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Road Cycling

Reviewed: Scott RC Women’s Road Shoes

Do these high-end road shoes live up to their high-end price tag?

Words by Katherine Moore

Let’s face it, finding the right road shoes for you can be a nightmare. With different foot widths, lengths, shapes and sizes that don’t all seem to tally up, it sometimes takes a few different pairs before you have that Cinderella moment and find ‘the one’. The Scott RC women’s road shoes have been tested extensively over spring training rides, commutes and races, and here I reveal why I’ve called off the search.

Features of the Scott RC Shoes

Let’s consider the fit and comfort of the Scott RC shoes first. After all, you could have the most technologically advanced shoes in the world, but without being comfortable, you’re unlikely to enjoy the ride.

The ‘personal anatomic fit’ Scott claim in the RC road shoes is achieved using a number of different technologies. Most noticeable is the Boa Closure System, now widely employed by a number of shoe manufacturers in the higher end of their ranges. Two IP-1 dials secure and control the constriction of the strong wire lacing which crosses over the top of the foot, allowing you to find a precise fit for your unique foot shape. These new generation dials allow you to fine tune your fit whilst in the saddle, as these can now click either way to loosen or tighten incrementally. Unlike some other fastenings such as Velcro straps, there seems to be no movement or give once secured correctly, allowing maximum power to be transferred through to your pedals.

Beneath the Boa lacing, the end of the shoe’s tongue is lightly padded to prevent any rubbing whilst riding. The back of the heel did take a few rides to wear in before becoming completely unnoticeable, although I’d challenge anyone to find me a pair of new shoes that don’t.

Looking more closely at the inside of the shoes, there’s an interesting feature that isn’t apparent at first. If you remove the ErgoLogic footbed, there are two removable pieces underneath; an adjustable volume arch support and a metatarsal button. These can be removed or adjusted according to your preference, maximising comfort and performance and eradicating issues such as foot numbness.

A series of perforations in the upper, mesh panels and vents on the sole help to keep your feet well ventilated. The Nylon Airmesh panels are found on the upper toe and inside edge of the foot in the shape of the Scott Logo, with a single reinforced vent in the carbon sole of each shoe under the toes. This ventilation system is perfect for warmer weather and prevents your shoes turning foul, but be sure to use toe covers in adverse conditions or you’ll risk cold and wet toes!

How do they Perform?

Scott designed the RC road shoes with the elite road racer in mind, so it’s no surprise to find that these shoes feature the type of technology that you would find in the pro peloton. The HMX Carbon sole has a Scott stiffness rating of 10, the highest in their range. The Torsion Fork concept achieves this by giving maximum stiffness through the front of the sole where it’s more crucial, whilst still allowing some flexibility towards the heel to ease pressure on your knee and ankle joints.

You’ll also find handy markings on the bottom of the sole which help for cleat alignment, allowing you to easily replace worn down cleats without losing your positioning. Weighing in at only 220g before cleats, these are one of the most lightweight in their class, sitting alongside the renowned Giro Empire shoes.

The rubberised heel of the RC road shoes is not replaceable unlike many other high-end road shoes, however, it appears to be constructed from a much more resistant material, more akin to the structure of MTB shoes. So far so good, but only the test of time will show how these hold-up.

The verdict

Scott RC Shoes and the Scott Centric Plus helmet

What strikes me most about the Scott RC women’s road shoes is the capacity for adjustment to suit your foot size and shape, which I haven’t seen employed to this degree in other high-end road shoes before. Although there’ll never be only one shoe to suit everyone, I feel that this model will give a much better chance of achieving that. They’re also a gorgeous pair of white racing shoes that you’ll want to keep for best, out on summer rides and races where they won’t get ruined by the elements or leave you with soggy feet.

One of my favourite design features of these shoes is the use of an easily wipeable glossy upper. For cyclists with a penchant for crisp white shoes who like to keep their kicks looking good as new, this material makes a quick wipe down after a ride really easy.

The Scott RC women’s road shoes are priced at £249.99 and available in EU sizes 36 to 42, in this white and silver colourway. Sure, they’re at the top of the price range, but you can certainly see why. With many features dedicated to ensuring a precise and enduring comfortable fit, in addition to their capacity for elite racing performance, these Scott shoes are certainly now the top pick in my collection.

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