This spring, I’ve been riding in Shimano’s revamped S-Phyre mountain bike shoes. I’ve worn the previous edition of the S-Phyre shoes in both the road and mountain versions and liked them immensely, though on a personal note, I have to grant that Shimano’s previous top-of-the-line road shoe was designed with a broader toe box.
The previous version of the S-Phyre mountain bike shoe was touted by Shimano for their collaboration with Michelin that resulted in the rubber used on the bottom of the shoe. While the lugs were grippy, they were also soft and the tread wore down rather quickly, and when you’re talking about a shoe that goes for more than $400 (these new S-Phyre shoes go for $480), a sole that wears quicker than those on less expensive shoes is more bug than feature. Shimano has replaced that with Ultread, which they have said will offer similar grip and last longer. Based on the wear I’m seeing so far, that may be true.
As Shimano’s flagship offroad shoe, this gets their stiffest last, a carbon fiber platform that considers flex to be a shooting offense. The shoe has also been stiffened at the heel cup to provide stability for the rider’s foot; they say this helps under high-cadence efforts, which would be more helpful on the road. What I can report is that the heel cup isn’t so stiff that it restricts foot and ankle movement during cornering.
One of the notable changes from the previous version of the S-Phyre shoes, and this is true for both the road and the mountain versions is the elimination of the small catch in the toe box that allowed the rider to loop the Boa wire across the toe box, further cinching it for riders with narrow or low-volume feet. Not a problem I’ve ever suffered, but given the other indignities shoes have inflicted upon me, I’m sensitive to a loss of adjustment for anyone with feet that fall outside the bell curve.
The BOA Li2 dials are lower profile than some BOA dials featured on footwear, making them less likely to snag on brush or get bashed by rocks. They feature the same two-way adjustment and pop release as other top-of-the-line BOA dials. What Shimano doesn’t tell you is how much better the inner workings of this BOA are as compare to less expensive versions that often seize due to sand and grit entering the mechanism. Considering how dusty summer riding can be where I live, I consider this one of the S-Phyre’s best features, no lie. I have at times struggled to remove shoes due to the BOA mechanism locking up due to grit.
In their product description, Shimano doesn’t say much about the microfiber upper, and honestly, they need to. The single greatest strength of this shoe isn’t its stiffness, but the upper which is nearly seamless, resulting in both less bulk, fewer potential failure points as well as greater suppleness, resulting in a more comfortable fit. That’s why I would recommend these shoes. Well, that and sizing. Few shoes come in so many different sizes. More on that in a sec.
The last stiffness, alas, is actually my least-favorite feature of this shoe. I’ve worn stiffer shoes, and did not choose to wear them long. This last is at the limit of what I’m willing to ride. Truly, I prefer a last with less stiffness because walking, and when walking on unpaved terrain, a more flexible shoe is easier to walk in, more comfortable, too. For someone looking to add toe spikes and claw their way around a cyclocross course, ding-ding-ding, you have a winner. For padding through rock gardens because I flubbed one minute twist of the front wheel, these are not my favorite.
The S-Phyres come in a men’s last in whole sizes from 40-48, half sizes from 40.5 to 46.5, E-width from 40 to 46 and women’s sizes from 36-44. Shimano offers the S-Phyre in black, white, blue … and camo. The blue is the call.
Final thought: That they offer so many sizes can’t be overvalued. Not a thing.