Knits and reflectives abound while ratchets have largely disappeared
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And glasses, too, to complete the kit(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Arbitrary sole stiffness number? 15! (Also, Speedplay compatibility)(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Catlike has a new Mixino shoe with nubuck leather(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
In white, if you prefer.(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Suplest's Aero Pro shoes zip up over laces(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Maap Suplest Edge3 is £276 in the UK and not available in the US(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Maap does collaborations with a few brands, including Giro and Suplest(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
This is the FLR F-XX for Ben King of Dimension Data for the Giro.(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Shoe companies have steadily one-upped each other in recent years for arbitrary show stiffness numbers. This one now goes to 14(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
FLR's F-XX special edition shoes for Nathan Brown (EF Education First) at the 2018 Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The S-Phyre comes in this fluoro, black and blue(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The heel cup was also reshaped a bit, and nearly matching socks still come with the shoes(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Spanish-made shoe match the company's new throw-back Origin helmets(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Nubuck leather is treated with 3M for water repellency(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Extreme Pro uses colored stripes to represented the structural support of the lacing that runs from the sole to the lace anchors(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Northwave's last Extreme Pro shoe features its own dials (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Again, the BOA laces match the shoe highlights(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
On this shoe, the protected toe and area around the laces is more visually subtle(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The protected areas are easiest to see in this model.(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Venting comes courtesy variations in the knit patterning.(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Infinito now has laces to match highlight colors.(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Fizik is in its second year with knits.(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Feeling Lucky?(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Another Spanish brand, Luck, has a variety of playful uppers(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Shimano also eliminated the mesh over the toes, an area that wrinkled for some riders(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Shimano tweaked its S-Phyre RC-9, with slightly more give to the material around the metatarsals (Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The upper is formed as a single piece, then wrapped onto the sole(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Giro worked with a supplier for a firmer knit than you will find on casual or running shoes(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Giro introduced knit shoes in 2017, and now has a variety of men's and women's styles at various prices. This is the women's Empire E70(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The rim of the DMT KR1 is reminiscent of a soccer/football shoe with the sock-like material(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The DMT KR1 is the latest knit road shoe(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Knits are showing up on more cycling shoes(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Bont Helix, as it would pop at night under light(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Bont Helix, which uses cables that wrap around underneath the foot, is also available in reflective(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
And here is how two styles of Bont Vapor S reflective shoes look when hit with artificial light(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Bont Vapor S shoes come in multiple reflective options. This is how they look during the day(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Giro has a new two-tone finish option on its top-end Empire(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
And Giro has a reflective Empire with a cool pattern(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Pearl Izumi's women's Sugar Road is $130 / £119(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Road or MTB cleats, your choice(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Pearl Izumi has some new lace-up shoes called the Tour Road for $130 / £119(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Shimano's RC-7 is one step down from the top-end S-Phyre RC-9(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Probably best reserved for indoor riding(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Gaerne Chrono has some fun patterning. The circular vents are somewhat hidden among the triangles(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Dual BOA 1P dials lock in the fit(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The G Stilo has an injected-molded carbon heel cup(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Gaerne's G Stilo weighs a claimed 299g in an unspecified size(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
The Empire under light(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
Road footwear from Bont and others come in a rainbow of colors(Image credit: Ben Delaney/Immediate Media)
As the world’s biggest cycling show, Eurobike is a great place to spot trends – or at least what brands hope will become trends. For road footwear, dials and laces are de rigueur. We're also seeing knits catching on and reflective materials are popping up from an increasing number of brands.
For closures, ratchets have effectively disappeared, replaced by primarily by BOA dials. The laces fad seems to have slowed on top-end models. However, new mid-range shoes are showing up with laces for the first time.
While Eurobike hosts more than 1,200 brands, many of the big players no longer attend, including Specialized, Trek, Cannondale and Giant. Those brands now host their own shows for retailers and the media.
Knits from DMT, Fizik and Giro
Giro and Fizik rolled out their first shoes with knit uppers at Eurobike last year, and have expanded their offerings for this fall.
The Giro Empire E70 Knit is a step down from the top-end Empire in terms of sole stiffness and price. For riders who find the original Empire a little tight, the Empire E70 Knit feels a bit looser. It comes in four styles.
The Giro Republic R Knit is a walkable road shoe, with ample rubber tread and an SPD cleat. It comes in two styles.
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The new DMT KR1 has a knit upper with a short sock cuff instead of the traditional lip. It comes in two styles.
For Fizik, the Infinito R1 Knit comes in four styles, some with BOA laces that match the shoe's highlight color.
Reflectives from Bont and Giro
Bont jumped on the reflective bandwagon with Vapor S and Helix models that light up under artificial light.
Giro continues with its reflective Empire models, but also added a special edition graphic.
New mid-range lace-ups from Pearl Izumi
Pearl Izumi's top-end shoes use BOA closures. But the new Tour Road and Sugar Road models feature laces, a first for the company. They also have both 3-bolt and SPD options in the same sole.
Refined S-Phyre RC-9 from Shimano
Shimano's S-Phyre RC-9 shoe got a few tweaks, including a bit more give around the metatarsals, an elimination of the mesh over the toes that created a crease for some riders, and a reworking of the perforations.
The RC-9 also has a more rounded heel cup.
And some flashy uppers from a variety of brands
While all cycling shoe brands will gladly tell you about all their technical features, shoes are also a fashion item for many. For a glance at some of the latest looks, click or scroll through the gallery above.
