Leaving road shoes and laces behind! Shimano XC9 S-Phyre

After years riding Giro Lace-up shoes It's time for me to move on. My riding has changes a lot in the last few years so the equipment has to as well. This is aquick unboxing and first impressions of the Shimano XC9 S-Phyre cross country shoe.
Shoes in this video:
Shimano XC9 amzn.to/2JXQxow
Giro VR90 amzn.to/2K128GT
Giro Empire SLX amzn.to/2LYGG2A
Thanks to John for being so kind and documenting me pushing my bike up a climb ;)
/ john_t_onstrava
Ride of Japan Instagram
/ ridesofjapan
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If you want to help support this channel, you can use the following links (or the links above) when ordering anything from Amazon. It will not cost you anything extra but a small commission will go to this channel.
US: amzn.to/2NvudFq
UK: amzn.to/2SxK1se
DE: amzn.to/2Vp6cCF
You can also use my Amazon storefront for a small collection of bike related items that have been or will be featured in my videos.
www.amazon.com...
Thank you! 🙏
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#shimano #shoes #spd

[@markstengel7680]

Enjoyed your Shimano RC9 road shoe presentation 🚲👍

[@ridesofjapan]

Oops! I meant to say the shoes were on sale with a 40-50 dollar discount... they didn’t actually cost only 50 bucks unfortunately 😔 No more editing at 2am for me!

[@TOMLElog]

can you give me the website for the discount?

[@ridesofjapan]

tomleexe sorry, it’s not a website, it’s a store in Tokyo. And that being said, US prices are probably better compared to Japanese prices even with the discount. :p

[@rlemacs]

SH-XC900SY is on sale att Pearl Pearl Izumi Online Factory Store. shop.pearlizumi-eu.com/en-se/men-cycling-shoes/bicycle-shoes-sh-xc900sy-45-0-45-yellow-eshxc9oc450syz0?gclid=CjwKCAjw9-HZBRAwEiwAGw0QcZkEpqVI00e00apbiKHMgPoekcop4rmrTthLnbZZGPX1NDw-HiTjjhoCw18QAvD_BwE

[@hulktruck3264]

@@ridesofjapan can i know the background music in this vid

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

Nice shoes. I personally cant stand laces. And leather. My criteria would be: - Microfibre (as opposed to leather!) - Vented soles for breathability, to vent out sweat and moisture! - No laces! A Boa or SIDI's equivalent, but NO laces and NO Velcro-only! I much prefer technical gear. - Walkable. - Good fit. Sufficiently wide so that they don't hurt the small toe (when splaying), but also compact and tight fit in the heel and

[@jorgejovinofdezfdez2196]

Esas zapatillas son una basura pero muy grande. Despues de 5.000km de uso se rompiò la base del Boa con el tejido de la lengueta. Es una pieza de plástico que no es el Boa y el upper ya no tiene reparación. Una vergüenza de la mala calidad de Shimano en zapatillas y ropa que luego te cobran. No acabo de entender como no se hacen pruebas de longevidad que hay marcas que se demuestran mil veces mas fiables como Fizik, Sidi, Gaerne. Esa rotura en la parte que sujeta la lengueta si me hubiese ocurrido en marcha me hubiese caido. Mira que he tenido zapatillas y ese modelo es de lo mas malo que he visto en años. Solo se salva la calidad de la suela de carbono porque lo de arriba es plastico barato y sujeción del Boa con defectos de diseño y control de calidad.

[@ErwinMeulman]

40 dollars, I can't belief that, with webshop?

[@ridesofjapan]

Erwin Meulman sorry! I meant they were 40 dollars off 🤥 ... I was obviously too tired editing this

[@hulktruck3264]

Whats the music name?

[@ridesofjapan]

Sorry I don’t have access to the project file of this video atm (archived) But all my music is from Epidemic sounds which is a subscription service for video makers/youtubers

[@alb.1911]

where did you get the socks? Thanks.

[@richfi9576]

"... they nicked the socks. Bastards." Hilarious. Although not hilarious when you open the box and realise they nicked the socks. Bastards.

