Quoc M3 Air road cycling shoes

The Quoc M3 Air road bike shoes are light, airy and performance focused. However, the price means that Quoc is going to battle with the best in the business so can no longer rely on good looks alone. Luckily, after a few months of testing, I can attest to their comfort, stiffness and features that you'll struggle to find elsewhere. They're not the perfect shoe but they're not far off.

Check out more options at a variety of prices in our guide to the best road cycling shoes.

The cycling shoe game is a hard nut to crack. Countless newcomers have tried to make a name for themselves, kick about some good-looking shoes for a few years, only to be beaten into submission by the big brands. The likes of Specialized, Sidi and Shimano have such huge research and development budgets that it's almost no wonder they've managed to stay on top for quite so many years.

Quoc, though, is proving to be a bit different. It's a British brand founded in 2009 and although this is plenty less experience than the aforementioned brands, Quoc has proven that it can consistently combine form AND function. Earlier this year, for example, we tested the £130 Quoc Escape Lace Road Shoes and were delighted with their performance for the money. The problem that the M3 Airs have is that with an RRP of £320 they're going up against the very best in the business. How can they possibly compete?

The M3 Air is, first and foremost, a performance shoe, and in fact Quoc claims to have designed them with the feedback and wishlists of some of the most competitive cyclists in the field, including one Geraint Thomas. There's no 'timeless' or 'luxurious' lingo being used here like with the Mono II shoes, instead in the press release you'll read words such as 'high-intensity conditions', 'maximises power transfer' and 'innovative'.

Despite all this performance talk I think you'll agree that this is still a very pretty pair of shoes. The uppers are made from a two-piece laminated TPU, the soles are hand-laid carbon fibre, and, similar to what we saw on the Mono IIs, there's a 'tongueless' wraparound design.

Also in the box you get a fancy-feeling carry bag and, more importantly, a selection of arch inserts. These are basically pieces of foam that can be stuck to the underside of the insole to offer support if you have high arches. Quoc says these offer a 'custom-like fit' and although they are some way off the comfort of a set of custom-moulded insoles I do think this is a step in the right direction and one that other brands should take note of.

Speaking of fit, like all shoes, these won't be for everyone. Us Brits apparently have wider and flatter feet than many of our fellow European counterparts and so even though the toe box is roomier than the sleek looks might suggest, if you have wide feet you'll be better off elsewhere. The Quoc website states that the M3 Airs have a 'slightly racier, foot-hugging fit than other QUOC models' and to 'size up if in between sizes'. I think that's marketing talk for 'we don't make half sizes but we still want you to buy our shoes'...

Half-size limitations aside, these are extremely comfortable shoes, which I think comes down to two main things: firstly, the wraparound design helps to reduce the amount of seams in contact with your foot, especially where you tighten them down over the top of the foot; and secondly, the excellent ventilation thanks to the large ventilation panels which are mercifully easier to keep white than mesh!

Ventilation is an area that I often think is overlooked when it comes to cycling shoes, not just because your feet might get a bit warm but because of how the foot behaves as it changes temperature. A hot foot swells and so even a comfy shoe can quickly become an uncomfortable one if it restricts this; the Quocs have some of the largest vents I've seen on cycling shoes but without the usual drawbacks.

I've used the M3 Airs for the majority of the summer now... and the autumn... and it's the ventilation which sets these apart from their competitors. Compared with my S-Works Torch or Fizik Vento Stabilita shoes there is a noticeable breeze over your feet while riding. In fact, out of all the latest shoes I've tried it's only the S-Works 7 Vent shoes that can compete in this area. This cooling comes without the usual drawbacks, though: I didn't feel that the ventilated sections are fragile and they're also pretty wipeable.

As you might expect with all that ventilation, these are not a shoe I'd want to use in all conditions. Even with the large hole in the sole covered with tape, the air will whistle past your toes. In fact, Quoc has already thought of this and made a neoprene toe cover for the shoes, but I haven't used it so can't comment on its performance.

Out on the road I've used the shoes for all sorts of cycling, from summer centuries to late-season crits and road races, and they've never felt out of their depth. The carbon sole is just as stiff as the market leaders and the dual dial system (like Boa but not Boa) provides consistent support across the foot without creating pressure points.

One feature that I would like to see added is the ability to micro-adjust when undoing the shoes as well as when tightening. As I've said, the shoes are very comfortable and well ventilated so there haven't been many occasions when I've needed to loosen them, but there have been a few times when I've overtightened them only to need to start again. This is, admittedly, nit-picking but when you're spending £320 on shoes you almost come to expect perfection, and I think the dial system is one of the areas where these fall short. Stick on a set of metal BOAs and add half sizes and I'd happily give these 10/10.

I'm reluctant to talk about weight of cycling shoes too much in reviews; I think that comfort, stiffness and durability are far more important factors, but I will, begrudgingly. The M3 Airs have a claimed weight of 232g in an EU42 shoe, and our size EU43s weighed in at 480g (pair) on the road.cc Scales of Truth. That's certainly light – for example, the top-of-the-range Trek RSL knit shoes that we tested recently weighed 557g on our scales, albeit in an EU45.

As far as performance is concerned, these are right up there with the very best. They're class-leading when it comes to ventilation, they're stiff yet comfortable, and despite the price being very high, they're no more expensive than most other flagship shoes. The S-Works Torch shoes mentioned earlier, for example, are £350, the Fizik Vento Powerstrap Aeroweaves are £334.99, and the Trek RSL Knits are £399.99.

Of course, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there: the Van Rysel RCR shoes, for example, cost just over half the Quocs at £179.99, but they are slightly heavier and less ventilated.

Conclusion

Buy the M3 Airs if you don't have massively wide feet, don't need a half size and are prepared to spend the big bucks on a set of WorldTour-level shoes that look great and function even better. As I said in the intro, they're not perfect but they're pretty darn close.

PS: I've just got my hands on a set of DMT Pogis, so look out for a feature comparing Pog's, Rog's and G's shoes in the near future!

Verdict

Great looking WorldTour-level shoes that take ventilation up a notch