Slipping on a pair of the best road cycling shoes, your riding immediately becomes both more comfortable and efficient. While you could cycle in a pair of trainers, we’re going to assume for the sake of this article that you want to ride in dedicated cycling shoes – and rightly so, as they are really a great way to make your cycling that little bit faster. Road cycling shoes are designed to be light and stiff for efficient pedalling, and usually come with mesh panels to keep your feet cool in the summer, and a relatively stiff sole that’s designed to be compatible with three-bolt cleats that clip into clipless pedals.
-
Buy now: £90 from Halfords
- Find out more
-
Buy now: £341 from Tweeks Cycles
- Find out more
-
Buy now: £245.99 from Fawkes Cycles
- Find out more
-
Buy now: £179.99 from Decathlon
- Find out more
-
Buy now: £98 from Merlin Cycles
- Find out more
This guide, including the above top picks, consists of road cycling shoes only. For a broader range of styles and disciplines, check out our full cycling shoe reviews archive, or take a look at our guide to the best cycling shoes under £100.
We have reviewed a lot of cycling shoes, and it appears the bike industry has been on a roll in recent years concerning what they choose to send us because there are a lot of high scores in our cycling shoe archives.
That means we’ve had to make some brutal cuts to slim down our top picks, with surprising omissions such as the legendary Italian cycling shoe maker Sidi… there’s always next year if any missing brands/their PR companies want to send their wares to us for review!
Before we get into the details about the best shoes, let’s unpick some of the general characteristics of road cycling shoes. Road cycling shoes often have a carbon fibre sole, and most manufacturers have a way of rating sole stiffness, though the scales vary drastically between brands. The stiffest shoes are usually best for racing where maximum efficiency is crucial, whereas if you are doing super long rides you might benefit from a little more give. Although you can still get cycling shoes with leather uppers, most shoemakers now use synthetic materials. They’re tough, durable and easy to care for.
Dials that you wind up to tighten your shoe, usually from BOA who came up with the concept, are now the dominant closure system, but you’ll also find ratchet buckles, Velcro straps and laces on some cycling shoes.
It’s worth noting that everyone’s feet are different, and what feels comfortable and supportive for one rider might not work for another. Fit, foot shape and personal preference all play a role, so ultimately, the best cycling shoe is the one that fits you well and feels right on the bike.
If you want to know more about how we select products to be included in this guide, have a read of this article about how road.cc reviews products, and without further ado, let’s get into our selections. We’ve started with a best-of-the-best that are previewed in the quick link section above, and if you keep scrolling then there are several extra recommendations that we couldn’t leave out. There should be something to suit everyone and for all budgets, with options starting from a little over £50 up to over £400…
18 thoughts on “Best road cycling shoes 2026 — get some light, stiff kicks to help you go faster on the bike”
Why is there not a three bolt
Why is there not a three bolt commuting shoe available?
I always use three bolt ‘road’ shoes whilst commuting and my cleats and toe box get trashed with all the unclipping at lights and walking from bike storage to the building.
Shoes with chunky grips on the sole would be a good alternative but seem to only ever come in two bolt.
Another gripe, most better shoes can have their heel pads replaced but none seem to offer this for the toe pad. For me, the toe wears much faster than the heel.
Because of the size of SPD-SL
Because of the size of SPD-SL and other three-bolt cleats makes it impractical, I assume; they’re already not great for walking in due to the degree to which the cleat tips the foot backwards, imagine how much worse that would be if there were rubber bumpers under the ball of the foot thick enough to protect the cleat. Also, three-bolt cleats are much wider than SPDs so one imagines any rubber grips around the edge of the sole would obstruct the twist necessary for release.
Don’t come at me with your
Don’t come at me with your thorough and reasoned logic when I’m griping!
I always commute with mtb
I always commute with mtb shoes for the same reason. And why, exactly, are road cleats not available made out of more resistant material? Mine always wear out far too fast: fragile, breakable, shortlived. Though I suppose if they made them more durable they’d be in 3D printed titanium for several hundred pounds a cleat!!!
I’ve abandoned 3 bolt shoes.
I’ve abandoned 3 bolt shoes. Unless you are competing, the disadvantages massively outweigh any advantages.
Now that there are plentiful designs of shoes from mud-plugging, lightweight gravel all of which you don’t risk your body while popping into a cafe for a cuppa, there is little sense using unwalkable cleats.
I’ve used SPD-SL, Speedplay and boring old SPD and SPDs keep my feet on the pedals, allow me to pedal without being clipped in, don’t rip my leg apart on the chainring or risk a fall if I miss, need virtually no maintenance, last for years.
Me too. SPD for me, every
Me too. SPD for me, every time.
By a spooky coincidence, yesterday I was rummaging around on top of the wardrobe and discovered a pair of 3-bolt shoes that I abandoned about ten years ago and had since forgotten.
I didn’t explore any further; you never know what’s hidden behind the inflatable doll.
I’m guessing the doll is
I’m guessing the doll is stored inflated, ready for use as you surely can’t hide much behind a deflated one.
I have 3-bolt SPD-SL on my race bike after trying a friend’s setup. Great in TTs, not so good anywhere else.
Sometimes she’s inflated,
Sometimes she’s inflated, sometimes not. You know how moody those dolls can be.
It’s proving a very long and
It’s proving a very long and painful process transitioning from what I perceive to be cool, correct, and fast to what is necessary and practical in the commuting environment!
I hear you. I hear you.
Likewise, why aren’t there
Likewise, why aren’t there two-bolt road shoes available? (for those of us who like SPDs). Shimano used to sell excellent road shoes (the R088) which accepted two or three bolt cleats but, alas, not any more.
There are some more road
There are some more road-oriented 2 bolt options out there, but not many. I picked up a pair of Giro Republics (I think) to try as a more roadie style after only ever using MTB shoes, though I haven’t actually got round to wearing them. Think Specialized do some entry-ish level 2 bolt road shoes too.
There are still some shoes
There are still some shoes with 2 and 3 bolt holes but I don’t like the idea of using them with spds without any tread to keep them off the floor. Decathlon do a couple of road touring spd shoes (they’ve started calling them ‘gravel’ now it’s fashionable). I’ve had some of these for a few years TRIBAN Road and Gravel Cycling Leather Lace-Up SPD Shoes GRVL 520 – Black
£69.99
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/_/R-p-192017
Great for cooler weather.
I have a pair of those and
I have a pair of those and love ’em, when they go the Shimano XC range looks like a good replacement, pretty much road shoes but with two bolts and protective bumpers. Look pretty sharp to me!
Thanks – those Shimano XC do
Thanks – those Shimano XC do look good (and they come in a wide fitting, which is my other requirement)
Don’t trust Shimano’s
Don’t trust Shimano’s definition of a wide fit especially if you’re buying online – actually you should probably never buy shoes online and to be honest you should only shoes on in the afternoon when your feet are swollen!
Absolutely. I don’t have wide
Absolutely. I don’t have wide feet, but Shimano wide, one size up (43, I wear 42s normally) are still a smidge cosy.
Having discovered a bit about shoe making, a lot of it is down to how shoe makers design the “lasts” and it seems every brand uses their own variation – which in turn vary by size.
Internationally, feet sizes are not consistent by nation, so it is not surprising that different manufacturers have such variations.
I always thought the main
I always thought the main reason for using a two-bolt system was to pair it with a shoe you could walk in.
Probably because most people
Probably because most people wouldn’t buy a second pair. I had a pair once smooth road shoes with 2 bols cleats, every time I missed the pedal with the cleat I would lacerate my shins. Never a problem with proper 2 bols shoes with rubber grips around the cleat.