ShimanoSH-RC9 S-Phyre Road Shoe(Return to Product Page)

The hardest piece of equipment to find are shoes - especially if you have oddly shaped feet and one larger than the other. I tried on my friend's shoes before buying my own. I was sold! Lightweight, form-fitting, and no hot feet! I went a half size up to fix any foot issues, and so far, I've been able to put the power down into the pedals like I did a couple of years ago. It's been a while since I've had this much confidence in my shoes.

Echo the great reviews - this is a great shoe and at BikeTiresDirect.com prices, a good price for the quality.

Light, responsive on the road, the firm sole and power transfer is noticeable on the first ride out.

Fit is amazing - I am 9 12 D shoe tried the 44, but sent back for 43, which works perfectly for my foot, plenty room in the toe box. Both BOAs adjust well - I like that there are two, and can tighten down the toe area a bit, as I ride and my foot spreads, I release the toe BOA some.

I do note that the synthetic leather scuffs and discolor easily, may try black shoe polish over time if lots of scuffs add up, but for now the scuffs, discolorations are minimal and do not alter the overall appearance of the shoe.

Glad I bought it - won me over.

Mainly endurance riding, distance, 50mi rides weekends - but the efficiency of the shoe seems to boost my power transfer, definitely a pleasurable ride experience with this shoe.

Very well made shoe that fits like a soft leather driving glove. Doesn't feel too tight, but my feet don't move around at all. Great power transfer. Feels cool in scorching weather. I have the blue ones and I love the look. Very distinctive. I've never been that fashion conscious, but I'm actually thinking about getting another pair in a different color.

I really wanted to love these shoes, but realized after 300 miles that I ordered a half size too big. Take heed and do not follow advice to size up. The Sphyres, like all Shimanos, run a little wide in the toebox but are comparable in length to Giro and Sidi...Even though I can't wear these shoes (and probably can't return them), here are some observations based on my limited use

1. The uppers fit seamlessly like a glove around the bridges of your feet, and the double Boa allows extra fine tuning. It's easy to overdo it when you first put these on, so run them a little loose and then adjust once you start riding.

2. The heel cup anchors your heels much better than Sidi's mechanical system. I felt absolutely no play when seated or riding out of the saddle. Rock solid retention makes you feel like you're getting everything out of every pedal stroke.

3. Soles are ridiculously stiff. No power gets gets wasted when you push the pedals. That said, the soles are very thin so you may need to lower your seatpost to accomodate the reduced stack height.

4. Outsoles have lots of markings for precise cleat adjustment, laterally as well as foreaft.

5. The shoes are very light. My 43s (pair) weigh 110g less than the size 42.5 Sidi Megas they replaced.

6. Upper material is fragile, which raises concerns about durability. I somehow scuffed the toebox on my very first ride by putting a foot down at a stoplight. Maybe a coat of nail polish would offer some protection.

Overall, these are nice shoes that sell for a stiff premium (no pun intended). I was expecting them to come with free S-Phyre socks based on internet reviews and unboxings, but mine just had a card stating the socks are sold separately (really Shimano?). If you need a wider toebox shoe but don't want fully wide shoes, Shimanos are hard to beat. After my failed experiment with the S-Phyres, I bought a pair of size 42.5 RP-7s, which fit much better but honestly aren't as comfortable, stiff, or adjustable as the S-Phyres.

I'm a size 11 US for pretty much every shoe, normal width. I seem to be a 45 in every EU sized shoe, so the 45.5 recommended size threw me off, but I followed the sheet and went with it. Fits perfectly, just enough wiggle room for riding but not enough to make my feet move around. Of note, I'm a 45 in the R321 and R171 (whatever the previous flagship and second in line models were).

The main thing I despised with the old Shimano shoes was the ratchetbuckle system, I replaced them 3 times over and just from routine use, no crashes. The shoes were also bulkier than the new RC9.

One shoe in 45.5 size weighs 270 grams. They feel like nothing.

The boa system on these is awesome, I can tighten them down way beyond snug on my foot and nothing goes numb. This is foot specific but they do tighten down just right for me.

No hot spots, nothing at all to complain about. I have mediumhigh arches, so the included arch pads are nice. I use aftermarket insoles, either G8 semi-custom or my actual molded footbeds, they are a bit wide for the shoes but are fine (all of my shoes have this issue).

I went with the blue color, and boy are they blue. I dig them though.

