Rapha has released two new shoes, the Rapha Pro Team Powerweave Road and Gravel, which are said to benefit from its Wear Test programme.
The programme asks 130 amateur and professional athletes worldwide to give feedback on new products, from initial development to validation.
Finn Abbot-White, Rapha’s Wear Test lead, says: “We handpick testers, people I would call experts and seasoned riders. People who are critical, but who want to help us push boundaries.”
The new Road and Gravel shoes feature Rapha’s woven Powerweave uppers, which debuted on the Pro Team shoes in 2020.
The uppers have a new knitted sock collar, similar to what you find on some football boots. Rapha says this “ensures a stable, locked-in fit eliminating tongue movement and hotspots”.
The new £350 shoes also share Boa Li2 dials for “comfort and total control” over fit adjustments.
Rapha Pro Team Powerweave Road
The Pro Team Powerweave Road shoes target greater comfort and a “superior connection”.
Alongside the woven upper and Li2 dials, the road cycling shoes have a 100 per cent carbon sole for stiffness and power delivery.
There is also a heel counter made from Pebax, a thermoplastic polymer with a low material density and an efficient energy return, according to its producer Arkema.
You can adjust the fit of the new road shoes thanks to interchangeable insole arches.
The shoes take inspiration from the Rapha Climber’s Shoes with reflective detailing.
Rapha says they weigh 227g per shoe (size 42) and recommends you go up half a size.
Rapha Pro Team Powerweave Gravel
Rapha’s new road shoe features a carbon sole, but the Pro Team Powerweave Gravel pairs an EVA midsole and Vibram Megagrip outsole.
Rapha says this combination “enhances off-bike agility and grip”, while a carbon plate and reinforced toe aid power transfer, durability and support.
“For the Gravel version we didn't want a completely stripped back sole, we wanted to keep that off-bike comfort, and at different levels of contact, allowing your foot to adjust to different shapes in the terrain,” says Rapha’s senior footwear designer Tom Matic.
Another difference between the shoes is the upper material. The road shoe uses a 100 per cent recycled polyester, but the gravel shoe combines this with a TPU yarn for better abrasion resistance.
The Pro Team Powerweave Gravel shoes weigh a claimed 282g per shoe (size 42) and come with interchangeable insole arches.
