Bontrager RXXXL Limited Edition Road shoes

The Bontrager RXXXL Limited Edition Road Shoes are an extremely lightweight race day option with a decent amount of comfort.

Bontrager call this a 'ZeroXS' design and you can see why. They've pruned everything right down to the minimum. It's all about those incremental gains (we might have to retire that phrase soon on the basis that it's getting old and knackered).

We have size 46s here and they're just 476g for the pair – easily the lightest in this size we've ever reviewed on Road.cc. Stu tested the Giro Prolight SLX shoes earlier in the year and they were just 410g the pair - but that was for a size 42. Bontrager reckon a pair of RXXXLs in a 42 are under 398g. In other words, they're very, very lightweight.

The uppers are made from synthetic mesh that's mostly polyurethane (TPU) coated, although the areas above your toes and around the straps are left uncoated so you get ventilation through there. The material is pliable enough to conform to your foot shape and it's easy to keep clean. Wiping it over with a damp cloth gets rid of most dirt in seconds.

The moulded heel cup is rigid enough to hold your foot firmly and what you see is what you get here. It's perforated plastic with no lining inside. That's good for helping to keep your feet cool and shaving off a few more grams although the downside is that road spray can get in easily, and if the weather is cold, so are your feet.

You do get a lining just inside the opening at the top of the heel, and it's anti-slip. The fabric in there feels rough in one direction, the idea being that it helps prevent heel-lift on the upstroke. Shimano, for example, use something similar in some of their shoes. It does seem to add a little extra grip.

The tongue section is simply a wraparound extension of the rest of the upper with foam padding in there to provide comfort. Three Velcro straps take care of closure. They're simple and effective and easy enough to adjust on the fly. The normal (as opposed to the Limited Edition) RXXXL comes with a micro-fit buckle on the top strap if you'd prefer (£219.99).

The soles are carbon with mesh sections underneath the forefoot and heel for extra ventilation and, as we always seem to be saying these days, they're very stiff. Bontrager reckon this is down to their Power Wave Technology. Essentially, they shape the carbon into ridges and troughs through the centre of the foot to keep things rigid. Whether it's down to that I couldn't tell you, but these don't flex or twist in use. After several weeks, the grip on the heel is looking a bit tatty but the sole itself is totally unscathed.

The danger with paring shoes down to a minimum is that you'll remove all the comfort but I've not found that a problem here. I'd say these are a pretty standard fit and they immediately felt good. There's not loads of padding but there's enough and it's well placed, while the ventilation I've mentioned works well to keep your feet cool when riding hard in hot weather. I have shoes that are more comfortable, but they're not as lightweight as the RXXXLs. It all depends on your priority.

Of course, the correct fit is vital for comfort and Bontrager help there by offering a range of sizes from Euro 40 to 47, including half sizes from 41.5 to 45.5.

Believe it or not, these are available in red for £20 cheaper.

Verdict

Superlight race shoes with a decent level of comfort thrown in.