The naming scheme is easy to follow if you’re familiar with the brand’s pedal line: The Mallet is a clipless shoe that’s designed to work with the corresponding clipless pedal, and the same goes for the flat-pedal Stamp. You'll need to look at mountain bike, or gravel bike pedals and shoes but there are plenty of great options. They may not look pretty, but they will keep you more comfortable and prevent you from having to wear soggy shoes all day. With most clipless shoe and pedal set-ups, you can’t just pull straight up and off as you would with a platform pedal.

In addition, the shoe’s midsole strikes a nice balance of stiffness to avoid hotspots while retaining enough flexibility and traction on rock for the occasional hike-a-bike (the dotty tread doesn’t grip as well in mud, however). Max Grip rubber being soft, the sole on the Hellion Elite has noticeably more give to it compared to the stiff AF regular Hellion. Ankle protection is not overly chunky or stiff padding, just a subtle bit of Neoprene with some anti-cuff fabric. Second, the dual Velcro closures lack the precision and easy adjustability of a Boa or ratchet-style system. bolt shoes have recessed cleats that make it easier to walk around and use off-road, and the cleats are made of metal so they tend to last a long time.If getting the cleat towards the centre of your foot is your desire, Shimano will do it and you also get excellent toe rub protection, great mid-foot retention, and incredible colour options. The bottom line is that if you can spend the money, you will get a better product and it's nice to have better quality cycling shoes. ounces, and trimmed-down build that dries fairly quickly, the shoes are plenty capable on mellower terrain and long trail rides.

That said, the Hellion Elites are most definitely worth considering over Five Tens – especially if you find the shape of modern Adidas-era Five Tens a bit too narrow fitting. For some, the over-the-ankle look may be a bit polarizing, but we think Five Ten pulled it off better than most with a sleek, modern hiking shoe-like upper. Brands making the lightest shoes available tend to have different closure solutions, and for Fizik that means the Powerstrap system.Unfortunately those BOA dials, while looking great and holding up well, do lack the pop to release feature of more advanced models.

The Santic Vast Road Shoes deliver high performance, are lighter than their predecessor and offer an improved fit. They're well worth having, as the movement of your feet as you pedal means that they're more visible than static reflective elements on commuter clothing or your bike. The design leaves the upper completely soft under the arch then pulls the strap for closure through that same section. It’s more important to have enough tread, especially at the toe and heel, to create purchase when scrambling up and down steep terrain. And one final nitpick is that we found the collar was pretty stiff initially and uncomfortable if we cinched the upper Boa too tightly, but that issue went away as the shoe loosened up over time.

Internally the shoe features antibacterial mesh lining and a D30 padded insole in two high impact zones at the heel and ball, but the footbed is pretty flimsy and arch support is minimal. They use a unique strap system that locks your foot down and improves on the velcro systems of years gone by. If you aren't pushing that hard or riding that far, a softer shoe is going to feel more comfortable. The stiff sole and supportive upper make for efficient pedalling, but make the Velosamba a little uncomfortable and less practical for off-bike use. These Mallet E Boas have some excellent innovative features, but, more importantly, they are comfortable, stable and integrate perfectly with the brand’s class-leading clip-in pedals.

Rounding out the design, the brand’s signature dotty tread and Stealth rubber compound provide reliable grip both on and off the bike. Superbly comfortable and stable, with plenty of cleat adjustability and a pair pre-installed, these are as good as it gets for DH and enduro riding.It gets a Synthetic leather upper with an in-house XPEL hydrophobic mesh backing, which reduces water absorption and also speeds up drying time. Coming from the trainer world, rather than the cycling shoe brands that usually inhabit this space, the Adidas Velosamba shoes have the trainer look to them, so they're less obviously cycling shoes once you're on foot. The Honor Pro Carbon Road Cycling Shoes are the culmination of years of development and professional insight. The second important feature is walkability, which usually means more flex than cycling shoes offer, as these are designed to provide the stiffness for efficient on-bike use.