Shimano’s top-end race shoes were updated this year, the R310 moving aside for the lighter and more advanced R315 (http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/shimano-sh-r315-road-shoe-first-look.html), with several new updates including a refined material for the upper and a lower-profile strap ratchet mechanism.
First things first; these are expensive shoes. £270 is a serious wad of cash to spend on shoes, but fortunately they go a long way to justify that, especially once you slip your feet in them. I’ve been testing them for the past couple of weeks and haven’t looked back since.
So, what do you get for your money? Firstly there’s a unidirectional carbon fibre sole with Hollow Channel design, whereby the sole has twin foam-filled hollow channels along its length. They’re supremely stiff, and easily rival the top-end shoes from other brands. It’s hard in this case to measure stiffness other than based on feel, but the R315’s don’t come up short.
Turning the shoe over and one of the big changes has been to use Kuraray Rovenica for the upper. It’s much thinner than the stuff Shimano used to used, and also more supple, helping to form a more comfortable shape over the foot.
This interesting leather substitute has also been used on the straps; they’re noticeably thinner than the straps on any other shoes, even outside of Shimano’s range. Along with these is a new and improved lower profile buckle mechanism for the top strap.
Custom-Fit (http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/gear-news/shimano-custom-fit-shoes-fitted.html) technology, introduced by Shimano several years agohelps the shoes achieve a fit approaching that of custom-lasted shoes without the high cost that would entail; the sole and upper can be moulded to your foot shape at your friendly Shimano dealer using nothing more fancy than a domestic microwave.
Interestingly, though I am loath to admit it, I’ve not had the custom treatment on these shoes, and have instead been wearing them straight from the box. Even without making use of Custom-Fit, they’re extremely comfortable and very supportive, and there’s no heel lift or unwanted movement. Maybe I’m just lucky and my feet are Shimano shaped? Before my full review I will pop down to my nearest Shimano dealer to get the custom treatment.
So far, they’ve proved to be amongst the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tested. They’re also noticeably stiffer than many too, with incredible power transfer. I like the Velcro straps and easy to adjust ratchet mechanism, though I do miss the ease of adjustment afforded by the Boa dials on my other favourite shoes. The nice thing I’ve found is that I don’t tend to do the straps up very tight, yet my feet are well supported, and under little pressure.
Something else I noticed during the very first ride is their lack of weight. They’re not the very lightest, but at 525g a pair (quoted weight for a size 40) they’re darn light. It’s a bit corny to say, but I have felt faster since I’ve been wearing them. Psychological it may be (they also look fantastic) but that’s enough to convince me to keep riding them.
Shimano SH-R315 SPD-SL Shoe £269.99; sizes 36, 37-47 including half sizes, 48; wide fitting available; colours white/black/red
