns to change the way the upper stretches. At the top, where a traditional tongue would be, there’s a tight knit with very little stretch and that spreads along the top before giving way to two different knit patterns below it. In the center of the shoe you first encounter a pattern that allows lots of stretch vertically but not horizontally then a wide open pattern that offers the lowest structure. The low-structure pattern is also what Trek uses in the MetNet areas of the RSL Knit. Among all this low structure knitting there’s a second layer at play as well.

The second layer of the Trek RSL knit is what actually creates the shoe. At the front of the toe you’ll find a bit of hard plastic that protects against toe rub. That’s not the interesting part though. Instead you’ll find the unique secondary structure first shows up surrounding the all-important first and fifth metatarsal. Instead of allowing expansion, the RSL Knit merely surrounds the area with narrow strips of non-stretch synthetic suede. The MetNet area remains wide open in the layer below but the suede forms a triangular structure on the outside of the foot where a BOA Li2 dial mounts at the peak.

The BOA Li2 dial is important in its own right as it’s the best dial that BOA manufacturers. It occupies that slot because it’s got the most granular adjustment in both directions plus it’s pop-to-release. More recently we’ve also seen it occasionally show up in high-end shoes with a metal dial and in this instance Trek offers either silver in the white shoe or gold in the black shoe. Also somewhat unique to the Trek shoe is that instead of a cable, the brand is using the more forgiving fabric rope attachment along with, again, more forgiving fabric loops where it anchors on the other side.

The Trek RSL Knit is a two BOA dial shoe and the second one has a different set of anchoring straps farther up the shoe. Instead of a semi triangle and a kind of half oval anchoring to either side of the carbon base, the upper uses something more like a rectangle to tie into not only the base but also the heel cup.

Unlike the rest of the shoe, the heel cup is a structured and mostly rigid design. The previous Bontrager XXX , as well as the current Trek RSL and a variety of other brands, use a hard plastic shell in this location. The RSL Knit isn’t quite that stiff but it does hold its own and stands up. On the white shoe it’s also a contrasting light gray and on both colors the interior is a shark skin (or cat tongue if you prefer) style fabric that your sock will slide into but struggles to slide out of.

Underpinning all of this is a carbon base that Trek deems the stiffest the brand makes. Again similar to Specialized, there is a central area with steps and an edge that runs along the sides. This creates a stiffer sole and it also helps limit pooling of the epoxy and, by extension, keeps the weight down. At either end of the carbon is a non-replaceable traction pad and there’s a pair of vents both in the forefront and mid foot. What’s perhaps the most unusual feature of the RSL Knit base is that it’s painted either silver or gold depending on the color of the upper.

Also underpinning your foot, is the insole. It’s not something I spent a lot of time with, as discussed below, but it is worth mentioning because Trek has gone above and beyond to try and add some sustainability with the included insole. Both the RSL Knit and standard RSL come with a new insole design using Rise by Bloom instead of traditional foam. What’s different is that while typically an insole would use petroleum based foam, the Rise system instead harvests freshwater algae overgrowth. The harvested biomass is then combined with bio-based additives to create a foam replacement. The process removes an unwanted material from lake shores, thereby sequestering CO2, and returns filtered water.

Trek RSL Knit in use

As a tech reviewer, I’ve definitely explored more shoes than most. There are times I leave my house with a different pair of shoes for each of the five rides I typically do in a week. Over the years what I’ve found is that the first thing I must have is the ability for my foot to swell and remain comfortable.

I don’t have an especially wide foot. In fact, I’d say it’s rather narrow. On short rides, up to maybe four hours, I can be totally comfortable in super narrow shoes like the Giro Empire. After that though, things get more difficult. Those same Giro shoes started to hurt so bad after somewhere around 11-hours that I had to take them off and walk for a few minutes.

The Trek RSL Knit completely changes the game when it comes to long rides and swelling feet and it’s due to a dual nature. On one hand, the amount of compression and support they still have is quite impressive. If I tighten down that front BOA dial my foot doesn’t move even a little. It will also restrict swelling enough that I’ll start to get pins and needles and pain. What’s unique is that when that happens, all I have to do is turn the BOA dial a couple of clicks.

Any BOA shoe allows that to some extent but the RSL Knit is different. Typically the front BOA isn’t doing a whole lot. You can loosen it or tighten it and it won’t drastically change the feel of the shoe as long as you leave the upper adjustment alone. With the RSL Knit the front BOA has the ability to completely change the fit of the shoe. If I want a cranked down and highly compressive fit, it’s there. At the same time, you can also loosen it up for a fit more like a slipper. While there are other shoes with a highly locked in fit, and other shoes that fit like a slipper, there are few that offer both.

Perhaps as interesting as that dual nature is the way your foot stays connected to the base no matter how you have the shoes adjusted. The knit sock-like upper has enough soft compression on its own that your foot will never slide around. Everything comes together leaving you with a shoe that allows both an ultra-tight fit and loose fit but, no matter the adjustment, your foot never slides in the shoe. It’s a unique combination.

Adding to that feeling is something I adjusted based on my own needs. As I mentioned above, I didn’t spend a lot of time with the included insole. Over the years I’ve learned not only do I have to manage swelling but I’ve got low volume feet with collapsed arches and I do best with an insole. Trek does offer BioDynamic insoles to address that need, and they now use 70% recycled material, but I ended up reaching for the Elastic Interface WattD200 . I’ve found it does a great job sucking up the volume in a shoe but I also love how soft it is. In this case it’s a perfect match to the supported and almost hugged feeling the Trek upper provides. It’s also specifically designed for ultra-distance riding so it happens to be a perfect match for me in a number of ways. Keep an eye on it for future availability.

The truth is I could rave all day about how much I love the Trek RSL Knit. There’s only a handful of shoes I can think of that work as well for me. The Nimbl Feat ultimate is just as wide and comfortable and the low structure design of the Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave is a favorite as well. The shoe I’m reminded of the most though is the Specialized S-Works Ares . Both the Ares and the RSL Knit do an incredibly good job of keeping your foot in place while also allowing room for swelling. The only reason I find myself not reaching for the Ares as much is that I’m less in love with the big S-Works text across it. That said, the Specialized does do one thing better.

The Ares is a slightly different shoe and you can feel it. That shoe is specifically designed with the needs of a sprinter in mind and there’s more pressure than the Trek RSL Knit. Despite that, I still wish the RSL Knit was as indestructible as the Ares.

Anyone who wears a white shoe has to know what they are buying into. You have to be ready to be at least a little neurotic to keep it clean. Unfortunately the RSL Knit is another level beyond that. You can’t wash it because of all the suede and there’s no possibility of getting even minor spots out of the knit upper.

When I asked, Trek recommended a toothbrush. If that worked I’d probably say that was the cost of doing business. It doesn’t work though. I went through a wet spot on the tarmac the first outdoor ride and now my shoes have spots. Not a puddle, just wet pavement. There’s also spots from the sealant when I got a flat and if you think a normal carbon base shows marks, try a painted one. I wish I’d chosen black but I also wish there was a black and silver option.

The price probably also has to come into the discussion here. The Trek RSL Knit is one of the best shoes I’ve ever used so I’m not surprised it’s expensive. The only problem is that it brings the inability to keep them looking nice right to the center. This is not a shoe you want looking bad after a single season.

For now, the Trek RSL Knit is going to keep being my go to shoe because of the comfort and performance. I just wonder how long before they look so trashed I find myself reaching for a different shoe? Hopefully before then I find a way to clean them.

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Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoes

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

• Exceptional
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The Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoe is billed as a 'high performance shoe design for committed cyclists who need comfort and power on every ride'. And after a few hundred kilometres of riding through a grimy British winter, I reckon these shoes do indeed strike that balance very well. Their carbon soles offer sufficient stiffness but without ever being overly harsh, and the uppers are comfortable with just the right level of padding. It's worth noting that these shoes now fall under the Trek umbrella, whereas in the past these have been branded and marketed under the Bontrager name.

> Buy now: Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoes for £229.99 from Trek

The Trek Velocis shoes have a polyurethane upper and a carbon sole, a pairing designed for optimal power transfer. That said, the carbon sole contains 30% glass fibre, which comes with a slight stiffness and weight penalty, but the shoes are still pretty light and it does keep the cost more palatable too. And a totally rigid sole can transmit vibration from the road to your feet, which can cause fatigue over time.

To get around this, Trek has employed a number of 'METNET' relief zones. These are perforated patterns in the material that allow it to stretch and deform slightly so that it can adapt to the shape of your feet. The upper is also heavily perforated across the toes and tongue, which bodes well for comfort when the temperature rises.

This may all sound a bit gimmicky, but I found it highly effective – and you can actually manipulate the upper in your hands to see the technology in action. It works on your feet too, and I was able to achieve a secure and supportive fit without having to overtighten the twin Boa Li2 dials.

You can both loosen and tighten the Boa closures incrementally, which allows for precise on-the-fly adjustments.

Inside the shoe Trek uses it InForm Pro Last, which it claims offers excellent ergonomics and a high-performance fit, and in my experience it does so. Some high-end race shoes opt for a pared-back approach that makes them feel like they're designed for maximum performance – but they aren't comfortable.

I typically wear size 46 shoes and the size 46 Velocis shoes proved spot on for me. I found the heel cup provided good security and my heels didn't pull out of the shoes even under hard pedalling efforts.

The support under the arch was good too and I found the toe box spacious. I think my feet have quite a normal shape, but if you have particularly narrow feet you may find the toe box too roomy.

