Fizik R1B Uomo shoes review

The previous Fizik Uomo R1 shoes, with its carbon ratchet was a beautiful and supremely comfy shoe, but it had a few issues. Namely they were really heavy and had an upper that was far too soft, meaning that they weren't very efficient when sprinting. The old R1 was a great shoe, just not ideal for racing and most Fizik sponsored professional riders chose the lower model, the Fizik R3B over the original R1.

>>> Buyer's guide to road bike shoes

By comparison the Fizik R1B Uomo shoes have gone on a considerable diet and now weigh just 275g per shoe compared with 340g a shoe for the R3B and over 400g for the old R1. This loss in weight is noticeable, although it is worth pointing out that that Fizik R1B Uomo shoes still weigh 70g more than the Giro Empire SLX, which also costs £50 less.

>>> Review of the Fizik R3B Shoes

The 'B' in name refers to the new closure system - two Boa dials, which in addition to tightening and fastening the shoe as normal allow you to adjust the volume of the upper to further optimize fit – good design.

So how to do the Fizik R1B Uomo shoes perform on the road? Philippe Gilbert and Geraint Thomas seem to love them and I can understand why. They are as stiff as you like and certainly a shoe up to the demands of racing. I initially experienced some discomfort while wearing them, but after a couple of long rides I found the high quality leather of the uppers broke in and the Fizik R1B shoes have subsequently become slippers.

Watch: how to fit your cleats

I normally wear 45 in cycling shoes and found that to be no different in this case. Perhaps the biggest selling point though is the looks. These shoes are absolutely beautiful, probably the nicest looking non custom shoes you can buy, but, they are very expensive and don’t wipe clean as easily as the Giro Empire SLX. For this reason I would save them for best days if you want to keep them looking great.

For more information head over to Extra.