
User submitted reviews
Review by HK
I initially bought a pair of SIDI Genius 7 road shoes since I have only used SIDI for my mountain biking and found them to be very comfortable. The SIDI Genius were exceptional except for one problem- The Cleat adjustment in the sole did not allow me to place the Cleats far enough backwards. I wanted the place the cleats as far back to allow proper alignment on the pedal. Most carbon soles only have 3 holes without any fore-aft adjustments.
After a lot of research and most of all, the expert help from BTD staff, they directed me to the Shimano SH-RC7 road shoes. As others have mentioned, they are
-Super comfortable from day one
-Very adjustable with the dial system
-Very stiff Carbon sole
-Very light weight- lighter than the SIDI genius
The biggest advantage for me was the Fore-Aft adjustment on the Carbon Sole. It allows you to adjust the cleat placement a lot more than many other carbon sole shoes. If you want to place your cleats farther back for more power transfer, then this shoe will allow you to do this.
Review by FJ
Comfortable, light well built carbon shoes. Great value for the money. I got about 1,000 miles on them and they feel great. Big fan of the BOA system.
Review by Brian
I have been wearing Shimano shoes at this price point for 15 years. These are definitley the best version yet.
Review by Zues Duval
I bought this pair just before Thanksgiving last year. I'm happy to say that they are spot on in comfort, fit, and durabilty. They are light weight and the soles allow for adjustable placements of the cleats. The boa dial is neat and with a twist you may adjust the fit to your needs. I especially like that with just a pull on the boa dial it releases it's tension and you slide your foot easily out of the shoe. Or you may reset the tension should you require a loose fit.Unfortunately I have no experience with other shoes so my opinion is biased. But,rest assured that if this were to be your first road shoes purchase, I'm sure you'd buy these shoes again.My humble opinion of course.
Review by Fuelfool
Bought these for my wife. We both wear the mtb version off road. Great fit and plenty stiff. I sense zero flex for my 185lbs. My only quibble is that they didnt put the cats-tongue fabric on the heal of the RC as they did on the XC version.
Review by JD Pinilla
Good looks but delicate
Review by FJ
Comfortable, light, well built carbon shoes. Great value for the money. I got about 1,000 miles on them and they feel great. Big fan of the BOA system.
Review by Anonymous
Nice fit light weight and the sizing is what it says.
Review by dabikeman
I have only used this shoe inside so far this year, so my review is only based on trainer rides. The shoe fits very well. Usually I have issues with new shoes but this one the fit was great at the start. My only problem I have seen so far is the tongue. The tongue falls into the shoe when I put them on. I have learned to completely unbuckle the shoe and even undue the larger Velcro to stop this. This procedure might cause the buckle or Velcro to wear out sooner, but only time will tell.
Review by Anonymous
I've worn these the last four months now, so really broken them in and got used to them. I'm writing a review in part because of the review that complains about the lip. The lip is very close to the buckle, but for me at least this has been no problem. My first ride was 3 hours and I had no discomfort. Since then, they've been great. The shoes feel very tight to the pedals, so there's a wonderful power transfer, and they are very aero. I'm really happy with these shoes.
Also, from my experience, they run 0.5 size big. I went from a 42.5 to a 42 with these. I had to return my original order to do so, but that's never a problem with BTD. Great service.
Review by mike
In the ultimate search for a road shoe i had a few boxes to tick
- No BOA system, they just fail too often and that can end a race
- offers normal and wide sizes
- Heat molding
- super stiff
- good heel system that is not irritating
- long lasting material
This shoe is quite simply the ultimate road racing shoe. The fit options are quite vast and i have seen people who have narrow feet quite happy with this shoe and people like myself with wide feet happy. The retention system is exceptional and exactly what you would expect from Shimano. The molding is quite nice if needed. I did decide on Specialized insoles as they are a cut above in my opinion. The external material is very sturdy and i think will hold up very well over the years. The seams are very well done and the shoe is brutally stiff. Venting is very good and there are no uncomfortable pressure points. Overall i am going to order a second pair just so i have this shoe for the next 5-7 years, it is that good.
As an FYI i have used Mavic, specialized, SIDI, Giro, and considered Bont. I have a foot that is right between a normal and wide, the shimano wide is very nice and not too roomy while not being overly long. I am a size 9m in running shoes and use a 43w in shimano, though i like to have a little bit of extra room for winter riding with wool socks. My ideal size would be a 42.5 w for a 9m running shoe.
Review by Anonymous
Picked up (and reviewed) the 321's prior to these, and those put my feet into a new level of bliss while riding. Figured I'd use some points and get the little brother down the road for bad weatherbackup.
The little brother model is barely a little brother, they are also awesome. Fit is the same as the 321, I'm a 10.5 US, I went with 45's in the Shimano's, no issues.
Sole stiffness seems to be the same, I have no hot spots at all.
The 171 isn't as ventilated as the 321, so that could be nice come cooler weather, but I can't say I noticed either way so far.
Weights feel about the same.
Great shoes, if you're never going to heat mold the 321's, these will save you some cash and get you pretty darn close in features.
Review by scott
This road shoe has a nice wide toe box, however, the shoe tongue does not extend far enough to prevent the sharp edge of the outer top strap from biting into the top of your foot.
Review by me from here
These are wonderful cycling shoes approximate 500 miles in them. Wider toe box than my Sidi's and Mavic's which I find more comfortable. I feel more pedaling efficiency (as proclaimed) with these shoes than previously mentioned shoes. The lining is very plush adding to the comfort. The adjustable placement for the ratchet buckle across the top of your foot really helps dial them in, so make sure you try both settings. It was tough not buying the 321's since I paid more my Sidi's but I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the moldable insole, so the 171's made more sense and are working out great.
Review by Anonymous
Very nice looking riding shoe, which look great out of the box. Perfect summer shoe. Fit my foot really well. Downside is that the graphics start rubbing of the synthetic upper when you clip as you flick the pedal over to clip in.
Review by Anonymous
Immediate impact on my performance. This shoe has a design that seems to promote proper technique while maintaining comfort. My average speed has increased by 1 mph. Love the design, the uppers are a little hard at first, but after a few rides the shoe breaks in nicely.
Review by Trevor
I really like the shoe style, comfort, stiffness and price. The toe has too much volume for my foot . I will have to try alternative foot beds to get it just right.
Review by Anonymous
Use it for my daily commute. Climbing has become easy with lot of power transfer.
Review by Ron Bridges
These have quickly become my favorite pair of bike shoes
Review by Jeff
I use this shoe for my triathlons that I do. I like the quick tightening and loosening feature of the Boa. I prefer this shoe over triathlon specific shoes because it is stiffer. The only very slight drawback that I have encountered is putting on rain, cold weather and aero booties. My booties fit quite tight and tend to pull up and release the Boa system when I'm putting the booties on and off.