Cleat setup is fantastic too, the soles have numbers and lines all over so you don't have to guess.

Great shoes. Price is price, if it's too high, don't pay, if you can swing it, go for it!

These have become my everyday road shoes. The stiffness and adjustability is second to none. After a few hundred miles and a century I have to say well worth the cash to upgrade to a top level boot.

Can't beat a great fitting pair of comfortable road shoes for long rides and races!

Lightweight, and they really stand out in traffic. Those two shoes rotating around are an eye catcher. I ride about 300 miles a month and also find they breath well in hot weather.

The snap buckles are a nice feature too. I had them on my last pair but only the top snap.

Been riding in and around Palm Springs and Palm Desert so the heat test worked well.

Now for som eriding in the northwest.

These are the first non Sidi shoes I have worn in many years. Tried them on at a local bike shop and was blown away by the fit and how light they are. Does not hurt they they look really awesome as well. Performance wise these shoes have more fore-aft adjustment than the Sidis and the BOA closure stays right where you adjust it vs with the Sidis that they tend to loosen up. Very stiff sole and wry close to the pedal platform. Did not come with the socks but a card was enclosed which made it easy to order the free socks. As usual Bike Tires had a great price on these shoes.

I absolutely love these shoes. Stiff and very comfortable....BOA dials make it easy to adjust.

I have used other brands like SIDI and SPECIALIZED cycling shoes, but SHIMANO finally came up with the best cycling shoe in the market!

I have been wearing S-Works shoes since 2013 thru the last 3 series of those from Specialized. The Shimano shoes are every bit of the same quality as the S-Works. The toe box is perfect sized and the heel does not squeeze your heal like the S-Works 6. Sole is stiff but I wear a 45 in Specialized and had to go with 45.5 in Shimano.

I am not really a Shimano fan but when I but I spotted these shoes I knew they were special, first the size chart was not correct for me, I wear 11s in street shoes and feet that are a bit wide and 45.5 is my usual size but I always have a problem with my big toes touching the tip of the shoe so I ordered 46 and the size chart read 11.25, I got the shoes and tried one on.. way to big and surprisingly too wide also, back went the 46s and 45.5 at my door took one out of the box and nervously tried it on.. oh my God these shoes fit perfect, width was perfect and my toes never touch and after about 500 miles these are by far my favorites of the 9 pair that I own.. a couple things to keep in mind, Shimano makes these in a wide size do not buy them unless you have seriously wide feet and these are warm weather shoes, those things that look like little vent holes are vent holes so if it starts to rain your feet will immediately be wet and cold..

I love these shoes and will buy another pair in blue.. Nice Job Shimano..

I have been wearing S-Works 6 shoes for the last 2 years and really liked except the tight grip around my ankles. The shimano shoes are probably the most comfortable shoes out of the box I have had. I wear a 45 in Specialized but wear a 45.5 in the Shimano shoes.

Light, stiff, comfortable, and pretty nice looking. What more can you ask for for a cycling shoe. I've had plenty of Sidi, Specialized, Lake, Northwave and other shoes over the years, and I've never had a shoe that pushed all the buttons like this one does. After riding a pair for six months, I bought another pair in a different color, just in case they decide to change the design for the worse on the next iteration. I LOVE this shoe.

I've spent most of the last two seasons searching for a set of shoes that would work for my feet and eliminate numbness. After trying nearly 8 pairs of shoes I'm happy to say that Shimano nailed it with the new RC9s. A major step forward when compared to the 321s and a truly advanced shoe for the market.

Excellent shoe as you would expect from the top of the line. Everyone should try these and you will learn why there the best rated for comfort and pedal power transfer and all day comfort. If the sole was flatter you could use them as House slippers.

When one thinks of high-end road shoes, Shimano did not rise to cream of crop status until now. Shimano took the best features from top road shoes such as Sidi and S-Works and incorporated into S-Phyre. The suppleness of material means drastic reduction in break-in time.

From the moment I opened the box, I knew Shimano jumped to the pole position with these shoes. Shimano did their homework by incorporating design elements from other brands and made it their own. I was ecstatic the way shoes performed during my inaugural ride. I not only get the roomy toe box, but the shoes gripped my narrow heel counter. You will also not be disappointed with stiffness of the carbon sole. I could discern no difference from my S-Works shoes. While am envious I was unable to heat-mold the shoes, you will be pleased you will not experience a break-in period due to material's supple characteristics.