How we test

To ensure all things are equal, we coupled our shoes with the two testwinning pedals from the mbr group test in the June issue. We also ran these on the same bike so that we could measure crank and chainstay clearance for each shoe and gauge overall comfort and grip without being distracted by suspension and tyre choice.

With the clip-in shoes, we measured the size of the cleat box and clearance around the cleat and focused on ease of engagement/release. With the flat shoes, the main driver is grip, so we measured the rubber compound on every shoe with a durometer. We also did a simple flex test to check feel, and some offthe-bike hikes to gauge comfort and check for heel lift.

All weights are for a pair of shoes in size 42 EU.