Scott Road RC Ultimate Shoe

The Scott Road RC Ultimate shoes are extremely comfortable, have an excellent Li2 dual Boa closure system, and are extremely stiff for the most demanding of racers. However, their top end performance comes with a truly top end price.

The RC Ultimates sit at the top of Scott's shoe range, and seemingly no expense has been spared when creating them.

> Buy now: Scott Road RC Ultimate Shoes for £439.99 from Scott

The carbon sole has a rigidity rating of 10/10 and is described as extremely stiff, and I'd agree. I found they were rock solid when I gave them my best (weak) sprinting and climbing efforts.

It took me a few rides to get used to them, to be honest, as they are stiffer than my regular ones (rated 7/10). My feet ached a little on my first few rides, but I soon got used to them and appreciated their stiffness – especially when putting in a hard effort.

The uppers are 'Carbitex' carbon and feature mesh ventilation holes, and the high tensile strength of the fibres further futher helps with stiffness and aids power transfer.

These uppers are the main difference, in fact, between the Ultimates and Scott's, erm, penultimate Road RC shoes, which are a whopping £150 cheaper. Personally, I think all but the most demanding racers might find the extra performance and cost hard to justify.

Despite the rigidity, I never had any issues with road buzz from terrible surfaces... which seems to be most roads these days.

The soles accept any three-bolt cleat design, and you get adjustment markings to ensure you get the same positioning on both shoes. They were easy to set up with Look Keo cleats.

Closure

Each of these wears a pair of top-end Boa Li2 dials, and these allow 1mm adjustments in either direction. It was easy to dial in the perfect fit across the whole foot.

They're very easy to use even while riding, as you don't have to release and then retighten them like a lot of Boa dials. I really liked this as, during summer, I need to adjust my shoes as my feet get warm. The Li2s make it super easy.

The heel and toe bumpers are on the small side but give good grip when off the bike, and they protect the sole of the shoe well enough. They have some signs of wear, but after a few months of heavy use that is to be expected.

Fit

These are designed for a slim, racing fit, but I found them a bit more roomy than other slim-fit shoes (particularly around the toes), and it gave them an all-day comfort which I haven't always found with such things. Even on a three-day bikepacking trip I never had any niggles with them, even after nine hours in the saddle on a warm day.

The sizing is spot on. I tested EU45s which equate to UK10.5s – my usual size for road shoes. These were a very comfortable fit, and I had no issues with heel slippage.

Scott's 'Ergologic Insole System' allows you to adjust the insole depending on arch volume, too, via three pad options that come with the shoes. They're designed to reduce numbness and distribute pressure evenly, but as I have pretty standard feet I just stuck with the default. It was very comfortable for me.

At 555g a pair in size 45, these are very light and similar to many other top end shoes, although not the absolute lightest on the market.

The upper has decent ventilation and is breathable; my feet didn't overheat too much, even after some long rides in temperatures of around 22°C. There's a good sized vent on the front of the sole, but nothing at the back to draw air through – these might be a bit warm if temperatures are getting up towards 30°.

I'd say ventilation is well balanced for the UK, as they'll keep you cool on all but the hottest of days, but shouldn't automatically freeze your toes in winter.

While I haven't tested these in winter temps, given the white front and the price I'd never wear them in poor conditions without toe covers anyway. They got dirty-looking easily even during the unusually dry spell that occurred during testing – that's always a problem with white. They were easy to clean, at least.

Value

At £439.99 these are some of the most expensive shoes we have ever tested, and some of the most expensive off-the-peg road shoes out there.

The Specialized S-Works Torch shoes were rated very highly, and though Liam (quite reasonably) described them as 'silly expensive,' at £385 they're still cheaper than the Ultimates.

Steve really liked the Shimano S-Phyre RC9 road shoes, which are similarly high-end and a full £90 less at £349.99.

If you are looking for a more affordable pair of premium road shoes, then Shimano's RC7s also scored well in our testing and are £189.99.

Overall

Scott's RC Ultimates are very impressive. They are extremely stiff yet all-day comfortable, and the excellent dual Li2 Boas makes it easy to dial in the perfect fit. However, with such high performance comes a very high price.

Verdict

Very stiff and light shoes that offer all day comfort, but that price is hard to stomach