The Sidi Sixty road shoes – made to celebrate Sidi's 60th birthday – offer an uncompromisingly stiff sole with adjustable ventilation but this is balanced with excellent comfort that's sufficient for day-long rides. However, the hefty £360 price for a pair of shoes quipped with a Velcro strap, albeit in addition to the dial system that you'd expect at this price, is an interesting choice by Sidi.
For alternatives to these, have a look at our guide to the best road cycling shoes, which covers footwear ranging in price from just £40 to getting on for £400.
Sidi has once again delivered some stylish footwear with its new Sidi Sixty shoes, particularly in the captivating Anthracite Vino colour that I tested. You also get the choice of five other colours and the shoes are available in sizes 38-48, with 'half sizes' between 39 and 47 – though the half denotes a wider, not a longer, size. They use Sidi's own Tecno-4 Push dial that effectively tightens over the top of the foot, complemented by a Velcro strap to secure the forefoot.
This was my first experience with Sidi shoes, and I was initially uncertain about their narrow fit I had heard about. However, I was very pleasantly surprised, as they proved to be more accommodating than I expected. If you do have wider feet, perhaps try the 'half' in your usual size.
One aspect I discovered with these shoes is that in order to achieve the same foot position on the pedal, I had to position my cleats with a more pronounced inward angle compared to other brands' shoes. While this doesn't affect the overall fit for me, it could potentially pose a problem.
Fit
These proved a very good fit for me, with ample space for me to wear thicker socks while still allowing my feet to breathe comfortably. They sized up well too, and I found them comfortable and completely free from pressure points or hot spots that could cause discomfort.
I was impressed by Sidi's Tecno-4 Push dial system, which effectively distributes tension across your upper foot, with a Velcro strap across the toes. Not only did the shoes lack any noticeable hot spots, but the dial system also made for quick and easy adjustments to get the comfort just right.
However, I did discover one drawback during sprints – I couldn't achieve the same level of anchoring and tension as I can with other shoes.
This might be more of a psychological than a practical disadvantage in a sprint, but I would still like to have been able to tighten the shoes a tad more.
When it comes to heel retention, these don't have the same level of security as Specialized's Torch shoes, which grip your heel firmly without any movement. Sidi just hasn't implemented the same level of tension in this regard.
Sole
The Sixty's soles are remarkably stiff – they simply wouldn't flex in any direction. And this became immediately evident the moment I applied pressure to the medals. The sole has another feature in addition to this rigidity. Sidi calls it the 'Vent Carbon Sole', which accurately reflects a front hole that draws in air and exhausts it just behind the cleats. This ingenious design helps to keep your feet cool, reducing the likelihood of discomfort caused by heat and swelling.
The vent has a small plastic plate at the front that allows you to adjust and open and close it. I found this feature quite handy too, opening the vent fully on hot days and closing it on cold, wet days to keep my toes toasty.
Another positive is Sidi's incorporation of user-replaceable parts. You can replace the Tecno-4 Push dial, Tecno-4 Push plate, heel plate and vents, which should boost their longevity.
Value
With a hefty price tag of £360, these are up against the high-end race shoes from the other big brands. But considering they still rely, at least to a degree, on Velcro, I feel they're expensive for what they are. I'd have also appreciated a more performance-oriented heel retention system for greater security.
The DMT KR SL road shoes are £30 cheaper and Stu scored these very highly, praising their comfort and impressively stiff sole.
Steve really rated the £349.99 Shimano's S-Phyre RC9s, appreciating their stiffness, comfort, security and adjustable arch. He wasn't so keen on them in the cold, but if your feet tend to get hot, they could be a great choice for you.
Liam put the Specialized S-Works Torch road shoes through their paces, which at £385 are even more than the Sidi Sixtys. But he found them comfortable and easy to keep clean, though he wasn't so enthusiastic on the premium price.
Conclusion
These are a high-quality and expensive pair of road shoes that celebrate Sidi's 60 years in the cycling shoe game. But while I loved the stiff sole and the adjustable ventilation, I'm not convinced by the use of Velcro on £360 shoes, and I'd have liked to have been able to tighten them further. But if you can get them at a cheaper price and aren't worried about sprinting, they're very much worth a punt.
Verdict
Good looks, stiff soles and superb comfort – but I'm not convinced at Velcro on a £360 pair of cycling shoes
Make and model: Sidi Sixty Road Shoes
Tell us what the product is for
Sidi says: "As a celebration of their 60th year, Sidi have released the Sixty road cycling shoe. Handmade in Italy to the highest standards, the beautiful Sixty incorporates cutting edge technology into a shoe with Sidi's classic, timeless Italian style. The shoe features an advanced carbon sole, designed for excellent power transfer whilst allowing some flex at the front of the shoe to aid comfort for long days in the saddle. The sole also features an integrated vent which can be opened or closed for seasonal comfort."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Sidi lists:
TechPro upper
Tecno-4 closure system
High security Velcro strap
Full 3K carbon Vent sole
Handmade in Italy
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
They are exceptionally well made.
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
The sole is extremely stiff, which helps you to eke out performance on every pedal stroke, while the sole's adjustable-venting should help you get your feet to just the right temperature.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
During testing they didn't scuff and I found them easy to wipe clean. A whole raft of replaceable parts – the Tecno-4 Push dials and plates, heel plates and so on – should further add to the shoes' durability.
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
I found these fitted perfectly, with a slightly wider fit than I expected from Sidi.
Rate the product for sizing:
8/10
They came up true to size.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
At over 500g they're light though not not exceptionally so – but their stiffness is the reason you'd buy these.
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
I found these stayed comfortable even as the hours and miles mounted up.
Rate the product for value:
4/10
In my experience, I felt that these shoes didn't quite deliver the level of performance that you'd typically expect from a £360 shoe. If they were priced £100 lower, I would have felt more comfortable paying for them considering the overall performance and features they offer.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Any dirt wiped away easily using a cloth or wet wipe.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Considering just how stiff the sole is these proved amazingly comfortable as well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Their comfort just leaves you never worrying about any hotspots or discomfort.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I'm not sure Velcro belongs on a £360 pair of shoes and I'd have liked to be able to tighten the shoes further, but my main issue is with their price. And it's not even Sidi's most expensive road shoe!
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The DMT KR SL shoes are £30 less, but use a knitted upper with laces, a design that won't work for everyone and isn't that mud-friendly.
Shimano's RC9 road shoes are a fraction cheaper at £349.99, and have a lot of ventilation and perform superbly if you're looking for peak performance.
Specialized's S-Works Torch are a more comfortable, less race-oriented version of Spesh's race shoes, but these are more expensive still at £385.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes – very much so.
Would you consider buying the product? No – they're too expensive.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – if they have the money.
Use this box to explain your overall score
I would rate these shoes a 7/10 because, overall, I really enjoyed wearing them. However, I don't feel they quite lived up to my expectations for a £360 shoe. The sole was impressively stiff, but the inability to fully tighten them for optimal sprint performance was a drawback, at least for me. On the positive side, the all-day comfort they provided was unparalleled and left a lasting impression.
Age: 21 Height: 182cm Weight: 71kg
I usually ride: willier Cento Uno Air My best bike is: Ridley Kanzo Fast
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, mtb, Gravel, Multi Day Adventures
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