Sidi Shot shoes

The Sidi Shot shoes are the newest premium offering from the Italian shoemaker and feature a new closure system that brings a small improvement in comfort over the Wire Air models I reviewed two years ago. The Shots also have a super-stiff vented carbon sole that is ideal for racing, and a reassuringly hefty price tag that ensures Sidi shoes are highly covetable.

We first saw them on the feet of Chris Froome at the 2016 Tour de France, a race he duly won, and I've been riding with them for the last couple of months.

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The big change from the previous Wire model is the relocation of Sidi's proprietary Techno-3 Push dials from the side of the shoe to the tongue, and they've also done away with the strap over the top of the foot.

Part of the reason for the redesign is apparently to improve aerodynamics, but the company offers no aero data and with no wind tunnel at our disposal, making any meaningful area comparison is impossible.

The redesign provides a small but noticeable improvement in comfort over the offset dials of the previous shoes. The two dials pull the sides of the shoe together, rather than pulling the upper and strap over the top of the foot. Despite the loss of the top strap, the closure system provides a very secure fit and your feet are very well locked into the shoes.

Pressure is distributed evenly across the top of the foot with no pinch points. Another small benefit is that the shoes feel less restrictive through the full range of pedalling. An adjustable heel retention device ensures there's no discernible heel lift even during the most earnest bouts of pedalling.

Dialling the fit of shoes in is a little easier with the new system, and they are quicker to get on and off now – ideal if you're in a hurry. The rotary dials aren't as intuitive or quick to use as other dials like those from Boa, especially on the move, but I never really found much adjustment was needed once going.

I've always found the fit of Sidi shoes excellent, and these new ones are no different. There's a nice amount of space in the toe box and they are extremely comfortable on long or strenuous rides. The shape is a bit roomier than high-end shoes from Mavic and Specialized that I've been testing alongside the Sidis.

The redesign saves a bit of weight over the previous Wires, but at 640g for a pair of size 45 shoes, they're significantly heavier than similarly priced rival shoes, such as the Specialized S-Works which come in at just 476g. Having said that, you do notice the weight at first but not so much after a few miles.

A nice little addition is a reflector on the back of the shoe, ideal for training rides when you are racing the sunset home. There's even a fluoro reflective yellow model if you really want to stand out.

The full carbon fibre sole is essentially carried over from the previous model, and back-to-back testing reveals the same high level of stiffness. If they are stiff enough for Chris Froome, they're probably stiff enough for you. They're noticeably not as stiff as some other high-end shoes, but more to the benefit of pedalling comfort – they perform well in all-out sprints and are superbly comfortable on 6+hour rides.

The carbon soles are drilled for three-bolt cleats with plenty of white lines for positioning the cleat accurately. The soles are vented though it's hard to really notice the effect they have in hot weather, and the front vent can be closed for riding in cooler temperatures. Anti-slip heel pads are replaceable should you wear them out.

Overall, the performance of the shoes is very good, but they're simply not as light as most other high-end shoes and the dials aren't as easy to use as they could be. Granted they are very nice shoes to ride and race in, and Sidi fans will find in the new Shot a familiarly comfortable shoe, but if you have a pair of Wires there's no huge reason to upgrade. It's a shame the Italian company didn't take the opportunity to push the design forward a bit more.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best performance road shoes

Sidi shoes have many fans – I'm one of them – but while these are a great top-end model, I just don't feel there's enough to really justify the £350 price tag against such fierce competition as Bont's Vaypor S, Shimano's RC9 S-Phyre or Specialized's S-Works 6.

Verdict

Comfortable and stiff shoes but they're not the lightest