Shimano SH-R212

Price Paid:  $150.00 at Racer's Edge, Tucson

Favorite Ride:
Anything flat or downhill!

Bike Setup:
Look PP296, only relevant fact I'd say...

Summary:
Purchased to replace R210's I had that finally wore out, and were my favorite shoes of all time.

Strengths:
Incredibly light, Stiffest shoe available. Carbon straps make for an incredibly secure, stretch-free fit. Low pedal stack-height, and requires no adapters for Look, SPD, SPD-R pedals.

Weaknesses:
Didn't fit my daffy-duck shaped feet--too narrow. No padding at all between no-stretch carbon straps and your foot, could use some neoprene like Carnacs. Pretty spendy, but if they fit your dogs, well worth it.

Similar Products Used:
Shimano R210s, Sidi Genius, Carnac Ellipse.

Price Paid:  $175.00 at Alger Schwinn Cycler

Favorite Ride:
Anything over 15 miles

Bike Setup:
`01 Specialized Allez A1 sport, mostly 105, Ultegra crank/BB, Mavic Open Pro rims & Ritchey hubs, SI

Summary:
These replaced an ancient pair of Specialized Pro Dog road shoes I had, I got them on clearance locally, and I'm pleased to say they're absolutely wonderful. Fit me perfectly (I have large, but narrow feet and none of Sidi's shoes, even narrow ones, fit me quite right), the straps are reinforced with carbon to make them more durable and the soles are inflexible when pedaling, I feel like I'm losing nothing when I ride. Comfortable, and well ventilated.

Strengths:
Very stiff. Great for folks with narrow feet. Well made. Well ventilated

Weaknesses:
A bit pricey, but every good shoe is, so it's not a major complaint. Would be nice to have replaceable heel and toe plates like the Sidi Genius.

Similar Products Used:
Specialized Pro Dog road shoe, tried on several models of Sidi Genius 4.

Price Paid:  $200.00 at Spin City

Summary:
I have never owned a pair of Shimano shoes that lasted more than six months before the bottom ripped out at the cleat. Shimano also has the worst warranty of any company I have ever tried to deal with. They blamed the mountain bike type of cleat I used even though it was a Shimano Ultegra pedal, and the cleat that came with it. I have had such bad luck with Shimano warranties I refuse to purchase any Shimano part for any of my bikes. I have gotten it down to one front derailer on my mountain bike, and as soon as I find a replacement for that its gone as well.

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
Bottom ripped out after less than 6 months of use.

Similar Products Used:
Look, Nike, Answer, Carnac (soon).

Price Paid:  $80.00 at roadbikereview

Bike Setup:
Trek 5200

Summary:
Great shoes. Stiff, uppers well constructed and feel like an extension of your foot. NO movement of the foot or slippage of the closure straps. Comfortable, even on the first ride.

Strengths:
Light, work well with Look pedals

Weaknesses:
Expensive, but if you look you can find them in the marketplace for less.

Similar Products Used:
Shimano R120s

Price Paid:  $80.00 at Ebay

Bike Setup:
Classic Marinoni with full Dura Ace STI, IRD parts, Giro Pave, Shimano 747's

Summary:
Great shoe...but a not so great price. Try them on carefully before buying as they fit a bit narrow and small.

Strengths:
Very stiff. High quality construction throughout. Very low stretch. Comfortable for narrow feet. Works well with small platform pedals.

Weaknesses:
Extremely high price retail price. Uppers are very stiff and dug into my ankles initially. After manually breaking the uppers in (flexing the uppers with my hand), all annoying friction points disappeared. The carbon straps are very stiff which makes getting the shoes off a little harder than usual, but also means you don't have to worry about adjusting the shoes partway through rides from stretch or slippage. Replaceable heel and toe grips would be nice at this price. The resin covering on the grips is very slippery at first but after short walks and stops, the resin quickly gets scratched off.

I can't say I'm a fan of the "Pumpkin in Space" orange-black-silver styling...but hey...that's a matter of taste.

Similar Products Used:
Duegi, Diadora, Sidi