Shimano RC9 S-Phyre SPD-SL shoes

If Shimano didn't make some really excellent mid-level racing shoes then I'd probably spend this whole review waxing lyrical about these RC9 S-Phyre racing shoes. After all, they're a great fit, they're super-stiff and they look the real deal. If you're racing at a fairly high level – or you just like to have the top-end stuff – then they're definitely one to stick on the list. For most of us the superb performance of the Shimano middle order will mean these are a little bit of a stretch.

"S-PHYRE has one goal: to maximize power transmission by delivering more performance per gram, minimizing aerodynamic drag and refining efficiencies between the bike, footwear and rider," says Shimano. Glossing over the fact that that's three goals, let's look at what Shimano's doing here.

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The upper of the shoe is made from Teijin Avail microfiber synthetic leather, which is super-light, conforms well to your foot shape and doesn't stretch. There are perforations for ventilation, and a mesh section in the toe box and a vent in the sole to help with that. Shimano doesn't use a lasting board for this shoe (the bit between the carbon outer sole and the insole, that's normally stitched in), but instead bonds the upper directly to the sole and uses an external heel cup for added stiffness at the rear.

Stiff is one thing the S-Phyre shoes certainly are. Shimano rates its soles for stiffness on a scale of 1 to 12; I'm sure that's a psychological thing so that its stiffest sole, at 12, looks stiffer than others that might be a 10. Anyway, you'll not be surprised to know that the sole on this shoe is a 12, top of the pile. The sole and the heel cup really do give the shoe masses of stiffness, both longitudinally and torsionally. It's probably, along with the Bont Vaypor, the stiffest shoe I've used. The torsional rigidity is especially noticeable; the heel cup really helps keep things in one plane.

It's not uncomfortable, though. Shimano has moved away from making its shoes heat-mouldable but it doesn't seem to have done any harm in this case. The S-Phyres fitted me pretty much perfectly; like all Shimano shoes they size up on the small side, so I'm a 48 in these when in others I'm a 47. The upper is a close fit but comfortable, without any pressure points, and the dual Boa closure makes getting them tight easy, as well as making it simple to get them off again. There's an instep wedge under the insole, and Shimano supplies two heights to adjust the fit. Or you can take them out entirely.

I did have one comfort issue with the S-Phyre shoes: a bit of the stitching on one of the Boa lacing guides stuck out a bit, and it rubbed on my toe. I stuck a bit of fabric over it and it was fine then. Other than that, no issues at all.

They're a close fit without feeling restrictive, and your foot feels very secure; the cat's tongue material on the heel tab helps to stop your foot lifting out when you're working hard. The S-Phyres are available in sizes from 36 up to 48 (half sizes for most of the way) and there is a wide-fitting version too, so getting a pair that fits should be child's play.

The shoes come with socks. They're system socks. "What if a sock could make a shoe better? S-PHYRE believes it can," says Shimano. "By looking at the shoe/sock interface and applying our Linkage Effect approach, S-PHYRE socks combine thermoregulation, comfort, ankle roll stability, and heel slip-resistance with an extra-tall cuff that's guaranteed not to droop. Asymmetrical structural weaving of proprietary fabrics provides guide rails for proper foot alignment through the entire 360-degree crank rotation."

System socks? Come on.

They're nice socks, and they match the shoes too. So those are two wins, a third being they're free with the shoes, or at least built into the cost. Did I find myself thinking that they improved my foot alignment through their asymmetric structural weaving? No, I did not. I didn't feel my performance suffering when they were in the wash, either.

At 613g a pair for size 48s to fit my flipper feet, these are lightweight shoes, similar to other pro-level gear. They score very highly on weight, comfort (stitching issue notwithstanding), performance and sock inclusion. And value? Well, that's maybe a sticking point. Not because pro-level shoes don't cost this much and quite a lot more: they do. But rather because Shimano makes other shoes that are functionally almost indistinguishable for less. A lot less.

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We've recently tested the RC7 shoe, the next shoe down in the range, and Jez, who tested them, has the same size feet as me. So we swapped for a while to see if we could discern the difference. These S-Phyre shoes are £320, and the RC7s are £170. They don't use the same construction method, and the sole stiffness is 'only' a 10. But I'd be hard pressed to tell you any meaningful way in which they're not as good.

Jez prefers the RC7s, having ridden both, and I'd have to say I found them marginally more comfortable too. They're not quite as light and they're not quite as torsionally stiff and they don't hold your foot quite as securely, but in terms of performance they're really not compromised.

At the level I race at (3rd cats, near the back) the S-Phyres are a jolly lovely pair of shoes to rock up with, but if it was my money the RC7s would be the ones in the basket. The higher you go, the more those tiny differences in performance – and they are tiny – will mean to you. Or if you just want some really nice road shoes and £320 doesn't seem like a stretch, knock yourself out: they're great.

Verdict

Great pro-level shoe, but undermined a bit by Shimano's top-quality mid-range offerings