Suplest EDGE+ Road Pro shoes

The Suplest Edge+ Road Pros are among the stiffest-soled race shoes I have ever worn, and they are beautifully made out of some brilliant materials. They are a fair chunk of money, but if ultimate performance is your goal then give these a go.

I'll deal with the sizing first. I'm currently testing three pairs of shoes: these from Suplest, Fizik's Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweaves, and Spiuk's Aldama Carbon Road Shoes, and they all vary in size quite considerably when on.

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The Fiziks are a EUR45/UK10.5, the Spiuks are a EUR45/UK11 and the Suplests EUR44.5/UK10.5 – which really shoes why you need to try before you buy if you are giving a new brand a go.

I'm a size UK10 and the Suplest fitted me perfectly. Unlike a trainer or normal shoe, you don't need room to allow your feet to move in a cycling shoe, and with my big toe just a matter of millimetres from the front of the shoe and my heel snuggly gripped at the back, I can't imagine getting a much better fit for performance riding, so I'd say you want to go about half a UK size up if buying online.

The upper is made from a thin microfiber which is soft and supple and gets better the more you wear the shoes. After a few hundred miles these have started to develop little creases as they've moulded to my feet and have become much more comfortable.

> Buyer’s Guide: 19 of the best performance road shoes

They don't have a tongue as such, instead the upper kind of wraps itself around your foot, with the Boa cable system pulling one half over the top of the other.

The piece that sits underneath has a foam section added to it where it rests against the top of your foot to stop any irritation, like a tongue would.

To protect the upper from the Boa wires there is a carbon fibre section, which also adds stiffness that helps to keep your foot in place as you lift on the second half of the pedal rotation.

The heel section also has a grippy fabric inside to stop your foot lifting there.

All of this means that, once tightened, the Road Pro shoes fit like the proverbial glove.

The Boa system also gives you loads of adjustment and it's easy to tweak on the fly. The only little niggle is that when you initially tighten the upper Boa wire it often gets caught on the edge of the upper, so you have to flick it up with your finger to stop it catching. It really is a 'first world problem' though.

The sole is full carbon fibre, as you'd expect at this price point. Unlike many brands Suplest doesn't give a stiffness index rating; if it did I imagine it would be something like 200 out of 10 as these are unbelievably firm. Power transfer is phenomenal, and if you enjoy riding on the rivet, you're never going to feel any flex no matter how much power you are putting out.

The only downside is that on rough roads, where a broken surface can give a fair bit of vibration, you can feel it through the soles of your feet.

The outsole isn't as contoured as some, leaving the shape defining to the Solestar insole. It has quite a high curve to support the arch of your foot and there is a thicker section at the rear of the foot to stop it squashing when you really put the power down.

The overall quality is top notch, with the finish flawless throughout. Being white they do pick up marks quite quickly, although the majority of them wipe off. If white isn't your thing then they are also available in black with different colour detailing.

Priced at £320, they are up against some tough opposition.

They have a lot in common with the Northwave Extreme Pros when it comes to stiffness and comfort; those will set you back £339.99.

For the same price as the Suplests, Shimano offers the S-Phyre RC901s: truly top notch cycling shoes that deliver loads of stiffness and plenty of comfort, putting them in the same ballpark as the Road Pro.

Overall

The Suplests are a very pricey pair of shoes but wow, do they ever deliver on performance and comfort. Their build quality is excellent too.

Verdict

Awesome looks, comfort and performance... for a price