Quoc M3 Pro review: Geraint Thomas' new race shoes ridden and rated

A little over a year ago, I spotted Geraint Thomas racing in an unknown pair of Quoc road shoes at the Volta ao Algarve. This model turned out to be the Quoc M3 Air model which launched in March last year, with the brand also announcing a two-year sponsorship deal with the Welsh star. 

Fast forward a year, and British brand Quoc has rolled out another few additions to its expanding cycling shoe range today. 

One of these models is a new top-end road model called the M3 Pro, which Thomas has also been racing in this year on the road. There’s also a new more affordable M3 Sport road model which I haven’t yet tested and a couple of new colourways for the Gran Tourer XC shoes, all launching today. 

I’ve gotten on very well with the Quoc Mono II and M3 Air road shoes previously, but what does the M3 Pro bring to the table? In short, it retains the same DNA as the M3 Air and has identical pricing to the Air at £320 /  $430 /  €380 but it looks as though Quoc has made some small tweaks to make the shoes easier to clean and live with generally, perhaps at the request of a certain pro rider? 

I’ve ridden several hundred miles in the new shoes this year and am ready with my review. You can also head to our best cycling shoes guide for a best-of-the-best list. 

Design and Aesthetics  

The M3 Pro appears to be a revision on the M3 Air platform; we certainly aren’t looking at a major overhaul or new design direction here.

As ever, I’ll start with the aesthetics. These shoes come in one colour and that’s white, which is perfect for me, but is a little limited. If you prefer a darker road shoe Quoc has a couple of black options in the line, as well as a bright yellow one.

Logos and branding are pretty much identical to the M3 Air shoes. There’s a large ‘Quoc’ wordmark on the back of the heel, a model name in between the closure dials and a ‘Q’ logo on the right-hand side of the toe box. It’s a slick and stylish layout all told. The Instagram hashtags that featured on the Mono II are gone. 

These shoes are manufactured in Vietnam and the carbon fibre sole, heel, and toe pads, dual closure Quoc dials, and shoe last itself are exactly the same, nothing has changed there, so the shoes share the same base, if you will. The sole is drilled for a three-bolt cleat hole mounting. 

In the box, you will also find a light pink Quoc drawstring shoe bag and some alternative stick-on arch support inserts which you can stick onto the stock insoles. These do lose their stick long-term so are something of a single-use option, some riders I’m sure will use their preferred or custom insoles though to achieve the best possible fit for them. 

The uppers are where the biggest changes have been carried out. The most obvious is the absence of the mesh panels that feature on the M3 Air, which were designed for ‘maximum aeration in warm and high-intensity conditions’. Second to this is a glossier TPU upper which is a little more user-friendly regarding cleaning and a cover over the stitching that runs diagonally across the toe box that’s a little hard to keep white and fresh long term.  

In the brand's attached press material it states the shoe "meets the year-round demand for reliability, whether during off-season training or WorldTour breakaways" as well as featuring a  "gloss-finished TPU upper and satin print border" that "resists wear while remaining easy to clean, ensuring a pristine look ride after ride". 

Reading between the lines, to me that could mean the M3 Air shoes were pretty hard work to keep looking fresh if you are doing twenty-five hours plus a week training and riding a WorldTour race every other week. This could be a revision that helps a certain Tour de France winner keep his shoes looking fresh race after race, though that’s just speculation on my part. And besides, who doesn’t want white shoes that are easy to keep clean? 

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 Performance  

Given these new shoes share so much DNA with their range mates the M3 Air it was a very smooth switch for me to install my cleats and get testing. If you ride with Quoc shoes currently you will be familiar with the fit, sizing, and general layout of the shoes, like I was. 

I’ve spent some time with one of each on at the same time to try and drill into any potential differences and to me the uppers do seem slightly different in places. The toe box seems slightly roomier and wider, though as mentioned the sole is the same. 

The top of the tongue where it meets the ankle also seems slightly straighter and has less of the curve that the tongue of the M3 Air has. Lastly, the upper's TPU material just seems generally more malleable than the firmer-feeling matte finish uppers on the Air. 

My experience has been very good overall, I absolutely love the aesthetics in general, and think overall the Pro’s look even better than the Air’s. If sleek white shoes are your thing, you will not be disappointed. 

I’ve described the Quoc fit as slipper-like in the past, and that is the same here. They are pretty low volume, with an open ankle and just feel lightweight on foot, something I really like. If you have wider feet and need a wide shoe, check out our best cycling shoes for wide feet guide. A friend of mine with wider feet had to move on from the M3 Air as they were too narrow. We are all different so it's best to consult an expert if you're really trying to arrive at the best possible fit for you. 

The sole is plenty stiff enough, so no complaints there. I sometimes feel that heel cup retention isn’t amazing but this could just be the fit for my feet. The closure dials also don’t offer as much fine adjustment or tightening ability as some Boa units, something I mentioned in the Air review, but overall performance is strong for me. 

One niggle for me has been some occasional rubbing when off the bike from the left-hand side corner of the right shoe's tongue edge, for want of a better description. On the bike it hasn’t been an issue but it’s just rubbed a few times, no big deal really. 

Cleaning is indeed a lot easier compared to the M3 Air’s. A freshen-up with a wet wipe or microfibre cloth etc. is very easy to do, and they don’t need any scrubbing yet, cloths easily glide over the slick, glossy finish. I cited the need to get an old toothbrush or similar out to keep the mesh windows, and uppers to the extent on the M3 Air’s looking fresh in my review, but not so here. 

Another point that’s going to really help keep them looking good I think is the decision to cover over the row of stitching across the front of the toe box. So in this regard, it does seem Quoc has made some improvements that should help owners to keep these shoes looking bling. 

 Value  

These are premium road shoes which are being raced in the WorldTour, so an RRP of £320 / $430 / €380 is in line with other premium road offerings, and there hasn’t been a price increase from Quoc. This is refreshing somehow these days, though they are very similar to the brands last model. They are also less than the recently released and very expensive Specialized S-Works Ares 2 shoes at £479 / $600.

I've never had a single issue from any Quoc model and can attest to the built quality after a lot of riding. You can rest assured you are getting a good quality product if you are going to invest.

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 Verdict  

My experience has only been good with the M3 Pro shoes. They look fantastic and I like the sleek design. They are easier to clean and live with which is heartening if you are splashing out on a pair. They will stay looking fresher for a lot longer. 

This is another quality addition to the Quoc range, but it makes me wonder if anything will give in the lineup. The M3 Air and Pro are the same price, and I can see this shoe becoming the obvious choice over the M3 Air for people unless they live somewhere very warm.