The Ares is one of my favourite shoes and a shoe I always grab when I need something I know will work. For some, the over-the-ankle look may be a bit polarizing, but we think Five Ten pulled it off better than most with a sleek, modern hiking shoe-like upper. lockless cycling shoes feature an innovative design that takes your cycling journey to the next level. If you’re into big mountain riding, scrambling up scree slopes or leaping streams then the Tallac is an excellent option because it delivers great grip and maximum protection, both on and off the bike.

I suspect it's a somewhat similar story as to why there's no adjustability in the cleat placement beyond what is allowed by the cleats themselves. Clip-in shoes are generally stiffer than flat shoes – this is primarily for pedalling efficiency, but having a solid sole also means you won’t feel the cleat when cranking hard. It gets a Synthetic leather upper with an in-house XPEL hydrophobic mesh backing, which reduces water absorption and also speeds up drying time. Not only is it bigger fore-aft – which helps prevent mud build-up blockages – but they’ve also extended the cleat slot so it’s possible to run your cleats much more rearward and mid-foot à la flat pedal vibes. Made from suede, the front is waxed and provides a two-tone look – which also serves to protect your feet on drizzly days.And finally, while the outsole is aggressively shaped, it isn’t going to grip as well on rock or in particularly steep and rough sections of trail. With so many different cycling shoes to be found, we are sure there’s at least one pair for everyone in this collection. Finally, the reinforced toe box and thick upper material offer decent protection and give the shoe its signature look. Our tester found the Shimano GR5s to have the best balance of pedalling stability and walkability of any flat shoes he’s ever ridden in. Even though the 2FO is tagged as a DH shoe, the downhill features are pretty subtle, so it can be used for pretty much any sort of riding.

The Union is their first effort at clipless shoes—we tested the high-end Boa version—and we felt they knocked it out of the park: The shoe’s supportive platform delivers plenty of power for lengthy trail rides, the durable and protective TPU upper is confidence-inspiring on techy descents, and we love how easy it is to dial in and micro-adjust the fit with the dual Boas. It doesn’t feel that supple, and there’s nothing, apart from the laces, to hold your foot – no retaining strap or lace flap. Keep in mind though, that this becomes more of an issue the more experienced you become with your cycling. The laces on the DH are perfectly fine and can be tucked away under an elastic band to keep them from flopping around, but they can’t match the micro adjustability and all-around convenience of the Boa system.

But the wide platform of the cleat provides better power transfer and improved pressure distribution across the sole of your foot for less hot spots. However, some companies still specialise in one particular type, such as Adidas Five Ten for example.

The size chart was accurate for me but be mindful that the instructions say to add 5mm to the length of the measurement you take from your foot.It's a super comfortable shoe to wear, and it works well on a bike, but you do lose that extra bit of connection. That said, it easily undercuts the cost of an indoor bike trainer, so the math checks out (at least to us). This stops your ankle contacting the crank arm when you’re leaning into a corner, or those times when you have to unclip inwards. Men's Lock-Free Bike Shoes feature an innovative design that takes your cycling journey to the next level. It's worth weighing up how much of your time you're likely to spend walking in your shoes versus riding.