Trek rates the Velocis sole at 10/14 on its own stiffness scale. Seeing that nothing is standard in the cycling industry – Specialized's scale goes to 15, Shimano 12 for example – this score means very little when comparing between brands, but Trek rates its more expensive RSL Road shoes at 14. This means that while the Velocis sole is pretty stiff, it's not too rigid for all-day cycling comfort.

They're pretty light too, weighing in at 511g for a pair of size 46 shoes, making them a little lighter than some of the similarly priced opposition. The Udog Cima shoes weigh 560g in size 45 and the Fizik Tempo Overcurve R4s are 556g (size 45). Okay, so a difference around 50g isn't really noticeable, but a marginal gain is a marginal gain – and it means you'll have one fewer excuse when you don't hit that KOM.

In terms of value, I think Trek has struck a sweet spot. With top-end shoes now nudging £400, I think the £229 asking price for the Velocis shoes is reasonable given their carbon soles, twin Boa retention system and their overall quality and comfort.

Similar shoes around this price include the £220  Fizik R4 Tempo Overcurve , which  Steve praised for their comfort, but thought they were too flexible for racing in.

The Udog Cima Pure shoes also come in at £220, but while  Stu liked them for their stiffness and comfort, the laces may not appeal to everybody.

For more options, check out our best road cycling shoes  buyer's guide, which covers shoes from less than £100 to over £300.

The Trek Velocis shoes offer a great balance of performance and comfort, they're a good weight and I think they're great looking. The METNET upper wraps your foot nicely and offers great support, the twin Boas deliver excellent adjustability and the carbon sole should be stiff enough for most of us.

Comfortable, well-designed shoes with twin Boa closures and a stiff sole that should be perfect for most of us

road.cc test report

Make and model: Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoes

Size tested: 46

Tell us what the product is for

Trek says: "Trek Velocis Road Cycling Shoes are high-performance road shoes designed for committed cyclists who need power and comfort on every ride."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

METNET relief zones stretch and conform to the foot to relieve common hot spots and discomfort

InForm Pro Last provides an ergonomically optimised, high-performance fit

Dual Li2 BOA dials provide low-profile, on-the-fly micro-adjustability for a precision fit

OCLV Carbon and fibreglass composite plate provides excellent power transfer

Compatible with three-bolt cleat systems

Construction seems to be of a high quality, with all the seams and glue lines neat and tidy.

There's a replaceable heel block but the toe block is moulded into the sole.

I typically ride a 46 shoe and found the size 46 Velocis shoes spot on, though if you have narrow feet you might find the toe box too roomy.

A little lighter than other shoes at a similar price, coming in around 50g less than the Fizik Overcurve R$ Tempo and Dog Cima.

I didn't experience any discomfort on rides from an hour to over four hours.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

The upper wiped clean with a damp cloth and the sole has shown remarkably little wear, even having walked over a gravel driveway numerous times.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Trek claims these shoes strike a balance between comfort and performance – and I would agree with that.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

That balance of comfort and performance makes for a great all-round road shoe.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The 'laces' on the Boa dials are very long and have the potential to get tangled but that's a very minor gripe.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Similar shoes at this price point include the Fizik R4 Tempo Overcurve (£220), which were commended for their comfort but were deemed too flexible to be considered as a 'race' shoe.

On the flip side, the Udog Cima Pure shoes were commended for their stiffness and comfort but the laces may be polarising both in terms of looks and ease of adjustment. They also retail for £220 so a very similar price to the Velocis shoes.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Velocis shoes strike a very good balance between comfort, performance and value, with their relatively low weight an added bonus.

Overall rating: 8 /10

About the tester

Age: 25   Height: 6   Weight: 95kg

I usually ride: Santa Cruz Stigmata   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years   I ride: Most days   I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, club rides, sportives, mtb, Gravel. bikepacking

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The best cycling shoes perfectly combine high comfort and high performance

• Long distance
• Budget BOA dials
• Budget laces
• Hot Weather
• Lightweight
• Cleat adjustment
• On & Off bike

Cycling shoes we also tested

How to choose.

1. Quick list 2. Long distance 3. Best budget 4. Budget BOA dials 5. Budget laces 6. Midrange 7. Hot weather 8. Lightweight 9. Everyday 10. Wide feet 11. Cleat adjustment 12. On & Off bike 13. All-road 14. How to choose

The connection between your feet and the pedals is so critical that if you get it right, you can do more than you ever thought possible. Get it wrong though, and no amount of perseverance will carry you through. It doesn't matter how much time you've invested in training and preparation, if you start experiencing pain in your feet it can derail everything.

Cycling shoes weren’t always quite so critical. At one time it was common for bikes to use a flat pedal and regular shoes. The next innovation was to add a toe clip that allowed a regular shoe to have a better connection to a bike. Then, in the 1970s and 80s, Cinnelli and Look developed a technology paradoxically called clipless pedals. There's no need for a toe clip anymore but you depend on the design of the shoe far more.

These innovations have led to today's best bike shoes being an extension of the best bike pedals . For road bikes that means, the vast majority of options use a three-bolt cleat interface. These types of shoes are the lightest, tend to be the stiffest, and the focus is on performance and power transfer. They are also not great at walking and if you want to be able to walk with ease, we've got more options on our list of the best gravel bike shoes .

With that small bit of understanding behind you, keep reading to see what I think are the best cycling shoes available today. I've included options for a wide variety of price points and needs and I've tested everything on this list in a variety of situation

Long Distance

An incredibly comfortable shoe with an ultra-stiff carbon base and a knit upper. The MetNet system holds your foot perfectly stable while still allowing room for swelling during long rides. 

Read more below  

Budget 

Fizik avoids the expense of BOA dials and instead uses the same retention system found on some of the brands top-shelf shoes. Comfortable and capable, these shoes punch above their price category. 

Midrange 

Lightweight with a vented carbon composite base plate and a wider toe box. The Trek Velocis will do everything you need in a shoe at a lower price.

Read more below

Lightweight 

The Giro Empire SLX is, in some ways, a shoe from another era of cycling. The laces are certainly a throwback but every detail is focused on weight savings and the result is a precise shoe that feels like a ballet slipper. When you want to dance on the pedals, this is the shoe you want.

The Bont Vaypor S is custom mouldable with one of the stiffest outsoles on the market. Bont isn’t new to the game of adding width for comfort and you can go even wider with wide models, semi custom, or full custom options.

Finding an off-road shoe with a carbon sole stiff enough for long days and mixed surfaces while also having enough protection to handle running up a rocky ascents is like finding a unicorn. The Rapha Explore Powerweave is one of those unicorns.

The best cycling shoes available today

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Best long distance road cycling shoes

1. Trek RSL Knit Road Shoes

Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The Trek RSL Knit is a very unique shoe. There's nothing else on the market quite like it and yet, I'll be very honest and say, these are my favourite shoes on this list. My life on a bike is all about going as fast as I can for as long as I can and the Trek RSL Knit perfectly complements that experience. 

The place that starts is the OCLV carbon base. In the Trek nomenclature, it's a 14 out of 14 rating for stiffness. Of course, no one knows what that means but with time on the feet of Lidl-Trek riders, it's safe to say it's plenty stiff. It's certainly stiff enough that I can't perceive any difference compared to other top-of-the-line shoes. What's more notable about the base than the stiffness is that there are big vents ahead and behind the cleat mount and the mount has alignment marks both vertically and horizontally to make setup easy. At the toe, there's also a large traction pad that morphs into a large front protector. 

That toe protector is important because the upper is a fabric knit. It's difficult to keep clean, especially in white but even in black, I doubt it would hold up to rubbing against the front tyre. What the knit upper does do, amazingly well, is keep your foot in place without any pressure. One of the key issues on long-distance rides is foot swelling and the knit upper makes that a non-issue. It also keeps the weight low and allows air to come through when it's hot.

As good as that is, the knit needs some support. To that end, there's an external skeleton and a pair of metal Li2 BOA dials. It's tough to get in as the system doesn't completely open but once in your foot stays perfectly in place with no pressure point or rubbing. The Trek RSL Knit is a joy to wear even on short rides but it comes into its own when the distances stretch out.

Best budget cycling shoes

2. Fizik Tempo R5 Powerstrap

Our expert review:

The Fizik Tempo Powerstrap R5 is going to be somewhat controversial as an overall best-budget cycling show selection. BOA dials dominate the options for modern cycling shoes and many cyclists consider them a must-have. I kind of agree and yet, these shoes have none. 

My reasoning has to do with price and available options. Quite simply, BOA dials cost money. BOA is a separate company and using them means licensing the technology. When it comes to budget shoes, that cost tends to put dual zone adjustments out of reach and even the single BOA dial used is often one of the lower-spec options without all the features that make BOA great. Fizik gets around this challenge by just leaving BOA dials off the design and instead using an innovative system of big straps and Velcro. 

The straps that Fizik uses aren't like what you find on other brands of shoes. Instead of a stiff strap that pulls the opening above the tongue closed, Fizik connects the straps of the Tempo Powerstrap R5 all the way down to the base of the shoe. The strap material is also different and it's both strong and flexible with no pressure point. The whole system sits close to the shoe, making it fast and simple to get the fitment perfect, and if you need to pull some kind of winter cover over, there's nothing to get in the way. 

The downside of course is that there is no BOA dial. It's still pretty easy to adjust mid-ride if you have to but it will never be as simple, or precise, as a BOA dial. The shoes are also a bit on the warm side as they lack a vent through the sole of the shoe. 