[@jorgejovinofdezfdez2196]

Esas zapatillas son una basura pero muy grande. Despues de 5.000km de uso se rompiò la base del Boa con el tejido de la lengueta. Es una pieza de plástico que no es el Boa y el upper ya no tiene reparación. Una vergüenza de la mala calidad de Shimano en zapatillas y ropa que luego te cobran. No acabo de entender como no se hacen pruebas de longevidad que hay marcas que se demuestran mil veces mas fiables como Fizik, Sidi, Gaerne. Esa rotura en la parte que sujeta la lengueta si me hubiese ocurrido en marcha me hubiese caido. Mira que he tenido zapatillas y ese modelo es de lo mas malo que he visto en años. Solo se salva la calidad de la suela de carbono porque lo de arriba es plastico barato y sujeción del Boa con defectos de diseño y control de calidad.

[@jorgejovinofdezfdez2196]

The Shimano Sapphire are one of the worst cycling shoes in the quality of the upper. I broke the base of the Boa with the upper stitching before 5.000km. This wouldn’t happen with a pair of Sidi o the Giro. I can’t repair the Shimanos and the longevity of those Sapphire are weak. Bad quality of the plastic and O quality control. The only good part is the carbon sole. Don’t waste money in a Shimano pair if you can buy Giro, Sidi, Gaerne, Vittoria, Fizik.

[@chiefrocker12]

I'm done with laces! Got em' two years ago , same as yours. have to use a shoe horn to get in em', and on long rides the toe box area gets too tight. You convinced me....its time to ditch the cool-retro-look-laces and move to Boa. Good one

[@gregoryhwin]

Great video! I have wide feet and these were recommended. Am looking forward to trying these out. Thanks for sharing! Btw, love your 2am demeanor and humor. Those bastards!!!

[@mikicastan]

I agree with you about laces for offroad-boa is better option.

[@DerHackbart]

The Shimanos look pretty fancy! I just ordered a pair of Giros with laces, cause I ride pretty casual and didn't really digged the look of straps or the boa system. But I totally get your point about putting the shoes on and off frequently, so the boa system seems to fit your requests pretty well.

[@ridesofjapan]

DerHackbart yeah I thought the same as you about the boa dials... well I still kind of do hehe. They are pretty nifty though I have to admit. I’m still a sucker for laces though, definitely looks the best 👍

[@shumi1312]

just bought xc9 in late 2021 and they still are awesome xc shoes

[@ridesofjapan]

Agreed, mine are still going strong as well (Not that I so much XCing in them but)

[@mortlow6688]

i ride cages - they do fine with good straps....=D

[@JohnFoxBass]

Well done and very helpful, thanks! I just got a pair of these. The cleats come with an oval-shaped insert with a serrated edge on one side. What is that for? I can't find any mention of it in the instructions, and also don't see it in anybody's videos. The black insert with the two holes for the bolts obviously sits in the top side of the cleat. But what about the silver oval piece?

[@fernfloyd]

Great looking shoes matching the Open Up :P I hope to get a gravel bike frame this year. Still don't know if I should go for a carbon or steel frame. If I go carbon, I'll go with Ultegra. If I go with steel, I'll go full Dura-Ace.

[@jimnyfuchs]

Fern Hernandez Then go steel with Dura Ace!

[@fernfloyd]

That's what I'm learning more towards.

[@ridesofjapan]

If it’s for proper gravel, and not so much climbing up mountains, I too think steel would be sweet!

[@sabamacx]

Road shoes ruined my road bike. Never again.

[@mihugong3153]

please explain.

[@roadglide]

People got sucked into a style. Laces are antiquated. Preferably Boa, short of that ratchet/ Velcro combo design or go home.

[@MaglorMusic]

Shoe laces seem dangerous… imagine if the laces get stuck on the chainring while riding… also, they must be a lot harder to clean if you get mud on them.

