Suplest Crosscountry Edge/3 Pro shoes

Suplest makes some rather snazzy shoes, and the new Crosscountry Edge/3 Pros are hard to miss. The sole is brilliant, nailing that delicate balance between stiffness and comfort, and the upper is rugged and cleans easily. The Boa dials aren't the sleekest, but the extra protrusion makes them easy to operate in big gloves. The only downside is the price: there are some cheaper options that are equally capable in the mud.

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Let's start with the all-important sole. I've had bad experiences of flexing soles that just cause pain, especially with small mountain bike cleats. The Ergo 360 sole appears across the whole range of Suplest's Pro edition shoes and is truly excellent. These are plenty stiff enough for the hardest sprints, and also perfectly comfortable for running up muddy hills.

Another brilliant feature of the Edge/3 is the upper. The WRAP Tongue is a two-piece construction that Suplest says 'allows a maximum foot hold and is comfortable at the same time'. It's not lying: the hold on my foot was excellent, with no movement apart from in the toe box.

The material is made in Japan and constructed with airflow in mind. Wearing these during an intense cyclo-cross session really allowed me to feel the cooling benefits. The thin construction of the upper means it really wraps around your foot, and after a few rides they formed permanently to the shape of my feet.

The outsole connects really well with the colourscheme of the upper. The clear rubber not only gripped well, but also shed mud with ease, letting me clip in without fuss. After some rocky run-ups, I was a little concerned that the rubber would get scratched and then be difficult to clean, but I had no such issues. The rubber has come up clean each time. It's a small detail, but it keeps the shoes looking fresher for longer.

There was a little discolouration of the green stitching. There's not a lot of it, so it's not the biggest issue, but you'll have to spend a lot of time getting these shoes pristine.

Keeping your heel in place is a super-strong cat tongue material. I had no issues with heel slip whatsoever. The Carbon Shield is another neat feature – it simply protects the top of your foot from the Boa laces, which can cause quite a bit of pain if they dig in. The shield works well and I had no discomfort.

The Boa dials here are quite large. They work perfectly, with good incremental tension adjustment, and are robust against mud, but they are quite tall – taller than Specialized's S-Works 6 XC shoes, which look a little sleeker to my mind.

At the lofty price of €349 (around £302), they've got some serious competition from the Lake MX237 SuperCross (£247) and the Giro Empire VR90 (£199). While these represent a very good performance shoe, I couldn't see myself parting with the extra cash over the Lakes. I also wanted a different colour option; grey and green isn't my thing and at this price, I'd like at least some choice.

> Buyer's Guide: Performance road cycling shoes

Overall, these are great shoes when looked at from a performance angle. However, with my sensible head screwed on, I believe there are some equally lovely shoes for quite a bit less. And if grey and green just isn't your colour, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Verdict

Brilliant shoes, but pricier than some equally brilliant rivals