Shimano SH-RO74-S Road Shoes
This cycling shoe is designed for SPD-SL cleats. It requires a different cleat and pedal than what most bikes have. It is a road shoe that delivers good performance on a budget. It has dual velcro straps and a stiff fiberglass reinforced nylon outer sole. The upper has a large nylon mesh area that provides high breathability.
View from the top.
Now these are an interesting shoe. I liked the very stiff sole and was able to get good power transfer. On the underneath of the shoe at the front there is a hole to allow air to get in and keep my toes cool. Some people comment that the hole is there to let water out when it is raining. My feet felt very cool and comfortable in these shoes.
Now here is the interesting part about the review. I have the shoes, and I have a brand new set of pedals that accept a SPD-SL cleat, which is the cleat that fits these beautiful shoes. However I didn't bother fitting the pedals, as they would be totally useless without cleats. That is right, ladies and gentlemen. I have the shoes, the pedals, but no cleats. It did not surprise me one bit when I discovered that I could not buy a pair of SPD-SL cleats in any of the bike shops I tried. The cleats come in two types. A fixed and a floating type. It was the floating type I was trying to obtain.
View from the side.
So being the clever person that I am, I tested them without cleats and used them on pedals fitted with toe clips and toe straps. The shoes actually came with a cleat to fit standard pedals. The cleat has a slot that fits the rear cage rail of the pedal. I found that walking with the cleats fitted made me waddle like a duck. I also found that with the cleat fitted, my toe clips weren't high enough to get my foot in safely.
So in order to test these shoes, I removed the cleat and just placed my foot into the toe clips and did the toe straps up. My feet tended to stay put, and I was able to get good power transfer with these shoes on. I would love to use these shoes on my SPD cleats, but human ingenuity has once again made this ridiculously impossible. All done probably to make a few dollars.
Three hole mountings for an SPD-SL cleat. Note air hole at front.
I also liked the velcro flaps to do the shoe up with. This means that there are no laces to get caught in your chain. It's also easier to take the shoes off. I also have a pair of booties to wear which cover the shoe when it rains. I will test these when I can find some decent rain.
These are a very comfortable shoe and would recommend them to anyone. Before buying the shoe and the pedals, make sure that the cleats are at least available in your city, country or planet.
I may revisit these shoes and their pedals, once I track down some cleats for them. I give these shoes a 7 out of 10. I would have given them a 9, but they lost 2 points due to the fact that they use a cleat that does not exist.
