Shimano has your spring shoe game covered

Don't get too excited, but we're nearing that time of year when you can put your overshoes away and unleash your favourite cycling shoes in all their resplendent glory. There's a reason we buy shoes that look nice, and it's not to hide them under overshoes for 4 months a year. 

With that in mind, it's that time when you need to start thinking about whether your shoe game really is strong enough for a summer's worth of riding. Here are two options from Shimano - at two very different price points - to make sure that you look fast (even if you're not riding quickly).

S-Phyre RC902

Yep, these are expensive shoes. But, let's be honest, they might also be the best-looking shoes around and they're used by a huge number of World Tour level road riders, so they're a little bit good. This is the third version of the S-Phyre shoe, and the previous two have been incredibly popular, solidifying Shimano's reputation as one of the best when it comes to bike kicks. 

So what do you get for your money? Well a sole that's as stiff as you could possible want, but still comfortable enough to ride in all day. That, combined with a 360-degree surround wrap upper that's a one-piece design - there's no tongue - which looks slick and closes easily without any need for messing around.Check out the bottom and you'll really see what Shimano means by 360 degree as it wraps all the way round the shoe and meets at the midsole. 

The RC902 also uses BOA's latest and greatest Li2 dials that boast a ridiculously light action and a low profile, making it easy to adjust the shoes and fitting easily if you ever need to layer overshoes on top. Oh, and if you're interested, they're available in white, black and the brand-new metallic red which has to be seen in person to be believed. 

RC5

If you love the styling of the S-Phyres but aren't looking to drop three hundred quid on a set of shoes, then the RC5s might just be the choice for you. Still a performance-focused shoe but with a bit more for the every day rider in mind, the RC5 has the goods to back up its high-end looks. 

Using a sole and upper construction that you'll have seen on Shimano's top-end shoes in the past, the upper is designed to wrap around the foot with a similar tongue-less design to the S-Phyres giving the most comfortable and wrinkle-free closure possible. Made from mesh, TPU and synthetic leather, the upper is stiff enough for sprinting, but supple enough for comfort. 

Another trickle-down piece of tech is the single BOA dial for closure. Wonderful as laces are, and great as ratchets and Velcro can be, there really is no beating the light weight and micro adjustablity of a BOA. Plus they look cool, too, which never hurts. 

The sole on the RC5 is carbon fibre reinforced Nylon which is stiff but not super-stiff, again striking that perfect balance between stiffness and comfort. You wont see top level sprinters choosing these to try and win a Tour de France stage, but you also wont find yourself looking down mid-ride and wondering whether you've accidentally worn your favourite pair of trainers instead of cycling shoes.