Fizik frequently creates two shoes that are exactly the same other than one will have a two-bolt cleat interface and tread and one will have a road-specific base. That’s the case with the Tempo Powerstrap R5 as well, so if you prefer walkability for your road bike, or if you need a gravel shoe, check out our review of the Fizik X4 Terra Powerstrap .

Best budget shoes with a BOA dial

3. Bontrager Circuit

As I already said, for a lot of buyers, a BOA dial is a must-have. If you are shopping for a BOA dial at a budget price, the Bontrager Circuit shoes are a quality option that won't break the bank. There are a few different BOA dial options and the Circuit uses an L6. Like all BOA dials, it's warrantied for life and you can swap pieces if anything ever breaks. This particular model also has pull to release functionality although it's only a single direction. You can tighten it with a twist but if you want to loosen things up, you'll need to pop it and then tighten it again. 

Another big advantage to the Bontrager Circuit shoe is in the sole. Trek, under the Bontrager sub-brand, uses a nylon composite that the brand puts at a 7 out of 14 for stiffness compared to the other options available. That part isn't all that unique for a shoe of this price range but what is very unusual at any price range is the ability to mount your choice of two-bolt or three-bolt cleats. Even if you use a two-bolt cleat you won't get the walkability of an off-road shoe but you do have the option if you prefer the ease of use that comes with a double-sided off-road pedal. On top of that, Bontrager puts a vent at the toe which does a great job keeping you cool. 

The big downside is that the lower strap is essentially for show. It's not impossible to tighten it a little bit but the shoe and strap are too stiff to get much movement. 

You can read more details in our full Bontrager Circuit review . 

Best budget cycling shoes with laces

4. Adidas The Road Cycling Shoes

Adidas was once a dominant name in cycling then the brand disappeared. Now there are new offerings and instead of looking to dominate the market with range-topping offerings, Adidas just wants consideration. After spending time with these shoes, I'm happy to say they are more than worth consideration. 

The Road Cycling shoe comes priced a little higher than the least expensive options here but still less than half the price of the most expensive options. For that money you get a shoe that feels a lot like it could be a soccer cleat. It has the same bit of upturn at the toe and the laces would also feel at home on a soccer cleat. The upper is a woven fabric made from yarn containing at least half Parley Ocean Plastic content and the rest recycled polyester. It's padded and comfortable just like the tongue. 

For the sole, Adidas chose a fibreglass-reinforced polyamide plate instead of carbon. It's the softest of budget options but it’s completely workable, it's possible to recycle it, and it also helps keep costs down. The front and rear tread blocks are non-replaceable and the whole design is a bit heavy but, again, at this price point, everything seems reasonable. 

I have to also mention the iconic Adidas style. Style matters when it comes to shoes in general but the three Adidas stripes are going to turn heads in a whole different way. Like most Adidas products, colours change pretty often so you might find something different out there but they all have the stripes. 

Best midrange cycling shoes

5. Trek Velocis

Budget cycling shoes offer a lot of great features but as you progress through the journey that is your cycling, you'll surpass that tier. Features like a soft and walkable base are what you want when you are starting out and riding for an hour or two. Pretty soon though, you'll need a stiffer shoe with a more advanced construction and that's where a midrange cycling shoe is perfect. 

As with every category of price/features, there's a lot of competition but the shoe that's impressed me the most at the midrange is the Trek Velocis. At 227 grams per shoe the weight is more than competitive with the best cycling shoes available. You also get a dual BOA Li2 fastening system so you can individually tune both the lower and upper portions of your foot. 

In yet more of an effort to make sure there are no hotspots, there is both a unique foam tongue and the MetNet system. Both are pretty simple but the tongue is a thick foam so no matter how hard you tighten the BOA dials, it will keep the pressure from affecting the top of your foot. MetNet meanwhile, is a system of perforations in the synthetic outer that allow for stretch and flex where pain points can form. 

The base is a carbon composite that Trek rates as 10 out of 14 for stiffness. There's enough flex in the toe that you can walk easier but there's no noticeable flex in the centre of the shoe. Unlike some of the competition in this price range, there's venting through the base as well as a replaceable rear heel pad. 

Despite all the positives, some small details distinguish this shoe from the more expensive options. In general the upper is less premium with a less premium insole and a heel cup that lacks the finesse of more expensive shoes. Generally it's all forgivable and unlikely to be an issue but I do wish there was toe protection. The harder outer material might hold up to tire rub but a toe cap helps keep a shoe looking better for longer.

Best hot weather cycling shoes

6. Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave

In case it's not already apparent, I'm a fan of the Fizik Powerstrap system. There's nothing quite like the joy of popping open a BOA dial at the end of a long ride but aside from price, BOA dials are also heavier than other systems. Brands making the lightest shoes available tend to have different closure solutions and for Fizik that means the Powerstrap system. As in the budget Tempo R5, the Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave has two big and flexible straps that attach to the sole and close with Velcro. 

The R2 Aeroweave isn't trying to be a price leader though. Instead, this shoe is for a rider that loves a lightweight shoe and a narrow fit. The sole is a 10/10 stiffness on the Fizik scale, though there are stiffer soles out there, and there's a large vent at the front. Up top is where the real innovation is though. Instead of a wide variety of materials on the market, Fizik uses something called Aeroweave. Imagine the plastic lanyards, or bracelets, that kids make then imagine using that material to knit the entire upper of a shoe. It's light but it's also so open that you'd better make sure you are wearing something stylish from the best cycling socks list. You can see right through the Aeroweave so your socks are on display. 

The only downside of the Aeroweave is also the only real downside of the shoe in general. The construction seems to limit colour options so make sure you like black. On the upside, it's tough. Even a toe rub or two won't be an issue.  

Read more details in our full Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave road shoes review . 

Best lightweight cycling shoes

7. Giro Empire SLX

The basic Giro Empire design has been around for years. You can watch Taylor Phinney looking his trademark cool while wearing them in Therabouts 2 way back in 2015. The latest version is the Giro Empire SLX but the formula is essentially unchanged. Way back then, and now, the idea is to use a seemingly simple construction to make the lightest most exacting shoe possible. If you want a wide shoe, or an ultra stiff sole, you will want to look elsewhere. I almost added BOA dials to that list as well but there is a slightly heavier version with BOA dials if you must go that route. I strongly recommend letting go of that need though. The laces are a light stretchy material that never comes undone and there's a place to stash them so they don’t get in the way. The laces also mean the exact fit you need in every part of the shoe. 

Either way though, this is a narrow shoe and even I can induce a bit of flex in the carbon sole. That's what makes it great though, it fits like a second skin and practically begs you to stand and dance on the pedals. It does also mean that I wouldn’t choose these shoes for the longest rides when your foot swells a lot. In those situations I prefer the Trek RSL Knit which gives a similar feel but with less pressure. On the upside, if you’ve got a low volume foot like I do, Giro includes replacement arch supports to get you fit dialled in. 

The downside of all that weight reduction is that there are some things that don't make the cut. The Synchwire upper looks and feels great but it doesn't stand up to toe rub and adding a plastic protector would have added weight. I suspect it's a somewhat similar story as to why there's no adjustability in the cleat placement. 

Read more details in our full Giro Empire SLX review. 

Best everyday cycling shoes

8. Specialized S-Works Torch

Over the years, Specialized has been shifting the shape of the shoes the brand makes. More and more the toe box is wider with more room. The Specialized S-Works Torch is the replacement for the S-Works 7 and the latest in the many S-Works options the brand makes. As such, it's the most up to date vision of what Specialized believes is the best shape and it's 4mm wider at the ball than the previous generation of S-Works 7 shoe. 

The changes aren't just the work intuition either. Specialized pulls from the trends seen through over 100,000 foot scans as part of the RETÜL fit system. The same data also guides the particular shape of the central cut-out as well as the angle BOA dials and the way that they sit on the shoe. It's also data you can feel when putting on the shoe. 

The end result is a shoe that seems to be good at everything. Short rides, endurance rides, racing, day in and day out the S-Works Torch is a shoe you can grab and know it will work. I've highlighted a number of shoes that are really good at a particular thing. Sometimes that's a price detail but sometimes it's an innovative feature. The S-Works Torch is more of an all-arounder and while some shoes are polarising, the Torch will work for almost everyone. If you want a great road cycling shoe without having to decide if a certain use case is right for you, grab the Torch. 

It's also nice that the outer is so hard wearing. Since you are likely to be wearing the S-Works Torch a lot, things like protection at the toe against toe rub, an easy to wipe clean outer, and metal BOA dials are an advantage. Unfortunately those BOA dials, while looking great and holding up well, do lack pop to release.

Read more details in our full Specialized S-Works Torch review .

Best cycling shoes for wide feet

9. Bont Vaypor S

The Bont Vaypor S was one of the shoes I was most excited to test. When they finally got to me though, they seemed to be the wrong size. It took quite a bit of examination to realise that the length was spot on. I couldn't go down a size but there was a lot of volume in the front of the shoe. It's unusual and I didn't immediately love it. The way the flap across the top of the shoe limits the adjustability by hitting the lower BOA dial eventually didn't help. 

Given that I don't have wide feet, I was sceptical of the design. On short rides, I didn't see much advantage although I did appreciate the toe rub protection and the incredibly grippy material on the interior of the shoe. It wasn't until I got the Vaypour S out on a long ride that I really appreciated the extra space in the toe box. It's much more substantial than Specialized despite that brand getting wider in the toe box over the years. Even when my feet swell, I never have issues with pressure anywhere in the shoes. 

