7 of the best summer cycling shoes

Summer is the season cycling was made for. When the mercury rises, we shed layers of clothing and switch to our lightest, most eye-catching clothes.

Here at Cycling Active, we’ve the same philosophy for our whole outfit, and that includes the shoes.

Some shoes are better than others for summer, so we’ve rounded up an eclectic selection of footwear, suitable for various disciplines including road riding, mountain biking and going to the pub. Whatever the summer has in store for you and your bike, there’s a pair of shoes here perfect for that experience. We look at three pairs of road-specific shoes, which accept a traditional road-style cleat.

We’ve also got four pairs of shoes with an SPD-style compatible sole — one mountain-bike specific shoe, a touring shoe, and two trainer-style shoes that would be great for commuting or city riding.

Which pair will suit you the best this summer will largely depend on the type of riding you intend to do. So sit down, read through, and find your next pair of stylish summer cycling shoes.

What to look for

Vents We’re expecting a baking hot summer, so you’ll need plenty of ventilation for those balmy rides. Mesh panels on top will take care of most of the work, but look out for holes in the sole too, for keeping your feet cool from underneath.

Style Consider which shoes might best match your bike, and your other kit. A bright orange pair might look great in a shop, but if they clash with your fluoro kit, your friends might not think you look quite so cool out in the lanes.

Pedals Some of our test shoes are available with alternative soles to suit different types of pedals. Those that aren’t probably have a similar shoe that does. The type of ride you take the shoes on is important too. If you spend 99 per cent of your time in the saddle, do you really need a walkable sole?

Vittoria Iride shoes

Vittoria Iride cycling shoes hitting the shops at £140

£140

Score

Shimano R087 shoes

£85

Score

Pearl Izumi X-Alp Enduro IV shoes

Pearl Izumi X-Alp Enduro IV cycling shoes hitting the shops at £110

£110

Score

Northwave Fondo SRS shoes

Northwave Fondo SRS cycling shoes hitting the shops at £110

£110

Score

Giro Trans shoes

Giro Trans cycling shoes hitting the shops at £150

£150

Score

Fizik M5 Uomo shoes

Fizik M5 Uomo cycling shoes hitting the shops at £150

£150

Score

Lake CX237 shoes

Lake CX237 cycling shoe hitting the shops at £210

£210

Score

Verdict

It’s difficult to choose a winner from such an eclectic mix of shoes. The absolute best here are the Lake CX237s, but they’re pretty expensive — and they won’t suit everybody. The winners, in real-world terms, are the Northwave Fondo SRS shoes.

They strike the best balance between comfort, price and performance of all the shoes on test, and the raised rubber sole means you can feel confident walking in them when you’re not on the bike and pedalling.

For style, you can’t ignore the delightfully retro Vittorias, and for roadies looking for something with an SPD-SL style sole, the Giro Trans are very adept. You pays your money and you takes your choice…