Gravel racing shoes used to force a choice between road-shoe efficiency and mountain-bike walkability, with most designs landing somewhere in the muddled middle. Shimano's SH-RX801 picks a side. This is the featherweight follow-up to the original RX8, built around a stiff carbon composite sole and pared-back TPU lugs that keep the weight down where it matters most on long, fast gravel days. If you spend the majority of your ride clipped in and only occasionally step off for a gate or a convenience store, the RX801 rewards that riding style.

Shimano rates the carbon composite sole at a stiffness of 10, which puts it in road-race territory rather than trail-shoe territory. Pair that with the Dynalast-derived road-shoe fit and the RX801 feels closer to an S-Phyre than an XC race shoe, just with SPD cleats bolted to the bottom. The minimal tread pattern shaves grams and keeps the stack height low, though it also means the shoe walks like what it is — a race shoe with lugs, not a hiking boot with cleats.

The upper uses a wrap-over synthetic leather pattern that closes around the foot with a single low-profile BOA Li2 dial. The Li2 gives you micro-adjustment in both directions with a bidirectional release, so dialing tension mid-ride is a one-hand job through the drops. A Velcro strap over the toe box adds forefoot security, and a hard plastic heel cup deflects scuffs while locking the heel in place. Shimano removed the elastic strip that connected the inner tongue wrap on the previous RX8, which makes the shoes noticeably easier to slip on.... Read More