Cycling shoes are an essential part of our equipment. With them, we lock our feet into clipless pedals and use their efficiency to push and pull, helping us transfer power. We want them to be light like everything else, stiff to transfer power efficiently, and breathable to help keep our feet cool. The Ekoï R4 Light isn’t perfect in every category but does well to find a balance that will work for most.
We’ve already brought you a review on the AR14 aero road helmet and Premium90 sunglasses from Ekoï. The French brand has you covered from head to toe with their products. We’ll have more on their kits coming soon too. But for now, let’s talk about the shoes, the R4 Light.
The Shoe
The R4 Light is the lightweight breathable version of the R4 line. It starts with a carbon composite sole. It has a subtle sculpting to it, with the ability to mount a three-bolt cleat and a few millimeters of front/back adjustment. There are two small mesh-covered vents at the toe, and one just past the cleat to let some air through from under the shoe. At the back, there is a non-replaceable heel pad for walking. Inside, there is a fairly standard insole that is perforated to let air in to your foot from the vents. The internal heel cup provides plenty of support, and the spandex material on the inside helps keep your foot planted in the shoe.
Next, the upper. This one is interesting. Ekoï blends a mesh with a TPU overlay for support. The TPU covers the front of the toes, around the tongue and dials, and has some support straps around the arch on either side. It continues around the heel as well. This allows breathability on the upper where the TPU isn’t and provides support where it is. The microfiber tongue is attached on one side to keep it in place but still allows you to slip them on easily.
The dials are the ATOP units that you saw on the AR14 helmet as well. They are similar to other dials when tightening, allowing for a precise fit. Loosening them is unique though, as, after a quarter turn backward, they release and allow you to pull open the shoes. The upper dial tightens across the top, while the lower dial controls the lower two levels on the shoe.
The R4 Light comes with a large shoe bag that easily fits one or both shoes on one side, allowing you to stuff extra clothes or even another pair of shoes in on the other side. Personally, I really like this shoe bag compared to the nylon cinch sacks you get with many shoes. It has a more premium feel, along with mesh panels that allows air to circulate to help shoes dry/air out after a hard or wet ride.
On The Road (and Studio)
When the shoes first arrived, I was curious about how they were going to perform. It took a few days for the TPU smell to wear off, but they looked interesting. The TPU definitely does cover a bit of the mesh, but there is still plenty of open mesh to allow air in.
To put them through some serious testing, I used them at the studio to teach some classes and race on Zwift, and also out on the road. While these would be overkill for taking spin classes, it is a great way for me to test out the stiffness and breathability.
On the Stages Indoor SC3s I teach on, I’ve thrown down 1,500+ watt sprints, and the room typically hits 72-75 degrees with not a lot of air moving around. That might not sound bad, but trust me, it is brutal and I typically have multiple puddles of sweat under my bike after a 40-minute class.
Stiffness is where there is a slight compromise to stay lightweight. Granted, I typically ride Lake CX403 outside and Bont Vaypor+ 2016 when racing inside on Zwift, both have full tub soles and are some of the stiffest shoes I have ever seen. Only during the most intense efforts (1,200-watt sprints on Zwift) did I feel a small amount of flex towards the front of the shoe. After swapping from Delta cleats to Speedplay, I’ve spent a few hundred miles on them out on the road. The compromise to keep them light doesn’t detract from their feel. They were comfortable on anything from a short blast after work to multiple hours in the saddle.
Ventilation is where they shine. In the studio, there isn’t the forward movement to blow air over you. With less-ventilated shoes, there are times I can pour sweat out of my shoes after 60 minutes. Even after an hour and a half of teaching and racing in 72-degree temps, I never felt the slosh in my shoes. Out on the road, this was felt even more. With a pair of light socks on, you can feel the air moving across your foot. On really warm days, the R4 Light would be my shoe of choice to stay cool and comfortable.
If absolute stiffness is what you are after, maybe look to the C4, but for most, the R4 Light will be plenty stiff and more breathable than many other stiffer shoes out there.
On The Foot
The R4 Light is a comfortable shoe. It might not have the ability to custom mold, but I never felt it was needed here. The upper was soft and supple enough that it helped accommodate any bumps that I would typically heat mold for. The TPU upper conformed well to my food, but still provided the support I needed when pushing and (especially) pulling on the pedals. When pulling up, that is where you sometimes lose support. If there is not enough structure to the shoe, you can lose a little bit of efficiency. The R4 Light felt locked in. The heel lock material helped keep my foot in place, even if I didn’t cinch down the ATOP dials all the way. I did typically tighten the ATOP dials a bit more than I normally would on other shoes to get that locked-in feeling, but I never felt like I had to overtighten them to get a good fit.
Now for the one item that might not be so good for everyone. The R4 Light only comes in full sizes. While it is not unique in the industry, it also isn’t common on higher-end shoes. Luckily for me, I was okay with a whole size. One other thing I felt was that the top lace might have been a touch long. When fully released, it is quite long, and it felt like the top dial might have been running out of room when I cinched them down tight. There is a great video on Ekoï’s site that shows you how to replace the dials and it was very easy to pop the dial off and trim the cord down an inch or two.
Overall, Ekoï did a great job balancing the attributes of the R4 Light to find a balance between light, stiff, and airy. Yes, they could have gone stiffer, but then it might not have been as light. For what it is though, it makes a great summer shoe for a lighter rider or someone less focused on stiffness and prioritizing weight and breathability. The R4 is available in white or black, and whole sizes from 39-47. At $299.99, they aren’t super shoe prices, but also not cheap. With that said, Ekoï often offers discounts, so you can usually find them at a pretty decent price.
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
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