Shimano RX6 Shoes

The Shimano RX6 is designed for gravel riding and is yet another cracking SPD-soled shoe from the Japanese component giant. Stiff enough for most non-racing riding, sufficiently comfortable for all-day-long rides and the BOA dial makes it a cinch to get on, take off and adjust. The price is pretty reasonable too.

Shimano first released the RX6, or the SH-RX600 to give it its full name, back in 2023. It's designed for SPD pedals and gravel, but the shoes work fine on a road bike too.

Also available at Amazon.com from $192.44

I gave up on three-bolt Look-type pedals years ago. For the kind of riding I do, summer road, rough lanes in winter, gravel, mountain bike and bmx racing, SPD pedals work just fine. I just don't see the point in having a different set of shoes depending on what type of bike I'm on. Being able to walk normally at the coffee stop is nice too.

The RX6 is exactly the kind of cycling shoe I look for – light, not too off-road-looking, a stiff enough sole to feel like your effort goes into forward motion, and no discomfort anywhere.

In Shimano's line-up, they sit below the racier RX8, which has a stiffer full-carbon sole and a price a penny under £230.

You might also consider the Shimano XC7 shoes, which I reviewed a couple of years ago, for road riding. In terms of sole stiffness and their £189.99 price, they sit between the RX6 and RX8.

Closure

The RX6 uses the same wrap-around upper system as the RX8 and XC7. This makes for a super-comfortable glove-like fit, without any of the pressure points you can sometimes get with a traditional centre-opening-with-tongue design.

Shimano uses a synthetic leather for the RX6, similar to that used for the RX8 and XC7. It's easy to clean with a damp cloth, and I found that walking through damp grass also worked remarkably well when it came to cleaning them!

They're secured by a Velcro front strap and a BOA L6 dial with a nylon fastening wire looping through the middle and top straps. The BOA allows for micro-adjustment when you're tightening it, but untightening it is an all-or-nothing affair. Not a big deal, and not something I find myself in need of mid-ride very often.

The Velcro front strap rarely needs touching, as undoing the BOA dial releases plenty of space for foot removal and entry.

The heel cup is well designed and just the right shape for comfort and heel retention. I had no issues with heel lift whatsoever.

Sole

Of the three Shimano models I've been talking about, the RX6 has the least stiff sole – and the lowest price.

Shimano gives the sole a stiffness rating of eight on its own 12-point scale. It's made from carbon-reinforced nylon, similar to the XC7's sole, while the the RX8 is full carbon.

The outer sole of the RX6 has big TPU lugs. Their shape is not quite as aggressive as those on the XC7, which makes sense given the intended use, and the RX6 does not have the option of screw-in studs either. If you're intending to ride or race in the slop, winter cyclocross for example, the XC7 would be a better bet.

One other crucial difference with the XC7 is that I couldn't feel the cleat bolts through the inner sole, which was something that disappointed me with the XC7.

Ventilation

The RX6 is well ventilated, with plenty of holes in its synthetic leather upper.s They are well drained, too, with holes in the sole in front of the cleats and under the heel. If it's likely you're going to get your feet wet, you might as well design the shoes to get rid of that water, so the thinking goes.

Sizing

Shimano shoes traditionally come up a bit small. I normally take a UK 8/EUR 43 but with Shimano I usually find the size 9/EUR 44 fits me perfectly, and this proved the case here.

They are available in standard width from 38-50 and 38-48 in a wide fitting.

Value

Though £159.99 is not cheap for a pair of cycling shoes, it fits my expectation for shoes that work as well as these.

That said, you don't have to spend that much. The Rockrider Mountain Bike/Gravel Shoes Race 900 cost just £80 but Pat still liked them a lot.

By contrast, the Quoc Gran Tourer XC shoes cost £240 and Cafe du Cycliste's Outlands are dearer still at £295.

Shimano's £189.99 XC7 might be worth investing in if walking and running grip in muddy conditions and slightly finer adjustability of the two BOA dials is important to you. The RX8 is much more expensive at £229.99, and is the one to go for if sole stiffness is crucial for you.

Our favourite gravel shoes are rounded up in our best gravel shoes buyer's guide, with the best road cycling shoes buyer's guide covering our top tarmac-orientated footwear.

Conclusion

The RX6 is a cracking cycling shoe. It's stiff enough for non-racing riding, comfortable enough for all-day riding and there's enough compliance to avoid discomfort when you're walking.

I think it's a great contender if you're after a one-shoe-to-do-it-all. The RX6 is light and doesn't look out of place whether you're riding road, gravel or even on BMX tracks.

And while Shimano has other contenders in this category, the RX6 is the cheapest of the three, and I don't think you'd need to spend more unless you need more grip in the mud or a stiffer sole.

Also available at Amazon.com from $192.44

Verdict

Comfortable and stiff-enough gravel SPD shoe that works equally well on the road too