Shimano RC7 (RC702) SPD-SL Shoes

The Shimano RC7 Road Shoe (SH-R702) is an excellent all-rounder with a lot of features of Shimano's top-end shoes but at a much lower price. They cover the whole spectrum of road cycling easily, from rides to work, to races or weekend cafe rides, taking it all in their stride with their comfort and performance. Their predecessors earned a place in our best road cycling shoes buyer’s guide for being great value, and though these are £20 more, they're still well worth it.

Uppers

These shoes really impressed on the comfort front. I wasn't looking forward to a couple of weeks of niggles trying to break in a new pair of shoes, but thankfully out of the box these were like slippers.

The uppers are made from one piece of high-density synthetic leather, with a wraparound structure to reduce overlap. As well as being very comfortable, it gives a seamless look that I like, with some mesh for flexibility and comfort near the two Boa dials.

These L6 dials allowed me to get the shoes as tight as I needed, but I did find the main 'strap', which is controlled by the top Boa, would be slightly loose after each ride, though I didn't notice this while riding.

The second Boa controls the mid and lower area of the shoe, and I found this really comfortable.

The Boas themselves work well but I did find it frustrating that this L6 model only enables you to make micro-adjustments one way, when tightening, so if you need to loosen the shoes off just a bit, you can't; you have to release all the tension and then tighten them back up.

Around the ankle there is plenty of padding and that area is quite flexible, so I didn't feel any discomfort at all.

Sole

Sole stiffness ratings vary among shoe makers, so they're limited in their usefulness, but here Shimano has given the carbon sole a stiffness rating of 10 (its top-end S-Phyre RC9 gets 12), and from the first time I stood up to pedal out of the saddle I noticed just how stiff they were. I was really impressed with how solid they felt; my usual shoes are around double the price of the RC7s (with a stiffness rating of 15) and I honestly couldn't tell the difference.

In the carbon sole there is a channel designed to allow airflow under the insole and to allow water to drain away. On warm days my feet never overheated, and you could really notice the air travelling through on colder days.

My only issue with a system that lets water drain out is that it also lets it back in. I found once my feet were wet that's how they stayed, but I guess if you had a downpour at the start of a ride it could help dry them out by the end.

Setting up the cleats is easy as there is a comprehensive grid and measurement system on the sole. It took me around 5 to 10 minutes to get fresh cleats on and lined up. (We have a guide on how to get your shoe cleats set up right if you need help.)

Durability

I gave these shoes a fairly hard time – cold, rainy weather; dirty roads; getting walked across gravel cafe paths, and contacting my mudguards multiple times while I attempted to be a seasoned commuter and trackstand at each set of traffic lights – and the wear is minimal. Some scuffs here and there but nothing to write home about. And the material around the heel is still perfect.

On the heel and the toe are hard rubberised plastic protectors that help prevent wear in those areas, but note that the heel pad is not replaceable, so take that into account.

Other details

You can get these shoes in three colours: black, white or red and blue. Shimano also offers a wide version as well as half sizes, so you can dial in your fit.

They're also pretty light; Shimano claims a weight of 255g for a size EU42, and the EU45 comes in at 277g.

Value

The RC7 Road Shoes cost £189.99, which I think is a pretty good price for what you're getting. I own two pairs of S-Works 7s, which are between £369.99 and £244.99 depending on size and colour, which makes the RC7s pretty good value.

They're a tenner more than dhb's Aeron Lab Carbon Road Shoe Dial, which Hollis reviewed last year, though he reckoned those only suit a narrow foot, and could be more vented.

Conclusion

Overall, I think these are excellent whether you're new to cycling or you've been ticking off the miles for a while. They perform really well and are good value for money. I've already recommended them to a couple of friends, and can't stress how surprised I was by how much they felt like a far more expensive shoe.

Verdict

Excellent all-rounders at a good price – very stiff, light and comfy enough to wear all day