Rapha Classic Shoes review

Style and elegance is guaranteed, but try before you buy

Rapha Classic Shoes
(Image credit: Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

There's no doubting the top fashion marks, and they're a solid shoe whatever the weather, but comfort isn't as guaranteed as Rapha make out

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Beautiful

  • +

    Breathable

  • +

    Repel water well

  • +

    Lightweight

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Major comfort issues

  • -

    Laces aren't practical for high-end training

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Anything that Rapha produce is usually shorthand for desirable, premium quality at a high price, and their classic shoes fit snugly into that bracket.

Fitting snugly into said shoes, meanwhile, were my feet. A little too snugly, I would say.

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Chris Marshall-Bell

A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.