If that description sounds similar to what I like about the Trek RSL Knit, it is but the two shoes are completely opposite. While the base of the Trek is stiff, Bont is a whole other level. Bont is known for a bathtub style that wraps up past the base of the foot and it makes for an incredibly stiff shoe. 

The other difference is that you can go even wider, or custom. There are a total of four widths to pick from without having to go for a custom size and you can even customise the carbon with a simple heat mould process. I'm also a big fan of the fully reflective exterior of the Reflex Ghost version.

You can read more details in our full Bont Vaypor S review .

Best cycling shoes for cleat adjustment

10. Shimano S-Phyre RC903

Shimano and Specialized are, at least in the US, the two most common brands. Just about every bike shop carries both and comparisons are obvious. As you look to decide between the two, the signature difference is how Shimano handles the closure design. Instead of coming from both sides of the shoe and closing in the middle, as you'd expect from a shoe, Shimano wraps one side over the other. It's unique compared to almost everything on the market and it makes for a narrower fit throughout. This latest generation adds more vertical volume at the toe but as soon as you start to head towards the back of the shoe everything narrows out. It's not as narrow as Giro but definitely more so than Specialized and that continues all the way to the heel cup which is even narrower than the Giro Empire. 

Outside of that, the big differentiator for Shimano is how much cleat adjustment the brand builds into the sole. The channel for sliding the cleat mount is roughly 18mm compared to 10-11mm for most brands. It might not sound like a big difference but if you want to get your cleat way back to the centre of your foot, most brands won't do it. Shimano does, as does Fizik but Fizik is even more narrow than Shimano. If that's your desire, Shimano will do it and you also get excellent toe rub protection, great mid-foot retention, and incredible colour options. The only downside is that the covered section of the sole definitely takes damage compared to the carbon on the outside. 

You can read more details in our full Shimano S-Phyre RC903 review . 

Best cycling shoes for on and off the bike

11. Crankbrothers Stamp Street Fabio

I suspect that a lot of people looking for the best cycling shoes are looking for something that covers everything you need from a shoe as well as the ability to ride a bike. If you want a pair of shoes that you can wear all day then get on your bike at the end of the day, that's what the Crankbrothers Stamp Street Fabio does best. 

I've tried a number of shoes that allow you to clip in but also walk around but in the end it's the Stamp Street Fabio that I keep coming back to. The picture above is actually my son's pair because after almost two years, my pair are looking a little rough. In fact, if you are looking for the best kids bike shoes, the Stamp Street Fabio is a great choice as long as they are big enough for a size 5, or bigger, adult sizing. 

Either way, kids or adults, what I love about the Stamp Street Fabio is how comfortable and secure they are. At the ankle there's a bit of neoprene that stabilizes the fit and while these aren't minimal, there's zero drop plus a wide toe box. You can walk or stand in these and never think about them as cycling shoes. The colour choices are stylish also. 

When it's time to get on the bike, the sole is just as secure. You might not be able to clip in but the laces fit into a lace garage and the sticky flat base is a perfect foundation. Crankbrothers sells pedals but I've never had the Stamp Street Fabio slip on any pedals no matter how slick they are. 

Although I'm always clipped in for serious rides, I recognize that's not what works for every person or every ride. If you are commuting or casually riding somewhere, don't worry about clipping in. The Stamp Street Fabio is comfortable and the sticky rubber helps you stay connected to your pedals despite no room for a cleat.

Best all-road cycling shoe

12. Rapha Explore Powerweave

We have a buyer's guide specifically covering the best gravel bike shoes where you can find a lot of nuance. Still, as you browse a list of the best bike shoes, it seems like there should be at least one option here that can handle any road, paved or not. In some ways that means narrowing down an entire category to one shoe but after an exhausting search, I've landed on the Rapha Explore Powerweave. 

I used to recommend a racier shoe designed for gravel racing but then I broke that shoe. Turns out that although I like to ride all day, as fast as possible, I also don't shy away from steep rocky ascents and underbiking. I will often get off the bike and shoulder it for a quick run up a steep hill when I'm not sure I can keep the bike upright. 

On the other list these are the "Best gravel shoes for fast adventure riding" and I guess I agree with that assessment but really I just don't want my shoes to hold me back. I'm always going to be riding fast but if I choose to wear a gravel shoe it’s so I don't have to worry about what the surface I’m riding over is. If I need to get off the bike and walk, I can. If I need to ride all day and keep my power high, I can. There are only a few shoes on the market that combine both a race-ready stiff carbon sole and protection for that sole. Rapha nails it plus adds the ability to tune the fit with variable arch supports. 

As far as things I'd love to see changed, I'm in full agreement with my colleague Will. We both noticed the narrow toe and even though my foot shape works with it better than his, I would still love more space for long days. We flip a bit in our thinking in the hard-to-clean exterior though. There's no doubt it's more difficult to clean but I'm apt to just hose it down and he prefers to let them dry before using a hard brush. Whatever you do, it's certainly not going to be a simple wipe-down. 

You can read more details in our full Rapha Explore Powerweave review . 

I always test products that miss out on the final buyers' guide. When it comes to the best cycling shoes, there were a lot more that almost made it than some of the other guides. Fantastic shoes that are incredibly good but just missed inclusion when compared to other options. If there's something about any of these that sparks a connection to your needs, you won't go wrong. 

The first pair of shoes that were close but ultimately missed the main list is the Sidi Shot 2 . Sidi is a somewhat legendary name in cycling shoes and the only reason these missed out is price. In the US, the pricing is well over many of the options listed above. In exchange for that price increase, you don't get noticeably more technology. In other parts of the world, you might find more advantageous pricing, and if you do find pricing that works, you'll get a traditional pointed-toe box and a narrow fit paired with the best heel retention of any of the shoes I tested. The Tecno-3 Push Flex system is also incredibly comfortable but there's no pop-open function and no micro-adjustment for loosening. 

The Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon is also a shoe that does one thing better than anyone else. The design leaves the upper completely soft under the arch and then pulls the strap for closure through that same section. The effect is perfect for anyone who has a high arch and the shoe is also incredibly light with tons of cleat adjustability. Despite all the strengths, the strap that runs across the top of the foot can sometimes create a pressure point. It's a shoe that solves a very specific problem while potentially creating another. Not only that but the Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave is one of my favourite shoes of all time and the two are similar enough that I gave it the nod for the list. If you've got high arches, you might want to consider the Vento Stabilita Carbon.

Like the Fizik, the Adidas Road BOA cycling shoe was missed because of a competing product from the same brand. This time though, it really comes down to price. The soles of the Adidas The Road Shoe and the Adidas Road BOA cycling shoe are the same. That means you pay a premium to add a BOA dial while getting similar performance. If that's a must-have, you've got the option but otherwise, the laces on The Road Shoe do a great job and you get the best pricing. 

Yet another shoe that lost out to sibling rivalry is the Specialized S-Works Ares . The Ares is one of my favourite shoes and a shoe I always grab when I need something I know will work. It locks your foot in place better than anything else out there. The problem is that it's an older shoe at this point and Specialized has moved on to a newer design. The Torch has most of what makes the Ares good but also has the wider toe box and, arguably, looks a lot better.

The last shoes that almost made the list are the Rapha Pro Team shoes . The Rapha shoes are a narrow fit similar to Fizik and for me, it's perfect. What I notice every time I put them on though isn't the fit, it's how stiff the sole is. It's unlikely that you are thinking of Rapha when you are considering an ultra-stiff cycling shoe but you should. Despite all the good, the reason that the Rapha shoes aren't on the main list is that the knit outer is impossible to clean. It looks beautiful when new but it's very difficult to keep it looking that way. If you are willing to take the risk, the performance of the Rapha Pro Team shoes is among the best. 

The first thing you are going to want to think about is what kind of cleat you would prefer to use. This list is mostly options for road cycling and that generally means a three-bolt cleat mounting system. These shoes also make great indoor cycling shoes and are compatible with the Look Delta cleats used by the Peloton Bike . We have a separate guide to the best indoor cycling shoes , if you want more options. 

If you'd prefer to use a two-bolt cleat then you need a shoe designed for that type of cleat. I've included one gravel-specific option and there is also one shoe that lets you use either type. If you want more options for two-bolt shoes, take a look at our list of the best gravel bike shoes . 

With that out of the way, the next decision is what kind of closure system you want. I test a lot of shoes and I'm not someone who's all that bothered with different systems. If given the option, I'd choose laces because I like the look and I feel they are the most comfortable. The downside is that there's no way to reach down while riding and loosen, or tighten, your shoe just a little. For some people, that is a deal breaker. If you constantly fiddle with your shoes, then there's nothing easier and more precise than a good BOA dial. Fizik also has the Powerstrap design which lets you reach down and make changes although it lacks the precision and speed of a BOA. 

Once you've made those decisions, you are likely looking at only a small number of shoes and now it's time to decide how wide your foot is. There's been a big shift to wider cycling shoes over the last few years. For some, that's been a boon. I don't have wide feet though so it's been less exciting for me. 

You might also consider your arch support at this point but it is a little less important. Unlike width, you can add extra arch support down the road. Some shoes give arch support options that you can easily swap out, or Bont has high-quality insoles you can use in shoes of your choice. Aftermarket options are also available from non-cycling brands. There is also a whole world of custom insoles that you can move from shoe to shoe. 

Why do road bike shoes use three-bolt cleats?

Most people don't start with clipless pedals and shoes. As a cyclist progresses in their, hopefully, lifelong cycling adventure there tends to be a point at which people decide to start clipping in. It's at this point that most people look at two-bolt cleats and three-bolt cleats, and the shoes that match, and wonder why anyone would choose the option you can't walk in. 

