Dialing In Your Shimano Cycling Shoes
Shimano’s extensive lineup of cycling shoes ranges from road to mountain bike to gravel to touring to indoor and beyond. We have various levels of shoes with different features and materials to suit your budget and riding style. But with so many options, where should you start when deciding what shoes are right for you?
Start by considering the type of terrain or riding style you typically do. Do you stick to paved roads, dabble in gravel, regularly hit the singletrack, go on epic adventures, or get your workout in on the indoor bike? Once you find the right style of shoe, you can focus on the fit by selecting the optimal size, width option, and closure features that work best to keep your feet happy.
Choose the Right Shoe for the Ride
From professional racers to weekend warriors, Shimano has a shoe fit for every ride. Footwear falls into five main categories, including road, MTB, gravel/adventure, indoor, and touring/bikepacking. Several of these categories are broken down even further into specific disciplines that have different needs.
ROAD - Shimano road shoes are designed around the SPD-SL clipless pedal system. These kicks include a three-bolt cleat design for directly clipping into pedals and connecting securely with the bike.
The lineup consists of shoes for all types of pavement enthusiasts, including road racers, triathletes, track racers, and recreational cyclists. Each model delivers a unique blend of technology and materials specially designed for each riding style.
They all benefit from decades of engineering and production expertise and feature comfortable uppers, optimized pedaling platforms, and ergonomic support features to get the most out of each pedal stroke.
However, the gravity shoes in this range feature flat, grippy rubber soles that are designed to work seamlessly with Shimano’s flat pedals while delivering ultimate freedom for those foot-out-flat-out days on the mountain.
GRAVEL and ADVENTURE – After introducing the world's first gravel racing shoe back in 2019, Shimano's range of gravel and adventure shoes has grown to include more riders and riding needs.
The RX series of shoes balance pedaling performance with off-bike capabilities and utilizes the two-bolt cleat design for clipping in with Shimano's iconic SPD pedals. Designed for riders who blur the boundaries on their drop bar bike or simply want to take the (unpaved) road less traveled, Shimano gravel shoes are ready for any adventure.
INDOOR - Whether you’re cranking the pedals in an indoor cycling class or chasing personal bests on your home trainer, Shimano’s lineup of indoor cycling shoes has you covered.
Featuring super-breathable materials for those hot and steamy spin classes, the wide variety of IC shoes deliver a comfortable fit and walkable details so you can feel confident on and off the bike. Shimano’s indoor cycling shoe lineup offers different models with SPD and SPD-SL cleat and pedal options, so you can pick the shoes that work best with your at-home bike or your favorite studio’s bikes.
TOURING and BIKEPACKING – The Shimano Explorer series is purpose-built for bikepackers or off-road tourers who need a high level of walkability plus maximum comfort for multi-day adventures. These shoes have the structure of a lightweight hiking shoe that’s equipped with the efficiency-enhancing clipped-in connectivity of SPD compatibility.
Choose the Right Size for a Perfect Fit
After zeroing in on the type of shoe that works best for you, the next step is to find the right size. You can determine this by using Shimano's size chart that is found on each shoe product page or by visiting a local Shimano dealer to try on different sizes. Some Shimano cycling shoes are available in half sizes to accommodate a broader range of foot sizes, so be sure to check all the options for your specific style of shoe.
Shimano also offers several women's specific shoes throughout its range of footwear. These women's models deliver the same technology and premium materials as their unisex counterparts but with a slightly different last design. They’re engineered to fit women's feet more precisely and help improve comfort without sacrificing performance.
Pick the Right Width for Maximum Comfort
Shoe width is the final spec to consider when dialing in the perfect pair of kicks. While standard shoe dimensions work for many athletes, those with broader feet will appreciate Shimano's wide shoe offerings. Several models across the road, MTB, and gravel categories have multiple width options, which increases the internal shoe volume to accommodate a larger range of foot shapes and sizes.
These wider shoes are not meant for everyone. A shoe that's too wide can result in unwanted foot movement, causing rubbing or a loss of pedaling efficiency. When in doubt, have an expert measure and evaluate feet to help pick the right-sized kicks.
With so many options, it’s never been easier to dial in the right pair of cycling shoes for you. And that perfect pair will keep feet more comfortable, improve pedaling performance, and ensure maximum enjoyment, whatever road or trail lies ahead.