Quoc Motion

The Quoc Motion shoes get you the high-end style of a premium brand for a mid-market price, and in many ways they’re impressive. For casual use they’re comfortable and effective despite their flexibility, but work hard and the limitations of their single, basic closure dials become apparent – you can get better performance elsewhere for the money.

I really like the way these shoes look. Having tested Quoc’s top-end M3 Pro last year and opted for Gran Tourer XCs as my personal off-road shoes, I’m a big fan of Quoc’s styling throughout pretty much its whole range. I’m also a massive fan of all-white shoes, and the Motion even has white dials and closure cables. The only deviation is the tan heel pad and toe bumper, but it’s a subtle contrast that works well.

The Motion is compatible with Look Keo / Shimano SPD three-bolt cleats, and include a pretty basic pair of insoles. Although I had no issues, if you have particularly flat feet or high arches you’ll likely want to swap them for something more specific, though that’s not unusual for the price.

Quoc doesn’t offer the Motion in half sizes, so I went up to size 45 for this test. They actually fitted well, with enough space in the toe box to avoid pressure or rubbing, but not so much elsewhere that my foot was washing around inside.

The Motion has a perforated PU upper and ventilation holes beneath your toes, and I never suffered with hot feet… or cold ones. During my time temperatures were on the cooler side, and rain showers punctuated most of my rides. Obviously they’re not waterproof and don’t claim to be.

When flexing the shoes in my hands, the carbon composite sole was quite easy to bend. This was quite disconcerting but, on the bike, it didn’t prove much of an issue. I definitely found them a bit less direct than any of the almost-rigid carbon soles out there – though some of that is the cushioning around the heel and tongue too – but for general riding they pedal perfectly well. These are designed for ‘all day comfort,’ after all, rather than as ultra-stiff and potentially unforgiving race shoes.

For me, the let down is the closure system. The Motion uses a single P-D3 dial with one-way adjustment, meaning if you need to loosen them off, you have to release all the tension and start winding up again. This makes adjustment on the fly a bit frustrating and awkward, though these are far from the only dials that work that way.

The dial alone isn’t quite enough to snug the shoe around your whole foot, at least not for sprinting and hard efforts. Even with them wrenched down tight my feet were sliding around, and these really lacked that locked-in feeling you need. I can’t help thinking a Velcro strap across your toes, as often found elsewhere, would really help here.

This, combined with the very soft heel cup, lead to a bit of heel rub when I was riding hard out of the saddle or sprinting. No, these shoes aren’t designed for racing, but it isn’t really a great sensation for any kind of hard riding.

Quoc actually offers it with its Escape Road Lace, and those are cheaper too at £140 (the M Pro Lace, if you want to go fancier, is £290).

Value

At £160 these sit firmly mid-market, with more entry level models around £60-£90 and the top end in excess of £300. If you want twin dials per shoe for better security you’re typically looking at £200+, but there are a few exceptions, and there are other designs too.

For 2026 the Van Rysel RCR Road Cycling Shoe has gained £10 and an extra ‘R’ in its name, and it still offers impressive performance and spec for the money. The RCR-Rs are £179.99 and, presumably, a favourite with pirates. The version we tested in 2024 matched the Motion’s clean all-white looks and impressed our tester with their comfort, stiffness, and excellent fit. The only potential issue is the 2026 edition may still be relatively long and narrow.

The Specialized Torch 2.0 shoes are very close at £165, and while they also use a single dial – a Boa Li2, in this case – it’s microadjustable in both directions. There’s also a strap across the toes for greater security, and half sizes to boot. Or to shoe.

If a really secure fit is a must and you’re not looking to spend crazy money, consider laces. You could stick with Quoc and get the fantastic Escape Road Lace for £140, for instance, though of course the downside is you’re not going to be making any adjustments without stopping and retying them like some scruffy Victorian child. No judgement.

Overall

These look great and prove both comfortable and effective for general riding. Mid-ride adjustments are a pain however thanks to the basic dial, and if you working harder that lone dial – unaided even by a simple strap – can’t provide the complete security you really need. While twin-dial shoes are typically going to cost you more, there are plenty of more secure, easier to adjust single-dial designs out there for this kind of money.