The reason road bike shoes use three-bolt cleats is all about the specific needs of road cycling. Road cycling focuses on pedalling and there's no need to stop other than, perhaps, a short walk across the pavement to the coffee shop table. More pedalling, and more time pedalling means that concentrating the pressure of the pedal in a smaller spot can lead to discomfort in that spot. Three-bolt cleats are bigger and better disperse the pressure. 

Another reason for three-bolt cleats instead of two is part style and part tradition. Modern-day two-bolt shoes can work just fine because the sole of the shoe can be stiff enough to disperse the pressure. It wasn't always like that though. When shoes were softer, pedals had to do more of the work and at this point road bike tradition was to use a three-bolt cleat so that's what road bike shoes tend to use. 

If you want to buck the trend and use a two-bolt shoe that's walkable, you can do it. You'll need to look at mountain bike, or gravel bike pedals and shoes but there are plenty of great options. There's no technical reason you can't pair what you like with a road bike. 

Two-bolt cleats are a good option for commuters and also winter use, when that coffee shop floor might be wet and the treads on gravel bike shoes will be a lot less slippery than the smooth soles of the best road cycling shoes.

What about four-bolt cleats and compatible shoes?

Okay, it's true, not all road cycling cleats attach to road cycling shoes with three bolts. There are also four-bolt cleats that work with Speedplay pedals and there are some options for shoes using that interface. It's a relatively uncommon option though. For one thing, it only applies to one type of pedal while three-bolt systems encompass a variety of different cleats and pedals.

Also, Speedplay cleats will mount to shoes that use a three-bolt system with the use of an included adapter, although this will increase the pedal stack height by a few millimetres. 

Should cycling shoes be stiff?

The answer here depends on your needs. If you spend more time on a bike, and you are able to pedal harder, you will want a stiffer shoe. Part of this is a matter of efficiency and not wanting to lose power to flex in the shoe. Part of it is that a flexible shoe can cause discomfort over time. 

On the other hand, you might prefer a softer shoe. If you aren't pushing that hard or riding that far, a softer shoe is going to feel more comfortable. A softer shoe also tends to be less expensive, as the sole may be made of nylon or fibreglass composite rather than the carbon fibre used in higher-priced shoes and the upper may be less technical.

Do lighter cycling shoes make a difference?

This question is dear to my heart. I am a huge proponent of lighter shoes. I find there is something really wonderful about not feeling the weight of your shoe as you move and the numbers can be significant. 100 grams is a little less than 1/4 of a pound and you can feel that much weight. As with everything related to cycling though, lighter tends to be more expensive. Keeping a light shoe stiff requires a better sole and keeping the upper light will mean more expensive materials.  

Do good cycling shoes make a difference?

I started by answering the weight and stiffness question before jumping into the meat of the question here. The qualities you can expect from a good pair of cycling shoes are that they will be lighter and stiffer. Sometimes, as in the case of Lake or Sidi, you will find that there's a tradeoff and instead of being lighter, the shoes will have things like padding, venting, and other technologies. 

The other thing that inherently comes along for the ride is cost. So in some ways, the question is more akin to "Is it worth spending the money for better cycling shoes?". The bottom line is that if you can spend the money, you will get a better product and it's nice to have better quality cycling shoes. 

Stiff, light, high-quality shoes are a joy to wear. You'll find it's more comfortable to ride farther and to ride harder. You'll have fewer issues with hot spots in your feet and the power you put into your pedals will directly translate to propelling you forward. 

Keep in mind though, that this becomes more of an issue the more experienced you become with your cycling. When you are just starting out with gentle rides for 30 minutes to an hour, you are asking a lot less of all your equipment and that includes your shoes. At that stage, you might even appreciate a softer shoe. 

Alternatively, if you start racing you will find yourself a lot more interested in translating your effort into forward movement. If racing isn't your thing then comfort for long adventures is also an important consideration. When I head out for 12-14 hour rides I am very interested in making sure that my feet don't hurt. 

How do we test?

When I write a buyer's guide I spend as much time as possible with as many different products as I possibly can. For shoes, that means long rides in the 6-8 hour range and even longer when I have the opportunity. I also take the shoes I've chosen into the hills and mountains to see how they respond to climbing situations. Then, the last test involves a race situation. I take each option into a Zwift race about an hour long. This way I get a sense of how they handle shorter efforts where I am pushing as hard as possible. 

There is also one other aspect of testing these shoes and that is pedals. Being a reviewer I have a variety of pedals and I have different pedals on different bikes. Generally, that's not an issue but in the course of this buyer's guide, I needed the ability to change shoes for almost every ride. 

My preference when it comes to pedal systems is Look. I already have a set of Look pedals on my trainer bike and I frequently use Garmin RK200 power meter pedals when I don't have another power meter option. During this testing, I added a set of Look Keo Blade Carbon pedals and Look Keo Grip cleats. By standardising my pedals I was able to swap shoes as often as I wanted to better compare. 

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Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes. Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lb. Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx

Best bike accessories: Tools, parts and upgrades for your bike

British supercar brand returns to its cycling roots, launches all-new Dash

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40th Trek Across Maine will bring about 1,000 bicyclists through Lewiston

Jun. 9—BRUNSWICK — On the third weekend every June for the past 39 years, Scott Cowger of Hallowell has pulled on his bike shorts, shoved his feet in his cycling shoes, buckled on his helmet and started pedaling in his quest to raise money for the American Lung Association.

On Friday, kickstands will go up and Cowger and hundreds more cyclists will set out on the 180-mile 40th annual Trek Across Maine.

The ride is rain or shine, heat or cold, wind or humidity. There are hills and flats, curves and corners. Riders participate on high-end road bikes and used-up mountain bikes, on bicycles built for two and for four, and even the occasional unicycle.

The goal is to raise $750,000, with more than $500,000 of that already raised as trekkers head into this year's Father's Day weekend trek.

Cowger has raised close to $4,000, one of dozens of people who have raised more than $2,000 as individual riders. In addition to individuals, the trek features fundraising categories for teams and corporations. This year, L.L.Bean is the top team fundraiser, with nearly 60 cyclists bringing in more than $43,000. The top corporate fundraiser is Bigelow Brewing Co. with a team of 10 riders raising $10,000.

Though the route has changed over the years, the number of participants has fluctuated and the pandemic shifted the way it operated for a couple of years, the trek has never been canceled and remains one of the largest and most unique fundraising events organized by the American Lung Association.

Cowger, a member of the organization's Maine Leadership Board, has participated in the trek since 1985, when it started in Bethel and ended on Mount Desert Island. Though he remembers it as being rainy that first year, the friendships he made and fun he had kept him coming back for years, he said. There are few things in his life that he has given such commitment.

With little more than good wishes from event organizers to the roughly 100 participants during that first year, there was no support for them along the route, Cowger said. He is glad he was 40 years younger for that one. However, the lobster waiting for participants in Bar Harbor at the end of the trek was enticing.

"In the beginning you were handed a map and they said, 'we'll see you at the end of the day,'" he said. "That was a very different experience back then, so the support has greatly increased."

Now the trek has hundreds of volunteers situated at rest areas every so many miles along the route to provide food, water, first aid and bike repair services, he said. He called the volunteers "wonderful" and thinks their support is "pretty amazing" as they withstand the elements to assist riders.

In addition to the volunteers directing traffic along the route and leading riders into rest areas — often accompanied by loud horns and shouts of encouragement — the trek also offers sag wagons to riders who become too tired to finish the day's route. Riders can be picked up, along with their bikes, and taken to that day's finish line for food and rest.

Admittedly, Cowger is not a fast rider. He takes his time to enjoy the scenery, people and experience of the ride, he said. His favorite route was the first year, but his favorite years were those after because it was exciting to meet up with friends he made the year before. Now, he just hopes for good weather so he does not have to fight rain, cold or extreme heat.

Participants will complete a large loop, riding about 60 miles per day. Day 1 starts at Thomas Point Beach and Campground in Brunswick with riders finishing at Bates College in Lewiston. They'll ride to Saint Joseph's College of Maine in Standish the second day and back to Thomas Point Beach on the final day.

When riders arrive at Thomas Point for the start, volunteers will help them load their overnight gear and suitcases or duffels into trucks that will take everything to Bates so the riders don't have to pack heavy loads on their bikes. The next morning, the gear will be loaded for transport to Saint Joseph's, and the next day loaded for the return transport to Thomas Point.

When riders arrive at Bates on Friday night and at Saint Joseph's on Saturday night, they'll have the option to "camp" overnight in campus gyms or camp outside. Others prefer staying at local hotels, and most of the riders will eat in campus cafeterias as part of the trek experience. Bates offers a baked potato bar when riders arrive Friday, which is a favorite carb load for many trekkers.

Sometimes Cowger misses one of the linear treks, including the one from Sunday River Resort in Newry to Belfast, but with the current loop route he does not have to worry about how he is going to make it back to his vehicle, he said. The loop still provides good views of rivers, lakes and other Maine landscapes.

On the linear routes in the past, if a rider drove to the starting point they would have to figure out a way to get back to their car in order to get home, which could be a chore, especially after pedaling 180 miles in three days.

Participation ballooned to about 1,600 during the years before the pandemic but there were far fewer participants after it went virtual for two years, according to Lung Association Senior Development Manager Sarah Brown. Now, organizers are trying to recover that participation level, which hovers around 1,000 per year.

The Lung Association has added a lobster bake at the end of the trek, along with several activities for participants such as axe throwing and free strengthening stretching sessions, she said. She hopes to add more activities in the coming years to continue growing participation.

