Road bike shoes, full carbon sole v carbon insert soles v nylon glassfibre soles

So im biting the bullet on the nice Italian road bike and moving away from two bolt cleats and Shimano AM45 mtb shoes to full on 3 bolt roadie shoes

Now im a fussy barsteward but also tight, always looking for the best deal

So ive kind of narrowed down to 3 different shoes which are the following, they are in order of my preference of looks

1. Addidas Tempo 3 stripes boa, nylon & fibreglass reinforced soles

https://www.adidas.co.uk/tempo-3-stripes-boa-cycling-shoes/IG4130.html

2. Northwave Revolution 3 in grey, carbon sole insert in cleat area

https://www.lordgunbicycles.co.uk/northwave-revolution-3-shoes

3. Northwave Extreme pro 3 in black

https://www.lordgunbicycles.co.uk/northwave-extreme-pro-3-shoes?color=Black%20white

So how much difference will the 3 different soles actually feel?

They will be used on 3+ hour rides so looking for something that is comfortable but will also be the most efficient

I really like the Adiddas Tempo’s but will they be that much more flexy than the others?

Having got some cheap 2nd hand Shimano RC902 which are the stiffest that Shimano do, I was worried that that aspect could make them uncomfortable on longer rides but I’ve actually found the opposite.  It’s a really nice solidly connected feeling to the bike particularly out of the saddle on hills/sprints.  I suspect it’s all far more whether the shoe fits well or not; in my case I’m using them with some specialized body geomety footbed insoles that have a bit more arch support than the stock Shimano ones.

Also I loved the shiny red which, of course, was actually the most important thing.

I’d think about weight, rather than stiffness. Heavy road shoes feel gross.

As above, go for the shoes that fit you the best, not that are the stiffest, especially if you’re doing 3+ hr rides.

Any dedicated road shoe will be stiff enough anyway

I’d go for fit over everything.

Mate bought a super bargain pair of 46 xc northwave shoes something or other and compared then to my 46 Shimano xc shoes.

The Shimano are much wider. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate the north wave shoes for any time.

The northwave super bargain boots I bought fit mw much better.

For me fit=>stiffness=> weight.

I bought second hand specialized sworks. Light, stiff, comfy and not £££. They are great for me on 130 mile rides. But I still waddle and slip on the 3 bolt cleats. Rubber cleat covers have made me feel much less like Bambi on ice

You won’t notice stiffness, but you will notice fit. I like Giro with carbon soles, but mainly because they are narrow and laces allow a better adjustment. I have an old pair of Shimano that are too wide, Sidi boots for winter too, but they are ridden with thicker socks. You need to try them on to find best fit. And stand on your toes (on carpet) to mimic a pedalling position. Then decide.

I’ve had two pairs of Roadie shoes and I’m a tight arse so they’ve never been pricey. the DHBs I originally got were OK but the uppers got tired over time (Still use them indoors on the trainer)

I’ve not got some Specialized Torch 1.0 which are a nicer fit and have a Boa, but I would say the Nylon soles aren’t quite as stiff as the old DHBs (Also Nylon) in fact I’d say My Cheapo XC/Gravel shoes  (Gaerne laser G) have stiffer soles. It doesn’t really make much odds in reality though.

The big cleat interface offsets it a bit, but yeah I’d still like to try some proper stiff Carbon (£150+?) Road shoes at some point.

Why are you moving away from mtb stuff?  Riding further?  Getting pain already?  How stiff are yr current mtb shoes and could you just go stiffer if they need replacing?

How much walking do you envisage “during” rides?  MTB shoes are MUCH better for that aspect

I should note SPD SL are for the nice weather road bike and trainer only, Winter Road/Gravel/commuter/wet weather I wear my XC shoes and use M520s.

I’ve got the Revolution 3s in a grey / silver colour slightly different to the ones linked. I only paid £89.99 on sale when I got them.

They’re plenty stiff enough and I find them comfy – I’d echo finding the best fit shoes you can get rather than what might be the absolute stiffest.

The shoes I actually wanted were Shimano RC7 but I was between sizes – the 43 were too tight but the 44 didn’t fit right. I also tried some Fizik Tempo R5 but didn’t like the fit.

