Why do serious cycling enthusiasts love to ride the bikes and wear the equipment that professional cyclists enjoy? Is it because they aspire to be pro's? Is it because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? While it is hard to know the motivation of every cyclist spinning along on a Pinarello F8 with Di2 or Cervelo S5 with RED eTap, after nearly three decades into our service of serious cycling enthusiasts, we can safely say it is more about sheer joy and maximizing the personal cycling experience than it is imitation or aspiration. And while, yes, these items carry a high budget price tag, there are many of us who simply prioritize our expenses. More than one of us has pulled up to a local event or group ride with a bike or bikes on the rack that far outweigh the cost of the vehicle being driven. The Shimano SH-RC9 S-Phyre Road Shoe is sure to be a pro-level item that many of us desire, and acquire. A cyclist has three effective points of contact with a bike, hands, butt, and feet, and these are areas no one should compromise on. Fit, comfort, protection, and performance are essential to all three. The RC9 S-Phyre is special, superlative in every area.

Let's just get this out of the way. The RC9 is not the lightest shoe on the market. Shimano never prioritizes making something the lightest out there. Now forget that and focus on what is important: fit, comfort, breathability, power transfer, and overall performance. The design of the shoe follows Shimano's system integration principles, meaning every component is designed with and for the rest in service of the whole. Start with the ultra-stiff, lightweight Dynalast carbon fiber sole, which was redesigned for improved foot support with a refined toe lift position (called toe-spring) that increases leveraged power with less strain forward of the metatarsal zone. Shimano was able to develop a new seamless mid-sole construction process that eliminated the board last, which reduced weight and lowered the overall stack height of the sole, while maxing out Shimano's 12 scale stiffness measure, coming out at 12/12. The sole also features active forward ventilation, a definitive graphic cleat set-up system, and 11mm more fore-aft of the cleat adjustment (as found previously on the R321).

The one-piece molded, external heel cup wraps around and over the sole and up the back of the shoe. This system cradles the back of the heel, locking it in place, eliminating side to side twisting and rolling instability, while in conjunction with the upper and gripping fabric inside maximize power transfer throughout the whole of the pedal stroke, whether powering down, or pulling up while accelerating or attacking on an incline. Into the development of the external heel cup, Shimano also (finally!) created a replaceable heel tap for safe touch down when resting off the saddle and walking. The forefoot and toe area of the sole also get a bonded overly and toe tap- the former to protect the sole, the latter to make stopping at lights and walking safer as well. ... Read More