Cowger also enjoys meeting people from all walks of life, and the trek has turned into a big second family in many ways, he said.

As he gets older, training for the trek has helped keep him in good shape, he said. Though he does admit that the ride has gotten harder over the years and he does not have much energy left to party in the evenings like he used to, the 65-year-old has no plans to stop. He hopes to have another 10 good years — aiming for continued participation up to the 50th annual ride, at least.

"If I do 50 of them then maybe that'll be the last one," he said. "At one point in time, I mean, I never thought I'd do 40 of these things — that's for sure."

The ride has raised $31 million collectively since its inception, according to Brown. It has gone toward the Lung Association's mission to fund research into lung health and diseases, educate the public on those efforts, and work to improve state and federal laws and lung-health policies, according to Lance Boucher Lung Association, assistant vice president for state public policy eastern division.

It was a Lung Association researcher who discovered the cystic fibrosis gene in 1989, he said. Results of the Lung Association's COVID-19 Action Initiative have also resulted in important coronavirus findings.

Research in the past decade has resulted in about 50 new treatments that are expected to help treat lung cancer — improving survivability within the five years after a diagnosis, he said. But there is still significant work to be done, particularly regarding the use of tobacco products by middle and high school students — work that he hopes will one day result in a tobacco-free generation.

Some people ride with a specific person who was personally afflicted by a disease. For Teresa Kelly-Gillis of Brunswick, it was her friend's passing after a relatively short battle with colon cancer that inspired her to join the trek for the first time this year — despite her nerves about the idea.

She has been an indoor cyclist for the past 1 1/2 years and the thought of cycling outside scares her, she said. Her primary fears are being hit by a vehicle or riding her bike over something in the road and falling off. But she will push all those fears aside to participate this year in honor of her friend, Hilda Wiley, who lost her battle with cancer in April.

Although there have been a number of accidents over the years, most of the trek injuries have been fairly minor.

However, in 2013, David LeClair was killed by a tractor-trailer truck passing him when he lost his balance on his bike.

Kelly-Gillis said she watched as her vibrant, authentic, energetic and kind friend, who was a school psychologist for the Brunswick School Department, became weaker. Wiley lived her life with no regrets, her friend said.

Toward the end of her battle, during Kelly-Gillis' last visit with her a week before she passed, Wiley remained strong and kind — she had accepted her situation, Kelly-Gillis said. Her 46-year-old friend and neighbor left behind a husband and three children.

Kelly-Gillis wanted to honor her friend while also taking herself out of her comfort zone so she decided to sign up for the trek. When she told Wiley she was completing the trek in her honor during that last visit, Wiley placed her hand to her heart and told Kelly-Gillis how much that meant to her.

"If Hilda could face the ultimate terrifying challenge life can throw you with such grace, then I can certainly continue to face things that terrify me," she said.

To make a donation toward the Lung Association's $750,000 goal visit its website at trekacrossmaine.org .

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The 5 best spin shoes of 2024

Posted: February 8, 2024 | Last updated: February 8, 2024

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Whether you have a new exercise bike or you're tired of sweating in rental shoes at a studio, owning a pair of quality cycling shoes is vital. The wrong pair can lead to cramping, discomfort, or blistering, and the best cycling shoe is the one you don't think about at all. But the cycling shoe market is broad and all cyclists have different needs.

Our top pick with a BOA closure is the Giro Cadet . Not only does the BOA system ensure a snug, secure fit but the Cadet also features comfortable ankle padding that doesn't feel bulky or get in the way. Our top Velcro pick is the Pearl Izumi Quest Studio . These shoes excel in the hot, humid setting of a spin studio, featuring a highly breathable design and sweat-wicking materials.

I chose the five best spin shoes below by riding hundreds of miles in both spin classes and at home, and I also consulted two experts, personal trainer and spin instructor,  Nicky Swierszcz , and podiatrist,  Dr. Ryan Minara . I've also included insight into how I test spin shoes , and answers to some FAQs , at the end of this guide.

Top picks for the best spin shoes

Best overall BOA: Giro Cadet - See men's and women's sizing at AmazonThe Giro Cadet cycling shoe comfortably cradles your foot as you ride thanks to the combination of a BOA closure and comfortable ankle padding that doesn't feel bulky.

Best overall Velcro: Pearl Izumi Quest Studio - See men's and women's sizing at AmazonEngineered specifically for a high-heat, high-humidity spin class setting, the Pearl Izumi Quest Studio shoe is exceptionally breathable and sweat-wicking.

Best budget BOA: Specialized Torch 1.0 - See at Competitive Cyclist A BOA closure automatically ups the cost of a cycling shoe, but the Specialized Torch 1.0 manages to keep it affordable without compromising on quality or comfort.

Best budget Velcro: Shimano RP1 - See at Amazon The Shimano RP1 is outstandingly comfortable with an upper that's softer than many other cycling shoes, but with only two Velcro straps, the fit isn't quite as adjustable as other pairs.

Best sneaker style: Thiem Slipstream - See at Amazon The Tiem Slipstream spin shoes combine the effectiveness of a dedicated spin shoe with the style of a sneaker, helping bridge the gap between hardcore cyclists and casual spinners.

Best overall BOA: Giro Cadet

Giro Cadet Men's: 

Giro Cadet Women's:

• Size range: 36W - 43W, 39M - 50M
• Fit: Runs half-size small
• Closure: 1 BOA dial, 1 Velcro strap
• Cleat compatibility: Look Delta, SPD

Pro: BOA closure tightens uniformly, Velcro straps stop toe shifting, nice padding around the ankle, split tongue, breathable, very lightweight

Cons: Slippery when walking around off the bike, runs slightly small

After testing 11 pairs of cycling shoes, you might think they'd all start to blend together, but the Giro Cadet shoe quickly set itself apart. The BOA closure allows for uniform tightening across the shoe, leading to an exemplary feeling of security, and the added Velcro strap ensured that my toes didn't shift back and forth as I rode.

It's the shoe I favored for personal use, so it's also the pair I clocked the most miles with. There's no considerable break-in process, so I could have productive rides right out of the gate, and the shoe has done nothing but get more comfortable over time. Where lesser shoes caused pinching, hotspots, and occasional numbness, I was able to all but forget about the Cadets and get lost in my ride — a surprisingly tough metric for some of these shoes to hit. 

I have a high instep, so where other shoes would cut into the front of my ankle, the Cadet compensated for it with a flexible tongue that has a slit cut down the middle of it to account for the tendons that flex in that area as you ride.

The Cadets are lightweight and breathable and have enough padding in the ankle to keep you comfortable without adding considerable bulk to the shoe. I did find that the Cadets ran about a half-size small, so size up if you're between sizes.

Best overall Velcro: Pearl Izumi Quest Studio

Pearl Izumi Quest Studio Men's:

Pearl Izumi Quest Studio Women's:

• Size range: 36W - 43W, 39M - 52M
• Fit: Runs a full size small
• Closure: 3 Velcro straps

Pros: Developed for studio use, antimicrobial mesh upper stays breathable, familiar fit for SoulCycle riders, three Velcro straps make shoe highly adjustable, good grip when walking around off the bike

Cons: No split tongue, long Velcro straps may hang over the side of the shoe slightly, runs small

If you're a frequent SoulCycle rider, the fit of the Pearl Izumi Quest Studio will likely feel quite familiar. The cult-favorite spin studio pairs with Pearl Izumi to create the rental shoe you've likely used many times. While the Quest Studio isn't the same, it's similar enough that when I first slipped my feet into it, I recognized it immediately. SoulCycle fans making the first leap to their own pair of shoes might want to choose this one for the familiarity alone.

Aside from a familiar fit, the Quest Studio still stands out as a great shoe on its own. Many cycling shoes that spin class enthusiasts opt for were originally developed for road cycling, but the Quest Studio — as its name suggests — was developed specifically for a studio setting. Increased breathability and sweat-wicking take the fore to compensate for a hot, sweaty indoor environment thanks to an antimicrobial mesh upper.

Three Velcro straps make for a highly adjustable shoe with plenty of room for those who may need to keep one section looser to adjust for wide feet or a high instep. I did find the straps were pretty long, so if you're tightening them all the way, there might be some overhang, but nothing that gets in the way of your ride.

My one complaint is that many cycling shoes have a notch in the top of the tongue to account for the tendons at the front of your ankle, and the Quest Studio is missing that. If you're sensitive to pressure in that area, it might cause some discomfort. I found myself noticing it a bit during sprints.

Best budget BOA: Specialized Torch 1.0

• Size range: 36 - 49
• Fit: True to size
• Cleat compatibility: Look Delta

Pros: More affordable than a typical BOA shoe, added padding under tongue, fits true to size, lightweight, comes in bold colors

Cons: Velcro strap at toes is thin, no specialized women's/men's fits, compatible with Look Delta cleats only

Where many cycling shoes limit their color palettes to black and white with the occasional pop of color, the Torch 1.0 shoes from Specialized go bold with offerings of neon red, green, and blue. Of course, you can still get a black or white pair if you want to keep it simple, but those bold colors — along with the very friendly price point for a shoe with these features — were what first attracted me to this pair.

The shoes back up some flashy presentation with a very similar closure style to the Giro Cadets. A BOA closure gives you excellent uniform support, while a Velcro strap towards the toes aims to prevent toe shift. The Velcro strip on the Torch 1.0s isn't as robust as the one on the Cadets, so I'm not sure it does a ton of work, but it does add some peace of mind.

