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TECH NEWS

Rapha serves up new Cross Shoes at Eurobike

Cyclo-cross specific shoes, complete with beer and chips holder

Rapha have had a long history with cyclo-cross and they strengthen that relationship with their brand new Cross Shoe.

Like Rapha's GT shoes, the Cross model is made by Giro, but they aren’t just a rehash of an existing shoe with some colouring in; they have been designed from the ground up by the folks at Rapha.

The CX shoe is built around the Easton EC90 unidirectional carbon sole that features on Giro’s top-end road and mountainbike shoes and the upper is made from a synthetic leather with absolutely no holes or vents in so your feet should stay nice and warm and dry through the worst a 'cross course can splash up at you.

To save the shoe from getting a trashing from remount fumbles and tired last-lap tumbles the toe and heel are protected by abrasion resistant rubber bumpers.

Closure is via an alloy buckle and two Velcro straps.

The Rapha shoes come in winter-friendly, go-with-anything black but are decorated with blue grip on the sole and some very subtle stitching on the upper in the Rapha CX colour scheme so your shoes can match your socks, can match your top, can match your scarf, can match your umbrella. Even the insole has the Rapha CX pattern on it, but as your foot will hide that you’ll have to tell everyone.

A pair of size 8 shoes weigh 375g.

The Rapha Cross Shoes don’t just come to you in a shoe-box, that would be boring. They come in a tough nylon drawstring shoe bag, which isn’t all that either, but inside that bag is a recycled and recyclable cardboard container.

Open that up and you’ll find your spanky new Rapha shoes, and two pairs of shoe wedges and some aggressive toe-studs for the inevitable run up.

Excitedly take all that out of their respective compartments and you’ll find that the box can be used as a container for beer and frites, which as everyone knows are the essential accompaniment to cyclo-cross.

The Rapha Cross shoes will cost you £250. You will need to supply your own beer and frites though, the cheapskates, and sense of humour.

Click here to read all of our stories from Eurobike 2014 - the world's biggest bike show.

Jo Burt has spent the majority of his life riding bikes, drawing bikes and writing about bikes. When he's not scribbling pictures for the whole gamut of cycling media he writes words about them for road.cc and when he's not doing either of those he's pedaling. Then in whatever spare minutes there are in between he's agonizing over getting his socks, cycling cap and bar-tape to coordinate just so. And is quietly disappointed that yours don't He rides and races road bikes a bit, cyclo-cross bikes a lot and mountainbikes a fair bit too. Would rather be up a mountain.

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10 comments

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bendertherobot | 9 years ago
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I'd echo that. Even as a commuter it's clear that my Code's are way way stiffer than, for example, the Sidi Spider. That's a good cross shoe btw, if you can find the ones with sealed holes.

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theendinfrench | 9 years ago
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having owned several pairs of giro shoes (road & mtb) i can tell you that the EC90 is no good for 'cross - it's way too stiff to run in comfortably - our cross team now uses the basic giro mtb shoe with the softer sole.
also, it's a shame there's no neoprene ankle cuff or replaceable grips but aside from those issues, nice looking shoes and clever packaging.

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Nick T | 9 years ago
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That's genuine synthetic leather, I hope.

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Dr_Lex replied to Nick T | 9 years ago
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Nick T wrote:

That's genuine synthetic leather, I hope.

When wet, is it best to stuff them with facsimile paper to dry them out quicker?

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bikeandy61 | 9 years ago
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TBH I am surprised at them "only" being £250. So many elite/pro level shoes are that level minimum this is almost a Rapha giveaway! Look nice.

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Binky | 9 years ago
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They are freakishly small! Are these women's or men's?
How wide is the toe box?

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bendertherobot | 9 years ago
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Godwin needs a Rapha law.

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jamtartman | 9 years ago
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Rapha are so up themsleves

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bendertherobot | 9 years ago
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They're based, of course, on the Code. Pretty brilliant shoes that don't seem to feature on Giro's website anymore, at least when I looked in the week.

Are these "good value."

Not particularly, but not all that bad. The codes were over £200. The new gauges are £170 or so. Closing off the vents and having a slightly nicer toe cover are good things. They look warm and comfy.

Yeah, pretty good.

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cat1commuter | 9 years ago
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Wish there was a bigger choice of shoes without holes or vents.

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