Adidas re-enters road cycling footwear after 15 years with new laced Road Shoe

Adidas has unveiled its new road cycling shoes that aim to “improve accessibility to the sport and allow more athletes to clip in with the latest technology”. The brand says the high performance footwear is for the new generation of cyclists with “a desire for adventure, improved health, and the ability to move in and out of their cities in a sustainable and flexible way”.

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The Road Shoe (£130) is the first Adidas-branded cycling shoe for fifteen years (its sub-brand Five Ten make mountain bike and commuter shoes) and is designed to “empower more people to clip in and ride”.

The plate of the shoe is said to take elements from Adidas’ football boot designs, “using recycled material with added glass fibre elements to provide the stiffness that road cyclists expect from their soleplate, without the added weight”.

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The upper is made entirely from 100% recycled material, which the brand says is “shaped to provide an intuitive feel and function”. Completing the secure fit is a lace tightening system and toggle.

The Road Shoe is compatible with three-bolt cleat systems (SPD-SL, Look Keo, etc) and comes in classic black, which is said to offer “a blank canvas to combine the shoe with various outfits”. For visibility in low light conditions, the heel and Adidas' three-strip mark are white and are made from reflective materials.

Adidas has produced cycling shoes as far back as the 60s with the Spezial, and famously Eddy Merckx raced in Adidas shoes from 1971. The brand continued developing cycling shoes until 2005. Since then, Adidas has still dabbled in the cycling sphere and were the first clothing sponsor of Team Sky before Rapha and Castelli came along. 

The Road Shoes are available from 11pm on 30th November online at www.adidas.co.uk or via the Adidas app.