A unique feature of the Torch 1.0s is some additional padding under the tongue, which gives you a bit more comfort on the upstroke as you pedal. It's nothing that affects the fit of the shoe too drastically, and it doesn't add any bulk, but it's a nice touch on a part of the shoe that is often neglected.

Though Specialized sees the Torch 1.0 as a beginner road cycling shoe, it checked all my boxes for a great shoe for spin class — supportive fit with no pain points or hot spots, great ventilation, and my mind wasn't on my feet while I rode.

The main shortcoming here is that Specialized doesn't offer a specific men's or women's fit, so if the construction of the shoe doesn't work for your foot's anatomy, there's no alternative fit to try. The Torch 1.0s are also the only shoe we recommend that isn't compatible with SPD cleats, though we recommend Look Deltas for spinning anyway.

Best budget Velcro: Shimano RP1

• Size range: 36 - 48
• Closure: 2 Velcro straps

Pros: Excellent padding makes for a comfortable ride, fits true to size, good grip when walking around off the bike

Cons: Only two Velcro straps, no specialized women's fit

Many cycling shoes are incredibly streamlined for increased aerodynamics and therefore aren't always the cushiest. A few of the shoes I tried had so little padding that it negatively affected my ride, but the Shimano RP1 shoe has plenty of padding — probably more than a road racer would want. But their loss is the spinner's gain. The RP1 cradles the foot for a comfortable ride.

It's also the most budget-friendly shoe I tested, but it's still constructed from excellent materials including nylon mesh panels for breathability and a ventilated glass-fiber-infused sole. Shimano is also one of the most trusted players in the cycling market, producing cycling gear for a century and cycling shoes in particular since the '80s. 

The concession you'll have to make with this shoe lies mainly in adjustability. The shoe's closure consists of only two Velcro straps and the top one does the bulk of the work. I found this shoe felt less secure around the middle part of my foot unless I tightened the top strap. In doing that, I found it created some hot spots in my instep if I over-tightened. With some practice, I was able to find the sweet spot for a comfortable ride, but you simply won't get the same custom fit of a three-strap shoe.

The RP1 also only comes in a men's fit. I didn't notice any major differences in how the RP1 fit me when compared to a women's engineered shoe, but it does have a bit of a wider toe box than a women's fit. Regardless of your gender, this is going to be a great option for those with wider feet.

Best sneaker-style: Thiem Slipstream

• Size range: W5 — W12/M10
• Cleat compatibility: SPD

Pros:  Comfortable, barely-there fit, snug single-strap Velcro closure system, compatible with SPD cleats or can be used on its own, atypical style

Cons:  Sizing doesn't go above a W12/M10

Spin shoes tend to have a specific style about them that's unmistakable — you know when you see someone wearing a pair of them. This is exactly where spin shoe designer, Tiem, differs from what's on the market. Be it the more outdoor-ready, Via, or the studio-primed, Slipstream, Tiem's line of unconventionally-designed-yet-stylish spin shoes is a welcome detour from the norm. 

For this guide, I tested a pair of the Slipstream shoes in Lunar Gray , and despite being initially skeptical of how they'd perform, these shoes impressed me from my very first ride. They deliver a snug yet comfortable fit and are light enough that it hardly feels like you're wearing a shoe at all.

And although they're lightweight, they still provide plenty of support when pedaling hard. A lot of that has to do with its compatibility with an SPD cleat but even when I rode them free of the cleat, they still felt incredibly supportive both in a pedal basket or sitting freely on the pedal. 

Though the shoes are mostly meant for women riders, they can be worn by anyone. However, one issue that may be a sticking point for some is the brand's limited run of sizing, which starts at a Women's 5 and goes up to a Women's 12/Men's 10. If you fit within that range, great, if you're above a Men's 10 or Women's 12, then you're out of luck. 

Limited sizing aside, the Tiem Slipstream has become my favorite sneaker-style spin shoe and is something that fits as well off the bike as it does on it. --  Rick Stella

What else I tested

Giro Trans BOA: The Giro Trans BOA was very close to being the best overall BOA cycling shoe in this guide. It's got excellent support thanks to the BOA/Velcro closure combo, is breathable thanks to mesh ventilation panels, and I think it just looks cool. 

But Giro is slowly phasing it out in favor of new models. It's also only available in a men's fit starting at a size 39, so those with smaller feet could be out of luck. The Trans BOA only supports Look Delta cleats, while the Cadet supports both Look Delta and SPD, so the Cadet is the more versatile shoe all around.

Tomasso Pista: The draw of the Tomasso Pista is that cleats come included and pre-installed on the shoe, which is great for beginners. But recently, the price jumped up by nearly $40. It was previously available for around $85, which would have made it a great budget buy. 

The quality of the shoe itself is lesser than some of the other equivalently-priced models I tested, and the fit felt bulky in a way that other shoes didn't, so it's just not worth it at the increased price.

Giro Empire E70 W Knit: I was first intrigued by this shoe because it had laces — a rarity in the cycling shoe market. And those laces ended up being its downfall, not because they performed poorly but because I was constantly worried they would get caught in my pedals or come untied during my ride. They never did, but the stress wasn't worth it. 

I did appreciate how lightweight these shoes were, though, and the breathability provided by the knit upper was top-notch.

Fizik Tempo Powerstrap R5: The Velcro closures on this shoe are unique in that the bottom one crisscrosses the shoe to pull it tight in a more uniform way than a strap that merely crosses over the top. But the upper was much stiffer than other shoes I tested and lacked the padding around the ankle I had hoped for. The lack of flex led to cramping for me. I had high hopes for the unique design but was ultimately disappointed.

Shimano RP4: The Shimano RP4 takes a unique approach with its BOA closure. Instead of having the wire tighten the whole shoe, it pulls a wide strap over the instep closed. I had a problem with how far up the strap came on the shoe, causing it to dig into my ankle and make for a very uncomfortable ride. I think a BOA closure is better suited to securing the shoe itself rather than a single strap.

Giro Techne: The Techne is Giro's version of the classic three-strap Velcro cycling shoe. The fit and the ventilation were pretty baseline, but the three straps created a lot of bulk on the shoe that made it feel more unwieldy. Pulling the straps tight led to a lot of overhangs. While none of this affected the ride, the shoe was simply beaten by better performers in the space.

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Trek’s Carback Bicycle Radar Light Takes on the Market Leader

The Carback claims a better detection range than the Varia RTL515, but its real-world performance doesn't quite match up.

Takeaway: The Trek Carback is a serious contender to Garmin in the on-bike radar market. However, while the Carback nears the Varia RTL515’s performance, Trek’s claim of increased radar detection range fell short in our side-by-side testing.

Trek CarBack Radar Rear Bike Light

The Garmin Varia is so widely used and functions so well that Garmin essentially cornered the on-the-bike radar market. Competing units from Bryton and Magicshine are available, but they suffer from inconsistent car detection or poor battery life, so it’s hard to recommend anything other than the Varia.

I trust the Varia so much that I purchased a second one for my cargo bike right before having my first kid. While I know the radar cannot protect me from being run over by someone staring at their cell phone, it will at least alert me that a car is approaching me from behind.

If you were to force me to bet which brand would attempt to make a run at Garmin in the radar game, I’m not sure I would have picked Trek. But with its new Carback system, Trek comes closest to unseating Garmin from the taillight radar throne.

Overall, Trek’s Carback is a good product. The device offers solid detection, plus a few other very nice features that are upgrades over the Varia. Unfortunately for Trek, I don’t think the Carback beats out the Varia as the best product in the category, but it gives the category leader a run for its money.

Carback Details

Trek put a lot of thought into designing the Carback. Trek boosted the Carback's detection range from 460 feet claimed by the Varia to 790 feet (claimed by Trek) for the Carback. The brand switched from a 24Ghz radar to 77Ghz to accomplish this.

To support the more powerful radar, Trek installed a new 2,000 mAh battery, which provides the light a claimed 7-hour run time. However, in testing, I found the light’s run time closer to 8 to 9 hours, depending on the light mode used. The Carback has a very convenient LED light battery life gauge on the side of the device, something the Varia lacks. (Both lights also give you a low battery warning on your paired cycling computer.) The Carback charges with a USB-C plug, another nice upgrade from the Varia’s Micro-USB. The Carback and the Varia carry an IPX7 waterproof rating, and the lights are ANT+ and Bluetooth capable.

For mounting, the Trek Carback uses the same mount as Trek’s popular Flare RT series of lights. Basically, it is a rubber strap with Trek’s proprietary Blendr accessory mount attached. The best method to attach the Carback is directly to the saddle. If you ride with a Trek or Bontrager saddle, you can attach a Blendr mount directly to the shell with an adapter (sold separately).

A few places sell 3D-printed mounts and GoPro-style adapters to attach a Blendr accessory to various saddles and seatposts from other brands. If you want to move the Carback between different bikes, the rubber strap works fine., but I will eventually get annoyed with it, as I do with every other strap of this kind, and buy the right adapters for my bikes.

Side-by-Side Comparison to the Varia RTL515

I tested the Carback a few different ways. First, I rode with both the Carback and a Garmin Varia on my bike, each paired to a different cycling computer. I also rode quite a bit with a colleague, with one of us using the Carback and the other using the Varia. Finally, I did some back-to-back rides where I switched which radar system I used.

The good news is that the Carback is nearly as good as the Varia. And I recommend it to riders who already own the Flare RT lights and matching Blendr accessory mounts. It’s a no-brainer upgrade for these folks.

