Fizik Aria R3 shoes

These new Aria R3 shoes from Fizik are both smart to look at and in their operation, with two Boa dials over a sleeved upper for adjusting the fit. They're supremely comfortable on the bike, with a stiff full-carbon sole, and reasonably light – with a price tag to reflect the high-end quality.

• Pros: Excellent comfort, enclosure system, super-easy adjustment, build quality
• Cons: Price may be an obstacle

Fizik is a brand most road cyclists will be familiar with, and for good reason: its shoe and saddle ranges are some of the best regarded in the business – the number of professional teams that use them are testament to that.

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I've had Fizik shoes before and been very happy with them, but that was a few years ago, and these are the first I've tried from its newer range. The Aria R3 is pinned at the higher end of the range, one step down from the top model, the Infinito.

What's in the (special) box?

With Fizik, the box itself is a work of art: a folding drawer affair that doubles as a useful place to keep the shoes when not in use, reminding you that these are a bit special.

The shoes themselves are good looking, whether the single colour variant or this two-tone red and black pair on test. The full Microtex uppers are almost one-piece with the absolute minimum of seams (and none on the sections that cross the top of your foot). The wrapover enclosure gives a clean look, with perforations along both sides to aid ventilation.

Two Boa IP1-B dials cover all of the adjustments. These newer dials tighten in small increments, can be wound back click-by-click, and when pulled outwards release the cable tension for easy removal of the shoes.

Underneath there is a full unidirectional carbon sole, with small vents incorporated, and a full-width, replaceable heel bumper. They only accept three-bolt cleats.

Wrapover fit

From the off, the fit was good, these size 46s comparable to most others I've tried or owned. I do have relatively narrow feet and find that some shoes crush inwards as I need to tighten the straps so much. Here, the wrapover enclosure makes them a doddle to slip on then tighten as required, with the two dials giving plenty of movement as needed.

Fizik says the level of adjustability with this method allows for a much wider range of foot widths with one shoe type. As the top pulls over another section of upper there is no seam, and therefore no rubbing or pressure from a tongue, for example.

I found the toe box roomy enough for a bit of wiggle, which should help prevent sore toes on a hot day with a bit of swelling.

The heel cup holds well once the shoe is tightened, without being too tight.

Cleat fitment is pretty standard: the holes positioned at the mid-foot as you would expect, with enough adjustment in position for most people.

In use

The first few rides were indoors on the trainer, with the weather being particularly dire – overshoes and warm socks wouldn't have held out for long. Indoor trials aren't a bad thing anyway with new shoes, as for one thing it's easier to tweak cleat positioning in the warm and dry than out on the road. With Zwift now my indoor mainstay, it did mean that rides weren't just a 20-minute spin, with a minimum of an hour and one 2.5-hour session ensuring they were bedded in nicely.

Supremely comfortable in motion, they stayed that way for the duration of the rides, the Boas making it a cinch to adjust on the fly. With a fixed trainer and big efforts you can generally suss out the flex in the shoes too, and as expected with a high grade carbon sole it was minimal.

Out on the road when the weather picked up they had their proper test, with a number of runs from 50-70 miles and up to 4.5 hours in the saddle. I won't lie, I did get cold feet, even with warmer socks and overshoes, but that's to be expected wearing summer shoes. I didn't block up the vents in the soles either, which would have helped a little.

However, the comfort factor certainly carried over to long rides, I maintain in large to the wrapover system. Even with overshoes or oversocks on, the Boa dials were chunky enough to grab and adjust as needed, a little more difficult in thick gloves but still manageable.

Power transfer was great here too: super-stiff for 99 per cent of the time, the only slight flex I felt was on big out-of-the-saddle hill efforts, but I'm a hefty lad and most people wouldn't notice a thing I reckon.

Weight-wise they do okay; they're not featherweight like some of the shoes I tested last year, but compare well with competitors in the same range. Bear in mind the weight we have is for a size 46 pair: Fizik claims 243g per shoe for a size 42.5, Mavic claims 240g for size 42 of its Cosmic Ultimate II shoes, which are more expensive than the Fiziks.

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A month on, after numerous indoor and outdoor rides, the build quality shines through. They look good as new – mainly down to the Microtex used for the uppers; it's pretty scuff-resistant and cleans up a treat with a damp cloth. There were a few oil marks on the right shoe but a little solvent got rid of that with no effect on the finish. Even the sole still looks good, the decent sized bumpers keeping the carbon off the grit and mud.

They aren't cheap but you are paying for quality and a brand trusted by amateur and pro cyclists the world over. If you aren't sold, there are similar alternatives from Specialized – the Torch 3.0s are quite a bit cheaper at £200, or if you want something featherlight but a little less practical there are the Lake CX301s I tested last year at £239.

Overall, though, these are some of the most comfortable shoes I've worn, and I love the wrapover enclosure – it's simple and just works. If you value quality and all-day riding comfort these are a very good bet.

Verdict

Beautifully made road shoes with an innovative closure to give a great fit and all-day comfort