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I have a love/hate relationship with buying shoes. They're a really cool thing to buy, and will make riding, running, walking even more enjoyable hsould you choose the right shoe. Or - they can make said activity a nightmare if the fit isn't right.
I've found two pairs of gravel shoes that fit perfectly. The Shimano RX8, and the Crank Brother's Candy Lace. They both fit my narrow feet incredibly well, way better than any other shoe I've tried.
I can't decide between the two for myself 😳 What a first-world problem.
The RX8 is way stiffer, the Candy's are slightly more comfy and better to walk in.
Those with either shoe - what insight can you give to help me decide?
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeers!
Ricks
I don't have either but I wonder what 'gravel' means to you. I hate a sore with flex on a gravel or road bike, preferring something like a detuned road shoe. But then my local gravel requires little to no walking.
Sorry, also can't help, other than to say I picked up some Specialized S-Works Recon lace from Tredz, £150 reduced from £300.
Possibly the stiffest and lightest shoe I've ever owned! Haven't ridden them yet though and suspect I'll not be using them for any hike-a-bike epics.
Fit seems 'normal' though as opposed to narrow. Maybe worth a punt just to try for size.
Oh and also they only come in grey, now my socks don't match 🙄
What pedals are you using? If Shimano, go with the RX8s, guaranteed they'll play perfectly together and that the sole of the shoe will interface nicely with the body of the pedal - tight enough to offer support, loose enough that clipping in and out is effortless.
My Spesh Recons are very comfortable as shoes, but the cleat sits too proud of the sole so its like standing on ice cubes when I'm clipped in. MW80s and AM9s from the big S just feel *right*.
My Spesh Recons are very comfortable as shoes, but the cleat sits too proud of the sole so its like standing on ice cubes when
Argh, what pedals? That was exactly why I replaced my Giro shoes, they were rocking about all over the place because the sole had worn and didn't meet the pedal body. Would be annoying if brand new shoes did the same...
^^^ yes it was. Especially as my ancient Giro Terraduros DIDN'T do that. Shimano pedals - several varieties. I devolved the Recons to gravel duties almost immediately where its more about just sitting and spinning; got some AM9s for MTBing - not as nice a fit, but feel SOO much nicer on the pedals on an MTB where I'm pushing the bike around with my feet more.
Hmm, actually I just geeked out with a set of callipers and measured the depth from the sole to the bottom of the 'pontoons' on various shoes, they're all within 7-7.5mm, including the brand new Recons.
I might put the horrible rocking sensation down to worn cleats!
Shimano XC502.
Very similar to the RX but with a more flexible sole (and cheaper).
I’m on my second pair and use them for xc riding on my hardtail and on my gravel bike. They are very comfortable and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another pair when these need replacing.
I bought a pair of those to try too - they're like a medieval torture device. The cuff around the ankle is very stiff and digs into my bones.
Definitely recommend putting them on and sitting with them on your feet for half an hour or so, to see if you can bare the consequences of such a stiff shoe!
I'm using Crank Brother's Candy pedals - hence why I picked up a pair of the matching Candy laces.
The AM9 is one of my favourite MTB shoes, I'd gladly use them for gravel - but they're just way too noticabley flexy.
UPDATE: I put both shoes on in the evening for an hour, to see what they did to my feet, and how they felt in that time. I couldn't wait to get the Shimano RX8 off - I actually didn't, I took them off long before the hour was up.
The Candys were a bit different, I didn't feel a strong urge to remove them at any point. I do really miss them having a BOA though, I really do hate trying to undo dried on muddy laces before a ride.
If anyone reading this thread is interested - I also have a pair of Shimano XC5s here, same size as the RX8. There a lot more padding, which also extends into padding in the material around the toe box, this means they feel INCREDIBLY tight around the toes. I've already sized up by half a size, I would need to ize up again for the shoe to fit. If the toe box was a touch bigger, they'd feel like gloves for my feet.