Ekoi Perf R4 Road Shoes

The Ekoi Perf R4 shoes are comfortable, with plenty of stiffness, and the Boa dials provide a secure fit without introducing any unnecessary pressure points. For their price, though, they come up a little short compared with some of the competition.

> Buy now: Ekoi Perf R4 shoes for £158.71 from Ekoi

On paper the Perf R4s offer a decent spec for a performance road shoe, starting with the synthetic microfibre upper, which is soft to the touch and has a pliable nature that means it moulds to the shape of your foot well.

Ekoi has done away with the traditional tongue design, instead having one side of the upper wrapping over the top of the other to create a snug fit.

Fit is controlled by two Boa dials which work really well to give a balanced tension across the top of your foot, thanks to incremental clicks that allow you to make small tweaks. These are Boa’s L6 dials, though, which don’t allow you to loosen them with the same incremental movements, like the Li2 dials I’ve seen on many shoes of this price. If your feet swell in the heat with these, you’ll have to pull the dial to release the tension and retighten, which is a bit of a faff.

The upper’s material is robust, showing no signs of wrinkling from the pedalling action, and marks tend to just wipe off. Important on a pair of white shoes.

There’s an array of dotted holes over the toe box and down both edges of the shoe, which create a small amount of breathability, and riding in 27°C heat didn’t see my feet overheating. There are some mesh vents in the sole, too.

That sole is made from a mixture of polyamide and fibreglass with a carbon fibre plate added where the cleat affixes. For road use I prefer a full-carbon sole, and at this price point I’d definitely expect one on the Perf R4. Saying that, the Ekois haven’t shown any issues with stiffness overall, even when pedalling hard out of the saddle.

I found the arch shape supportive and comfortable, while various markings on the sole allow you to replicate your cleat position time and time again.

> How to get your shoe cleats set up right — two-bolt and three-bolt positioning explained

Only three-bolt cleats are catered for, which is the norm with road shoes, and to protect the sole when walking there are front and rear bumpers.

From a quality point of view, I’d say the Perf R4s are finished to a very high standard. The stitching is very neat and tidy all round, and you get some extra detailing like a silicone-lined heel cup to stop your foot slipping on the upstroke.

I found the sizing to be realistic overall too, and to help out Ekoi offers a sizing chart based on foot length. I’m normally a EUR45 in most brands and the 45s here fitted me perfectly. I don’t have particularly wide feet, so if you do then you might not get on with the Ekois, and there’s no wide fit option, or half sizes either.

Value

Price-wise, the Perf R4s aren’t cheap at around £320 (the price fluctuates with the exchange rate), but as is often the case with Ekoi there are massive discounts to be had on its website. These are currently 50% off.

The Quoc M3 Pros recently reviewed by Ollie cost the same as the Ekois, and they come with a full-carbon sole and various arch inserts to dial in your fit. The weight is similar, which means that they are also light, but they also only have a single-direction closure dial system.

Lake’s new CX239s cost just under 300 quid and impressed me with their fit, helped by having those twin-direction Boa Li2 dials. They are a bit weightier than the Ekois, but they do have a very good-looking glossy carbon fibre sole.

Van Rysel’s RCR shoes have a long and narrow fit, and if that suits you then you’ll be impressed with their stiffness and comfort according to Josh’s review. You are also getting a full-carbon fibre sole and twin dials for foot retention. They only work in one direction, but at £179.99 for the shoes, I can forgive them for that.

For more options, check out our guide to the best road cycling shoes.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the Perf R4s are a bit overpriced when you look at the exact spec, but that aside they are a very comfortable pair of shoes with a performance to match. If you get them for the discounted price, which chances are you will, they are a very good choice.

> Buy now: Ekoi Perf R4 shoes for £158.71 from Ekoi

Verdict

Comfortable, stiff and well made, but their full RRP is hard to justify

All the deals displayed on our review pages are pulled from a constantly updating database feed of the best affiliate deals available. The criteria for deciding on what are the best deals is who is offering the lowest, delivered price. In most cases we will be showing the very best deal available online, but sometimes you may be able to find an item cheaper. If you can please feel free to post a link in the comments box below. To find out more about affiliate links on road.cc click here.