My first pair of road shoes were the black leather versions, with big holes enabling my regulation white socks to show through, all the rage in the mid-1980’s. they were unfussy, pretty light, with (I think) a wooden sole for that extra stiffness. They were surprisingly comfortable. Italian of course.

 >>> Buyer’s guide to road bike shoes

Italian company Gaerne have been making cycling shoes since around that time, before then known for their motorbike footwear, they have a strong following amongst the pro-peloton today. Officially with sponsored teams, but also with a growing number of riders seeking the benefits the Stilo provide.

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I have been riding with these since the late spring, through a variety of conditions and terrain. The combination of a very thin, stiff sole, and deceptively supple upper make a shoe that can put down the power when needed, but not, seemingly, at the expense of comfort.

 >>> Buyer’s guide to cycling overshoes

The padding around the opening and tongue, is very comfortable and the height of the heal box perfect, with no undue pressure on my achilles tendon. They also feel a little wider in fit than ‘traditional’ Italian styling and the strategically placed vents in the sole proved perfect ventilation in the summer heat.

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Comfort is aided by the double boa system – with its dialed steel/kevlar cables very easy to adjust on the move, in the minutest of increments, even through a pair of overshoes, not something I could easily do with my old black lace-ups!

The thin carbon sole enables the foot closer to the pedal axle, and a version of the stilo with a ‘speedplay dedicated’ sole is also available.

For more information, head over to Gearne and Hotlines.