There are very few times I see a product and react with “shut up and take my money.” There’s a lot of cool gear out there, but very few that make me respond in that way. Until Adidas came back to the cycling category with The Road Cycling Shoe. And with the press the shoe has gotten so far, I believe many people feel the same way. That’s why within minutes of the shoe being available on Adidas.com, they had my credit card info and I was impatiently waiting for them to show up at my door.
To give a little background, I played soccer all through high school, college, and even a little afterward. For many of those years, I wore Copa Mundials, World Cups, Mundials, and Sambas. They all had the simple, classic all-black leather upper with three white stripes and a white heel cap. They were classy, not flashy, but they were also the shoe of choice of top pros for years. They were luxurious for a soccer cleat. So yes, a simple, all-black upper with three white stripes and a heel cap, “shut up and take my money now.”
The German band has a history in cycling. Riders like Jan Ulrich and Erik Zabel all wore Adidas shoes during at least part of their careers, and Eddy Merckx had his own line of signature shoes. They have also made kits for various teams like Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile and British Cycling, and currently, make cycling sunglasses that are used at the pro level. They even collaborated with Specialized for a special shoe for the British Olympic team for the 2012 London Olympics. But other than acquiring FiveTen with their flat pedal and off-road shoes, Adidas has been absent from the road shoe market.
The Road Cycling Shoe might look fairly simple, but there is a lot going on with it. Like many other high-end shoes, Adidas went with a woven upper (Primeweave) that is lightweight, breathable, durable, and can be customized to support your foot in specific areas. It’s made from the brand’s Primegreen material, which is a high-performance material made from recycled plastic. Both Primeweave and Primegreen are technologies borrowed from other shoes in there expansive line of products, so they are well proven. The three stripes and heel cap are reflective, which adds a little bit of low light visibility to the shoe. At either end, there is a thin, durable coating to add some scuff protection to the toe and heel. It has a thin tongue that is kept in place by a wide compression band that is attached to both sides of the shoe.
Underneath, it has a full nylon sole that is drilled for a three-hole road cleat and features non-replaceable toe and heel treads. While many would prefer to see a full carbon or carbon composite sole, the full nylon sole is stiff, while keeping the shoe light and affordable.
My first ride in the shoe was Restrap’s Solstice Century. Due to some snow and ice we got earlier in the week here in Pennsylvania, I decided to do the ride on Zwift. As I was about to start my ride, my postman arrived at my door with a box from Adidas. The package was a few weeks late (Adidas took over a week to get it shipped and the USPS handling the high volume of shipments at the time), but I decided to check them out. I ordered a size 11, which Adidas classifies as a 45.5. It’s a little bigger than I normally wear in Euro (usually a 44.5-45), but I’m a fairly solid 11 in their running shoes. I could possibly drop down to a 10.5, but the 11 fit well with a little room, so I mounted up some Look Keo cleats and decided to give them a shot. You know, what could go wrong with trying a new pair of shoes for a century?
For the next five hours, a minute, and change, I pedaled through the rolling hills of Watopia, without taking a break on or off the bike. I had five bottles prepared, a little bit of food, and the remote control to catch up on some Manchester United games. It was a pretty aggressive way to test out new shoes and The Road Cycling Shoes stepped up.
The uppers were very comfortable, and have continued to be in subsequent rides of varying lengths and intensities. It took a few times to adjust the laces to find the right fit, but with how the woven upper fits and the compression strap that holds the tongue in place, you don’t have to cinch them down. I found I prefer to actually keep them a little looser, yet they still feel supportive. The toe box is a little bit wider than most other cycling shoes I’ve worn, reminding me of the roominess of Bont cycling shoes. Back in the day, I used to wrap my laces around my Copa’s and World Cups before tying them, but with The Road Cycling Shoe, I just tuck them into the lace holder on the tongue. A nice touch that I really appreciate is the little loop Adidas added to the lace holder on the tongue. It makes it a little easier to grab the holder and stuff the laces in than say the Giro Empire or Republic. Even without the moving air you would get while riding on the road, my feet never felt hot or sweaty. I was definitely putting out an effort as I had sweat marks on my kit afterward.
When it comes to stiffness, The Road Cycling Shoe isn’t going to win any stiffness competitions, but not everyone is looking for (or can afford) an ultra-stiff sole. When putting down the watts on the climbs or going hard on the flats, I didn’t notice any major amounts of flex. They might not be the shoe I’d go-to race shoe for a crit, but for a long day in the saddle, the nylon sole would bring some welcome comfort from road buzz.
In size 11/45.5, the Road Cycling Shoes weigh in at 305g each. They are not super lightweight but are respectable for a mid-level shoe.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with The Road Cycling Shoes from Adidas. The name could be a little more creative, but it’s a great first step back into the cycling scene. Unlike Nike’s recent SuperRep indoor cycling shoe, the Adidas entry is a proper cycling shoe with a full-length stiff sole that would be at home on the road, in a spin studio, or on a Peloton. With a very comfortable, environmentally conscious upper, Adidas created a great mid-level shoe and could be on the verge of a great performance shoe with the addition of a full carbon sole. At $150, it is at the top of my list of shoes at this price point.
In the US, they are only available in black with white trim, but Europe also got the all-white version. Personally, I’m fine with that. The black is super classy and hits that nostalgia note hard with me. At the time of writing, Adidas only had 12 shoes left in stock, from sizes 4-5.5, but hopefully, they will get more in stock and start looking towards their next cycling shoe. Again, “shut up and take my money, NOW!”
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year