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Year after year, Shimano provides a great bang-for-your-buck with its shoe lineup, and this year’s SH-XC30 Shoes are no exception. For under $100, you might even say that it’s one of the best examples of that trademark Shimano value. And given the XC30’s durability, refined fit, and surprising power transfer. Pair it with reliable SPD pedals, and you have a budget-saving package for taming singletrack and tarmac alike. Shimano offers one of the widest ranges of shoe lasts (or shapes) in the industry. So to clarify, the SH-XC30 uses the Volume Performance last, making it wider in the toe-box and across the ball of the foot. This gives it a fit that emphasizes comfort and stability, while still allowing room for custom orthotics. The three Velcro straps provide ample security for your foot, and their offset positioning prevents unnatural pinching and pressure. Another advantage of an all-Velcro system, as opposed to a system incorporating a ratcheting buckle, is the modest weight savings. As admitted gram counters, we’d feel remiss not to point that out. The XC30 Shoes have a fiberglass-reinforced, polyamide sole that’s stiff, but still flexes enough for comfortable walking when you need to hike over hellish terrain or to stop into the local coffee shop. The upper is constructed of tough, stretch-resistant synthetic leather, and mesh inserts throughout provide plenty of breathability for hot summer rides. The Shimano SH-XC30 Shoes are available in the color Black and in 17 whole sizes from 36. 0 to 52. 0.

Contemporary logic tells us that we need to refinance the house in order to invest in a quality pair of cycling shoes. And if weren’t for Shimano, that might be true. However, with new developments like the SH-R107 Shoes, you get in the weight ballpark of Shimano’s top-end offerings, carbon composite outsoles, and unparalleled adjustability. You’re probably wondering what’s so new in the world of Shimano. Well, how about Shimano’s newly developed Dynalast technology. Basically, this played an integral role in Shimano’s achievement of placing ‘power to the pedal.’ With a carbon fiber composite outsole, efficiency is increased while still allowing a calculated level of flex. This is possible due to the sole’s variable stiffness and density that accommodates the movements of the arch. Also new to Dynalast is something that we haven’t seen before, a hollow channeled carbon outsole. This design is multifunctional — increasing surface area, heightening rigidity, and concurrently, decreasing weight. Dynalast has also helped in the redesign the heel cup of the R107. Now, it features a reinforced cup that contributes to an increased level of stability, while also strengthening the shoe’s hold on the foot. This is essential, as most pedaling efficiency is lost from heel slippage. Furthering this power transfer are the R170’s securing straps. The shoes feature two asymmetric, hook-and-loop straps that allow you to control the shoes’ internal volume. Shimano has given these a broad, angular, and offset design that makes them simple to grab and adjust while in the saddle, should you need to make any on-the-fly adjustments. Controlling the overall tightness and security is a Shimano micro-adjust, ratcheting buckle. This system allows you make incremental adjustments with an elongated ratchet fixture. And when examining all three straps, it becomes obvious that they all work in unison with the R170’s anatomic, Dynalast last design. This means that the entire shape and struct…