[@zajjamai]

Wow. Amazing shoes. Lovely color

[@davidfurlan3707]

Have couple of questions since i am in the market for the Shimano or Giro shoes: How is the sole stiffness of Shimano compared to Giro VR90? Are the Shimanos more breathable that the VR90? And when you remove the insole in the Shimano shoes, is there a hole down to the cleats or is this part covered so no water can come through? Thanks!

[@ridesofjapan]

David D I can not feel the difference in stiffness at all, I’m very light weight though, not a power sprinter type ;) I feel like the Shimano are more breathable, not a huge difference though. The 2019 model with the new upper seem to be even more breathable. Don’t remember exactly how it’s constructed as I don’t have the shoes at arms reach at the moment, put I’m pretty sure you have access to the cleat plate from the inside of the shoe. You get some “water proofing” stickers with he shoes that are supposed to go over that on the inside underneath the insole.

[@davidfurlan3707]

@@ridesofjapan thanks for fast reply!

[@BGPaul]

Strong sock game Tobias 👌🏼

[@ridesofjapan]

#ridgesupply 👌

[@TheCocho28]

Good video, as always mate... thanks for sharing...

[@OmarTan]

So are you still using the XC9 or has switch to the RX8?

[@ridesofjapan]

Currently using the RX8 full time.

[@tfmguitar]

Nice trick with boa, thanks!

[@BenKloos]

Be cool to see the road vs xc comparison including pedal weights

[@BrentonCollas]

Interesting as always. I have mulled going mtb shoes on the all-road bike, for convenience and for reducing the amount of kit to support. Have you done a video on cleat positioning? I think we are similar height (185cms) and both like hills....

[@ridesofjapan]

Brenton Collas no video on that... bit risky getting into the topic of bike fitting I think... hard to give general advice on that... I find the best way is to try different setups on your own. But my setup is to basically slam the cleats as far back as possible... very scientific ;)

[@BrentonCollas]

Yep, it's all subjective isn't it? I had a bike fit at a shop here in adelaide who set me up the complete opposite, cleats all the way forward... :S

[@ridesofjapan]

Yeah, I had a bike fit a few years back as well, the fitter put the cleats at the traditional "underneath the ball of the foot" and that didn't work at all.. started pedaling heal out and stuff... I gradually tweaked both my cleats and position and ended up with the cleats much further back. I don't really understand the bio mechanics of it, but it feels like I'm saving my calves a lot more when climbing. Use to get cramp in the calves a lot with the cleats forward... but to be fair I probably went for it harder back then as well hehe

[@SLR6700]

Rides of Japan same here. After so many years of discomfort and numb feet I moved the cleats backwards all the way on shimano shoes and problem solved.

[@MaglorMusic]

What pedals are you using?

[@havefunandbikestuff]

Nice shoe. I'd rock it

[@marekwojtowicz5337]

How about sizing, is GIRO 44 = SHIMANO 44?

[@ridesofjapan]

General consensus seems to be that Shimano runs big compared to giro. I think my feet have collapsed a bit after a few leg injuries, now when I try on my giros they feel way too small.

[@kierenkd]

Not sure about other brand accuracy, but shimano have size in cm on their site. Measure your foot on paper, add 5mm.

[@EditioCastigata]

@@kierenkd Shimano supplies vendors with a measuring tool, which even measures span width, and gives you a reading like 24.5cm/40+E. The (longer) serial number on the (blue) package will then tell you if it's the right size and width. Unfortunately most online shops list size/length only, as does Shimano in their catalogue.

[@moserroman2083]

Way to go for gravel/CX/bikepacking

[@LarsRehm]

I just the XC7 which is a really nice shoe as well. I bought them the same size (46) as my R171 road shoes and noticed they are definitely are little more narrow than the R171s....seems Shimano is going with a lsightl ymore narrow fit on these latest models...which isn't so great for me because I have pretty wide feet...I might try their wide fit version the next time but I am not sure that's available for every model....

