Bontrager XXX Road Shoes

Bontrager's new XXX Road shoes are very light with a reasonable amount of comfort and a great closure system that's easy to adjust on the fly.

We've got a pair of size 46 shoes here and they weigh just 560g for the pair. That's very light, although not quite as light as the Bontrager RXXXL Limited Edition Road shoes /content/review/63356-bontrager-rxxxl-limited-edition-road-shoes that we reviewed a couple of years ago (still available). These XXX Road shoes are more comfortable, though, with a better closure system. Bontrager reckon that a pair of size 42s weighs just 440g.

The upper is made from Clarino microfibre which is a synthetic leather-like material that's supple enough to conform well to your foot shape and tough enough to stand up to the odd scrape. The whole of the upper (not counting the tongue) is one piece so you don't find any seams digging in and causing irritation.

The tongue is generously padded and you get vented panels over the toes and on both sides of the foot. There are more vents in the sole, both underneath the toes and under the middle of your foot. Some people might want larger areas of ventilation, I guess, but I never found my feet heating up uncomfortably and I've used these shoes in 30°C+ several times over the past few weeks.

That closure system I mentioned comprises a Velcro lower strap – as usual, once you have it set you never need to touch it again – and two Boa IP1 dials.

If you've not used Boa dials before you should give them a go. They're ace. They're a little like the clicky wheels you get to adjust the fit of many helmets. Turn them one way and they tighten the cable that you have instead of laces, turn them the other and they loosen. You can also pop the dials upwards to let lots of cable out when you want to take the shoes off.

One small point is that the Boas on the right shoe tighten clockwise while on the left shoe they tighten anti-clockwise. That might sound a bit weird but it feels much more natural that way. They're replaceable too, if you ever trash one in a crash, for instance.

The XXX Road shoes feature Bontrager's Platinum Series Carbon soles which are the stiffest they produce. We've said it before: manufacturers seem to have sole stiffness sorted these days. It's hard to discern any flex at all in these even when you're giving the pedals everything you've got. Heel and toe bumpers offer some protection to the sole when you're walking to and from your bike.

Inside you get a no-slip heel lining to help stop your heel lifting; not that I've ever found that a problem with well-fitting shoes. There's a little bit of padding around the ankle and an inForm footbed that provides a degree of cushioning. I wouldn't say the XXX Road shoes offer the highest level of plushness but a good fit is always way more important than padding and these feel absolutely fine for getting in the big miles; these are shoes that Bontrager's sponsored riders have used throughout the Tour de France, after all.

In terms of fit, I'd say these are just a touch larger than most 46s– slightly longer and slightly wider – but not quite to the point that I'd go down a size. As ever, though, try before you buy if at all possible.

Overall, I found these to be very good shoes. They offer a decent level of comfort – even though they're not quite at the top of the tree in that respect – they're very light and extremely stiff with an excellent Boa closure system.

The Bontrager XXX Road shoes are available in sizes 40-47 and in white and red colour options. On both versions that logo on the heel is reflective. Although these shoes aren't available until November 2014, you can order them now.

Verdict

Light stiff and efficient shoes with a good level of comfort and an excellent Boa closure system