The best road and mountain bike shoes for under £100

Bont's Motion shoes are comfortable and offer many of the benefits of the brand's higher-end models – stiff soles, an anatomical fit, and a low stack height – at an entry-level price. They are excellent value, though the Velcro straps won't appeal to everyone.

The 'anatomical design' is distinctive of Bont's shoes, making them more foot-shaped than most. If you find that your feet get squeezed, pushed around or pinched by other shoes, it's worth giving Bont a go. One of the other key features of most Bont shoes is a bathtub-shaped carbon-fibre sole that extends around the sides of your feet and is heat-mouldable. You don't get that with the Motion – instead, you get a fibreglass sole that doesn't wrap upwards. As it is, the Motion's sole is still very stiff, especially considering the price. 

The sole takes three-bolt cleats and you can slide the bolt holes fore and aft in their slots, giving you a little adjustability there. One interesting feature is Bont's adaptor plate for compatibility with two-bolt cleats too.

The Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoes are comfortable and extremely versatile as they're an excellent choice for both on and off the bike. The grippy sole provides sufficient stiffness for riding without compromising off-the-bike comfort for walking.

The Hummvees feel light not only in comparison with walking boots, but also when compared with other flat-pedal off-road shoes, so you don't feel like you've got anchors on your feet after an hour or so. They're also decently ventilated along the sides and on the toe box, which helps to provide a nice balance between breathability and keeping your feet warm. 

The Hummvees are unisex so the styling is quite neutral except for the choice of laces. The shoes come with two pairs of laces, described by Endura as 'wild and mild'. The shoes also feature an elasticated lace stash, which helps to keep the lace away from the chain and cranks. The Hummvees come in four colour options - the olive green pictured above, black, navy and pebble. 

The Giro Berm Cover MTB Cycling Shoes are versatile cycling shoes that are great for gravel or commuting, with plenty of grip and minimum cleat clatter. Although these are labelled as 'MTB' and only accept two-bolt cleats, the fact is, loads of people use mountain bike-style SPD pedals on their tourers, commuting bikes and, very much on-trend, gravel and adventure bikes, where the Berm Covers will really come into their own. 

The smooth, synthetic outer material is wrapped around a mesh structure that allows plenty of ventilation. There's no pretence at waterproofing, though so these shoes are best suited for summer and warmer spring or autumn days. 

There are two sturdy Velcro-fastened straps to deal with so getting in and out is very quick and easy. These allow excellent adjustment across the instep, but the (broad, well-padded) tongue ends at the lower strap, and below that, there's no adjustment. If you're narrow-footed, you may appreciate shoes with additional adjustability.  

The Specialized Recon 1.0 clipless mountain bike shoe is a versatile and lightweight trail shoe that happily takes on gravel riding too. It's comfortable, stiff and easy to walk in.

Built around the brand's well-established Body Geometry footbed, the Recon 1.0 uses a nylon outsole with a TPU injected forefoot, which allows for some flex at the toe – something that makes off-the-bike antics easier. The aggressively-shaped tread uses Specialized's SlipNot rubber compound, and it’s impressively grippy.

The upper is a mixture of perforated paneling and a tongue area of breathable fabric, and it ventilates well enough to mean the Recon 1.0 is not so great in wet weather. You might want a more winter -focused shoe for damp trails.

The FLR F-11 Knits are very crisp-looking shoes, super-comfy, with a smart white knitted upper and a good retention system. FLR has pretty good credentials, with pro riders Jay Vine, Thibault Guernalec and Alexandre Balmer among others using its shoes, proving they don't hinder performance. These F-11 Knits are its second-tier offering, behind the carbon-soled F-XX used by the pros.

The F-11s use a single retention dial from Atop rather than Boa, which tightens in increments. Tester Josh said, "I found the retention good, too; I didn't feel like my foot was going to move at any point, even when sprinting". 

They feature an R250 nylon sole with injected fibreglass which has some noticeable flex while riding so these are more aimed at casual riders rather than racers looking for all the performance gains.