[@ridesofjapan]

Lars Rehm yeah, I was told the fit change quite a bit with they stopped making the shoes moldable. I’ve tried older models a few years ago that was way too wide for me, so I was quite surprised how much better they’ve become (for me that is). But like you said, they have a wide version as well.. both the XC9 and xc7 is available. I tried the RC9 road version in wide when a was narrowing down the size... to be totally honest I didn’t feel that big of a difference, it was size 44 though.

[@craigwilson118]

I also use the XC7. Very well made and good looking shoe! The heel grip has had no negative impact on my socks. I had to put in Specialised BG insoles to get more support so it is good to see the XC9 has that insole feature. The more I ride I also would appreciate the extra stiffness and the dual boa of the XC9... I would prefer to really lock down my ankle without having the midfoot so tight. I think it is interesting that Tobias sized up from his Giro: I also ride 45 Shimano XC but, with my wide feet, need a 46 Giro just to fit my foot in. Cycle shoes are weird to fit!

[@LarsRehm]

To be honest, I don't think you'd notice much difference in terms of sole stiffness. I just bought the RC9 road shoes and although according to Shimano the sole is nominally stiffer than my R171 (which is the predecessor of the RC7), in practice I can't notice a difference, both are very stiff.

[@ridesofjapan]

Yeah, I have basically come to the conclusion that my giro shoes was too small... but somehow didn't realize it, especially the VR90... or they made them smaller ;) My original Empire (the painted blue ones) are 44, got a pair of white empire slx 44.5 last year, they felt smaller than my old ones... so sold them pretty quick... Agreed cycling shoes are weird!

[@ridesofjapan]

Yeah, once you are up to rc/x 7-9 level the stiffness of the soles are enough for most people. After that it’s more about closure configuration and looks (Maybe weight?)

[@hamburger-fries]

SPD + MTB shoe :-) Why do people use road style shoes? I love = Sidi Dominator 7 MTB Shoes (Mega)

[@dermax_hd]

Power transfer is a tiny bit better. If you take more than 50 steps on your riding shoes mtb ones are better tho

[@mfini70]

Hi, so you went up to a 45 Shimano out of a 44 or 44.5 Giro? Great videos, btw

[@ridesofjapan]

Yes, 44,5 (I think it was) but I was way undersized on the giro. Cheers!

[@warrenzausa3145]

Tounges Up! ☺

[@ridesofjapan]

Warren Zausa 👅👍

[@theylivewesee1674]

shame they don't have red color as option

[@ridesofjapan]

They Live We See agreed! Would love a red pair as well.

[@davidswe98]

I'm going to japan next spring and I'm planning my trip do you have any bike strip you would recommend for when I'm there ?

[@ridesofjapan]

Lerbyn all depends on where you going and what kind of riding you like, but Shimanami Kaido might be cool. Haven’t been myself yet, but definitely on my list www.japan-guide.com/e/e3478.html

[@BrentonCollas]

I lived down that way years ago. I rode it one day. Wish I had taken more time. It is a magnificent area to ride in. We road across from Onomichi and ended up in Matsuyama, staying in a motorcycle/ bicycle YMCA, and went to dogo onsen in the evening. Happy days :) Cycling tips did the best expose on Shimanami Kaido cyclingtips.com/2014/11/cycling-shimanami-exploring-japans-inland-sea-by-bike/

[@carsongeorge32]

The mountains to the west of Osaka and Kobe are great! Kyoto too. Plenty of awesome riding out in the countryside all over Japan. Just make a plan and go. Mt Fuji and any of the smaller islands are worth a look.

[@davidswe98]

Is there any good rental company any of you would recommend?

[@carsongeorge32]

Rapha has a few stores

[@CrazyFunnyVideos11]

What size do you recommend for 27cm long foot ? I wear size 42,5 on running shoes

[@ridesofjapan]

I honestly can't recommend anything by just the foot length, I'd would try find a place to try it on. Even if it's not exactly the right model, as long as it the same brand you can at least confirm that you are in the right ball park. In general though, Shimano are know to be a bit more roomier than Giro or Sidi for example... But can't say more than that, sorry.