Van Rysel RR900 Road Shoe review

The top shoe in Decathlon’s road shoe range, the Van Rysel RR900, is a feature-filled, bargain-priced offering, as we’ve come to expect from the giant French superstore.

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The RR900 model boasts a full-carbon sole for starters – no nylon or fibreglass here – and with extra thickness in the centre these proved impressively stiff.

The Van Rysel also has a reinforced heel cup and raised rubber heel sections to make walking easier, though the bumper at the front is minimalist compared to similar shoes such as Boardman's Carbon road shoes. Unusually, the markings to position the cleats are engraved in the sole rather than printed – very neat.

The sole feels nicely stiff and it balances well with the soft polyurethane upper for decent comfort. The Van Rysels do come up marginally small and are narrower at the toes than most so, as always, it’s a case of trying before you buy if possible, and checking the returns policy.

There are small sole vents at the toe and heel plus extensive perforations on each side of the upper and on the tongue to aid breathability, although none at the toe.

In addition to their carbon sole, these shoes have also excelled with the fitting system. They have a pair of ATOP ratcheted dials to achieve the right fit, the tongue wrapping over your foot comfortably.

Construction quality appears to be good so far and there are some striking colour choices, including an iridescent grey.