But there are two things that bug me about the Carback. First, Trek claims over a 71% improvement in detection range versus the Varia (790 feet vs 460). However, in real-world testing, this was not the case. In every scenario, either riding with both radar systems or riding side by side with a colleague, there was never any discernible difference between which system detected a car first. And in several instances, the Varia warned me of a car a second or two before the Carback.

Had Trek not claimed the greater detection, the Carback’s range would be at the same level as the Varia (which is great). But since the Carback only works on par with the Varia and not better (as claimed), I feel that Trek’s claims are somewhat misleading.

Second, the Carback lacks the variable light pattern of the Varia. When the Garmin detects a car, the Varia’s light pattern changes from steady red to flashing. Knowing that the Varia has another method to grab a driver's attention—short of slapping the cell phone out of their hand—that a cyclist is on the road is extra peace of mind for me. It’s a small detail, but it makes me always reach for the varia over the Carback.

I wanted to hear from Trek on both points and Alex Applegate, Trek's Electronics Marketing Manager, was kind enough to respond. “It was an intentional decision not to move away from our best and most visible flash pattern as cars were detected and approaching,” Applegate said regarding the lack of light pattern change. He also left open the possibility that this functionality might be added to the Carback.

Applegate also addressed the detection range question, “It is important to note that Radar requires line of sight, and in many cases, especially in city and suburban areas, the environment is the limiting factor.”

He continued, “Factors such as the crown of the road, curves in the road, and the angle of the rider and mount can all affect the line of sight and detection range. It is more common than you’d think for environmental factors to affect the range.” So, while I did not see an increased detection range in my extensive testing of the Carback, Trek is confident and fully stands behind its claim.

Final Thoughts

Trek produced a light and radar that functions almost equally to the Varia. And the Carback certainly is better than the other on-bike radar alternatives to Garmin. The Carback is slightly heavier than the Varia (86 grams vs. 72 grams). While it has less battery life, Trek’s nine-hour run time (compared to the Varia’s 16 hours) should be plenty for most riders. However, not needing to charge the device as often is convenient if you ride a lot.

Where the Carback improves on the Varia is with USB-C charging, which is almost a requirement for electronic accessories, especially at this price. Trek’s unit also has very easy-to-read battery life indicators. They are much more convenient than the Varia’s tiny little blinking LED, which is sometimes hard to see.

In the end, I can recommend both lights. If you already own Blendr accessories, going with the Carback is an easy choice. But because of the slimmer form factor or longer run time, the Varia still comes out a bit ahead. Plus, Garmin has the Varia RTL515 on sale right now for $50 less than the Carback, which makes it a no-brainer for anyone who doesn't already own a radar light. It’s nice when some competition can benefit the consumer.

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer. 

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St Pete Running Company

Live it, breathe it, follow your own beat—that’s the mantra for our shop and our lives. St. Pete Running Company is a locally owned, independent, enthusiastic running store dedicated to helping you develop as a runner. We are proud to serve Saint Petersburg and surrounding communities!

Owners Cody and Janna Angell have a lifelong passion for running that has taken them all over the world. From North Carolina to Perth, Australia to St. Petersburg, they bring expertise and experience to the St.

Pete community.

What We Do For You

Our hand-picked, talented Staff takes a total-body, total-life approach to customer interactions—it’s not about one pair of shoes; it’s about finding the best solutions for your running life. We want our customers to enjoy years of running, and we have built not just a running store, but a running community within our corner of the world. Visit our store, take a seat in our Electrolyte Lounge, or just come to one of our running events, and find a warm, welcoming community designed for every runner.

A Shoe Fitting Experience Like No Other

Your running stride is about more than just what happens from the ankles down. At St. Pete Running Company, we use our StrideSmart analysis to give you a comprehensive, unique fitting experience that addresses your entire stride, from head to toe. We back it all up with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. We’ve found a happy shoe pairing for more than 25,000 pairs of feet over the years, and take pride in being the only store in the world with the StrideSmart approach.

We have FREE Group Runs from the store every Monday and Thursday Night at 6:30 PM. This friendly and casual group run contains runners and walkers of all ability levels. If you’re looking to start running, or just want a few people who run your speed, this is the group for you! We’ll help you find a running partner of your ability level. You WON’T be intimidated by this group!

Along with Group Runs, we’ll often have fun Events like Taco Night after the run, Beer Runs, store discounts, and demo shoe runs. Follow us on Facebook to RSVP to our fun events.

All FIRST TIMERS receive a $10 Gift Card to our store as our way of rewarding you for joining us!

Training Programs

St Pete Running Company is dedicated to runners young and old, experienced or new to running. We are pleased to announce training programs that meet the needs of all levels of experience. We offer Track Programs, Triathlon and Duathlon Training, Half Marathon Training, and one on one coaching.

For details on current training programs, click Here .

All are welcome to join our running club Run St Pete . To join you simply need to request to follow the private Facebook Group Run St. Pete and agree to their bylaws. This will be the best way to keep up to date with our training programs.

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12 Best Pickleball Shoes of 2024: Shop Top Sneakers to Comfortably Play on the Court This Summer

Win your next Pickleball match with the right gear. Shop the best pickleball shoes from Asics, Nike and more.

Pickleball is having its moment because there's something in it for everyone. It's a sport for all ages that can be played indoors or outdoors. Plus, it helps you connect with friends while also benefitting your health . Exercise that's also fun? Win-win! 

As you move your pickleball game outdoors with summer temperatures heating up, it's time to get serious about winning your next match. As with any sport, investing in the correct gear can help you up your game. In case you didn't know, along with purchasing your own paddle , you can also pick up a pair of specialized pickleball shoes. Pickleball shoes can not only help you with traction, arch support, stability and shock absorption, but they are also great for avoiding injury.

Below, shop the best men's and women's pickleball shoes for summer 2024 from Nike , New Balance , Wilson and more trusted brands. Whether you're a beginner or amongst the Pickleball pros, there's a top-rated shoe for your budget and style ahead.

Best Pickleball Shoes for Men

Skechers men's viper court elite.

Crafted with comfort, arch support, durability, and control in mind for every match on the Pickleball court.

Wilson Men's Rush Pro Ace Pickler Sneaker

These shoes offer stability, and their cushioning and rebound may help your pickleball game.

New Balance Men's FuelCell 996v5 Pickleball

These shoes offer great traction and come in both standard and wide widths.

Nike Zoom Challenge Men's Pickleball Shoes

Nike says it best: "Whether you’re digging, dinking or trying to barrel a ball down the line after scrambling out of a split set, the all-new Nike Zoom Challenge can help you hold serve."

K-Swiss Men's Court Express Pickleball Shoe

This shoe is for casual pickleball players. It provides maximum cushioning and helps keep your feet cool. 

Best Pickleball Shoes for Women

Asics women's gel renma pickleball shoes.

These pickleball shoes may help improve your stability and flexibility. They can also help reduce excess twisting, so your ankles will thank you. 

Skechers Women's Viper Court Elite

These Skechers Slip-in sneakers feature removable Arch Fit® insole for support and a Goodyear® Rubber Outsole crafted for durability and control on the Pickleball court.

Nike Zoom Challenge Women's Pickleball Shoes

These Nike Pickleball shoes helps you serve, dink and so much more. 

Dr. Scholl's Women's Dink It Pickleball Sneaker

These simple sneaks won't clash with your 'fit and even look good enough to wear out to drinks after your match.

Wilson Women's Rush Pro Ace Pickler Sneaker

This is the women's version of the above sneaker that offers the same benefits. 

K-Swiss Women's Express Light Pickleball Shoe

These lightweight sneakers help keep you stable and their sock liner keeps your feet cool.

Asics Women's Gel-Dedicate 8 Tennis Shoes

These shoes that come in a bunch of colorways offer excellent shock absorption to keep you comfortable.

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Nike SuperRep Cycle 2 Next Nature

Indoor cycling shoes.

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Designed to be more breathable than its predecessor, the Nike SuperRep Cycle 2 Next Nature lets you work towards your next PR during high-heat, fast-paced indoor cycling. An improved adjustable strap helps secure your feet during intense movement.

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Peloton Compatible & Comfy/Great Air Flow

Trimoo88 - May 09, 2024

Just order it! You DO NOT need to SIZE UP. I wear a women’s 9.5 & have a wide foot and they still fit perfectly! Bought these to use with my peloton and then bought the delta adapter for the bottom ...

Do Not Size Up!

addbode13 - Apr 02, 2024

DO NOT SIZE UP like the reviews say. This shoe runs very large. I ordered my son size 11 after reading the reviews and have to return for his normal size 10. I wouldn’t even size up 1/2 a size in these, they run that big. Other than the size issue, they seem like they will be really comfortable. Nice soft material and two Velcro straps to keep the shoe snug. ...

Size up for long, narrow feet

MelissaF12333851 - Mar 22, 2024

Looks great but still too small even after sizing up 1 full size. For context, I have long, narrow feet and normally wear a 9.5 in Nike shoes - the 10.5 in this cycle shoe is too small. If you have a long big toe, you may need to size up by 1 1/2 sizes. ...

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Complete the Look

MORE BREATHABILITY FOR YOUR INDOOR RIDE.

Allover Airflow

Lightweight mesh helps keep the top of your feet cool, while vents on the sole let air flow in from below.

Adjustable straps hold your feet down to keep you poised for pedaling. The closure opens wide for easy on and off.

Secure Connection

An external plate couples with compatible cleats for a solid connection to your pedal. The stiff internal plate under your foot optimizes energy return.

More Benefits

• Rubber under the heel and toe gives you traction while walking to and from your bike.

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