Top 5 2019 road shoes from the pros
The 2018 season is drawing to a close and, after seeing sneak peeks of the professionals testing new gear throughout the season, brands have finally revealed what next year has in store for us.
Here we take a look at the top 5 road shoes of 2019.
Fizik Infinito R1 Knit
Fizik’s range-topping Infinito R1 shoes were updated this season to include a knitted outer.
This improved their ventilation but retained the stiffness and secure fit of Fizik’s proprietary closure system, which uses two Boa dials.
Priced at a slightly eye watering £349.99, the Fizik Infinito R1 Knit is one of the most expensive shoes on the market, and at 636g for a pair of size 45s, are by no means the lightest.
Excellent comfort, high breathability and great power transfer combine to make these some of the hottest shoes available for their looks and technical prowess.
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) also wore the Grey Knit version of the shoes to victory at this year’s Tour de France, and if they’re good enough for him…
The Fizik R1 Knit are priced at £350/€380/$450.
Sidi Wire 2 Carbon Matt
Legendary Italian footwear specialists Sidi has updated its popular Wire Carbon model shoes with new outer options this year including this Wire 2 Carbon Matt offering.
The shoe has a carbon sole with replaceable heel and toe pads, Sidi’s adjustable heel retention device and Sidi’s in-house ratchet dial retention system instead of Boa dials.
The new Matt outer, available in black or grey, looks tough and durable but comes with a weight penalty. Our size 42 weighed a substantial 603g for the pair without cleats and, for £330, these shoes aren’t exactly cheap.
That being said, they should last a seriously long time and cope well with the daily grind of training and racing.
The Sidi Wire 2 Carbon Matt are priced at £330/€350.
Shimano S-Phyre RC-901
First spotted at the Criterium du Dauphine and unveiled at Eurobike a month later, Shimano has updated its popular S-Phyre RC-9 with a few refinements to make the S-Phyre RC-901.
The upper of the shoe sees more give around the metatarsals, the elimination of the mesh sections over the toes and a redesign of the perforations.
To the rear of the shoes, Shimano has added a more rounded heel cup and swapped the original black external design for a colour-coordinated look.
The first version of Shimano’s range-topping shoe proved popular in the WorldTour for sponsored and non-sponsored riders alike, and with these refinements we expect this to continue for a long time.
Shimano's S-Phyre RC-901 are priced at £319.99/$400.
DMT KR1
DMT has joined the knitted upper bandwagon in 2019 with its KR1 models.
A single Boa dial is used as a fastening system to keep weight low, and while other knit shoes feature a knit external over a normal upper, DMT has chosen to reinforce its knit material to create a complete knit outer.
With this design, DMT is able to have a sock-like cuff instead of a traditional lip and will offer four different colourways when they become available.
Italian national champion Elia Viviani has already been wearing the shoes this season, taking the most victories of any rider in the WorldTour.
The DMT KR1 are priced at £310/€350/$TBC.
S-Works 7
Unveiled way back in January, Specialized’s S-Works 7 shoes have proven to be some of the most popular shoes of the season for amateurs and professionals alike.
Two exclusive Boa dials are used alongside a small Velcro strap over the toes, while a Dyneema-reinforced upper creates great power transfer and a comfortable fit.
The S-Works 7 shoes are the stiffest Specialized has ever made and while they’ve not been updated for 2019, it’s hard to overlook these shoes, and we suspect they will continue to be one of the most prominent designs of next season.
The S-Works 7s are priced at £325 / $400.