Road cleats wear fastest at the exact contact points that touch the ground when you're off the bike, and a few coffee-stop walks across pavement can noticeably shift how your cleats engage and release. The SM-SH45 from Shimano is the fix Shimano designed specifically to fit over the SPD-SL cleat body, snapping into place for a snug wrap that takes the abuse instead of your yellow, blue, or red cleats. They cost a fraction of a fresh set of cleats, which is the entire point.

Compatibility is straightforward: if you're running any Shimano SPD-SL cleat — SM-SH10 (0° fixed), SM-SH11 (6° float, yellow), or SM-SH12 (2° front-center pivot, blue) — the SM-SH45 fits. The molded rubber shell wraps the cleat's underside where the plastic normally contacts pavement, and the grooved sole face adds grip on tile, polished concrete, and the other slick surfaces road shoes were never designed to walk on.

The two covers snap together when they're not on your shoes, which keeps them from getting lost in the bottom of a jersey pocket or saddle bag. That's a small detail, but it matters when you're pulling them out at a rest stop with cold hands. On the bike they stay in a rear pocket without adding meaningful bulk, and they slip on and off cleats without needing to sit down and wrestle with them.... Read More