The boas are nice to adjust etc – thenonly downside is the silver gets dirty / marks easily – even wearing neoprene overshoes when it’s wet. I do commute in them though – they aren’t just fair weather shoes.

Putting comfort/fit aside going from non-carbon to carbon soles made a noticeable difference for me (in a good way), definitely feels stiffer and providing better power transfer.

Fit, always.

Never seen any data on stiffness and power transfer – which to me means it matters mostly in the minds of the shoeco marketing department.

I find stiffer shoes more comfortable – on the caveat that they’re a good fitting stiff shoe – as I find I get less hot spots and my entire foot is supported

I bought shoes that fitted me and that I could afford. Eventually got TEMPO OVERCURVE R5 shoes. Couldn’t tell you about the stiffness.

As above, go for the shoes that fit you the best, not that are the stiffest, especially if you’re doing 3+ hr rides.

Any dedicated road shoe will be stiff enough anyway

+1

There’s a threshold below which shoes aren’t stiff enough that feels horrible, but beyond that it’s marginal.  That might vary between people based on weight / power output.

I’ve got an older pair of posh carbon shoes and a newer pair of cheaper shoes. I can feel the difference but it’s not an intrusive difference.

Get ones that fit, it’s the by far the biggest difference.

And don’t always trust different people’s interpretation of wide. I’ve got “high volume” feet.  Some brands will do “HV” as a version, others like SIDI do it as half sizes so a 44.5 is actually a 44 sole with a bigger upper.

 I like Giro with carbon soles, but mainly because they are narrow and laces allow a better adjustment. I have an old pair of Shimano that are too wide

For example I find shimano normal fit cripplingly narrow, but going up a size and to a wide fit version is baggy and the upper wrinkles. But I fit in a normal Giro just fine, with the straps pretty loose though.

Ignoring the sole issue (tho I prefer a stiffer sole), i much prefer 2 Boa fasteners than one. – greater adjustment and much more comfortable on long rides.

i also got a random pair of giro carbon shoes on ebay for £15. Fit lovely (others might fit better), are cheap enough to not care.

Getting clipped in is still super annoying

I should note SPD SL are for the nice weather road bike and trainer only, Winter Road/Gravel/commuter/wet weather I wear my XC shoes and use M520s.

Same shoes all year round on my road bike. Mostly Water proof  overshoes and massive socks in the winter and I’m ok for 70 miles down to freezing. Although at the highest point of that ride the roads were getting icy and I was seriously regretting my choice of ride.

I liked dhb overshoes so much I bought a couple of pairs when they when  they were cheap and crc was closing.

If it’s lashing it down I won’t ride a road bike.

Cheers for all the replies

So basically reinforced nylon/fibreglass is fine, carbon soles are just a bit stiffer which i may not notice but they are much more expensive, comfort wins over everything

Hoping to pop into a shop on Sunday to try a few different pairs out and see what prices they are

The big cleat interface offsets it a bit, but yeah I’d still like to try some proper stiff Carbon (£150+?) Road shoes at some point.

that was my thinking hence going second-hand top of the range

e.g. Vinted

I figured I’d want to change the insoles on second-hand shoes of course but the man-made uppers aren’t going to absorb sweat.

Fit is important. Stiffness is important but carbon isn’t necessary. I’d steer clear of the Adidas shoes – the various one’s I’ve looked at that were ‘on offer’ were really cheaply made and poor materials (literally handled about 4-5 pairs of various ones).

Fit is definitely key, but a nice stiff carbon sole is also important to me. I find a stiff sole is actually more comfortable and less tiring on longer rides. And the feeling of instant power when you are out of the saddle honking it is great.

My only pair of glass-nylon shoes are relegated to turbo and commuting.

I wouldn’t touch the Adidas ones with a barge pole.

Whilst I agree fit is by far the most important factor, I bought a pair of carbon soled Sidi Wire 2, mainly because they look so good to be honest. I found the carbon soles to be brutal, just battered the soles of my feet. Bought some Shimano RC7 on sale and they are night and day more comfortable.  Used the same Specialized BG insoles in both so it wasn’t that