There are a number of benefits to laces, that is for sure, but it's not all about performance. Much of the reason for choosing a lace-up revolves around fit and comfort. Our Digital Editor Michelle Arthurs-Brennan praises lace-ups for the ability to fine-tune the fit for each individual, even across the same person's feet.

On the flipside, our newly appointed Tech Editor Aaron Borrill, who recently awarded the Giro Imperial AS a dial-operated shoe, our converted Best Overall cycling shoe, said that: for all-year-round cycling, laces can become brittle, take a lot longer to put on and off, and for hard efforts, the lack of regulated tension on the lace can become problematic.