Pearl Izumi Elite Road IV Shoe

Pearl Izumi's Elite Road IV Shoe uses a lot of technology that's trickled down from its range-topping PRO Leader, so for your £150 you're getting a super-stiff carbon sole and the excellent Boa retention system. On the flipside, they aren't the lightest out there.

I'm not a fan of a flexible shoe, and I was impressed with the stiffness of the Elite IV's unidirectional carbon fibre (all the fibres travel in the same direction) sole. Put power through the pedals and there's no discernible flex. They aren't the stiffest I've used but they are very close to it, which helps on the comfort front if you're out for a few hours.

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The sole itself has a deep central section which offers support under the arch of the foot before increasing in width at what Pearl Izumi calls the Power Plate – the bit where the cleat goes, to you and me.

It's set up for a three-bolt system, which covers the majority of road pedal cleats, and comes with a good amount of adjustability fore and aft. For walking you get an impressively thick heel bumper which is also replaceable should you wear it out – though I doubt you will.

The sole also has some decent sized mesh-covered vents to aid cooling in the summer months, but the holes in the insole are little more than pin pricks, so I can't see this making much of a difference on a hot day.

When Mat tested the earlier Elite II version one comment was that they lacked ventilation. Well, Pearl Izumi has since addressed that with seven mesh vents on top of the toe and around the outside of the foot.

The upper material is man-made – most are, so that's not a criticism – and it's very thin. It's created pretty much in one piece, so the only stitching is at the rear and running up the sides where it's attached to the tongue, meaning no seams to rub against your foot.

For those who've never used one, the Boa system uses a wire that is threaded through the front of the shoe, just like a lace really, and to apply tension you twist the dial and the wire pulls the shoe in from either side. Tension is spread evenly across the top half of the foot – helped by the bonded upper of the Elite being one piece of material. You get a single Velcro strap just above the toe box for a little more security.

To provide extra support, the upper has another layer of material, a PU-style fabric in a web design bonded to it. It provides some added strength and comfort to the shoes.

The size 45s I tested are on the generous side compared with a lot of others I've worn, especially in length (the width was fine). They aren't sloppy but you could comfortably go a bit thicker with your socks. As for comfort, the only thing I would say is that I'd like a bit more stiffness around the heel cup for a bit of stability when climbing out of the saddle.

> Check out our guide to the best performance road cycling shoes here

At 644g for the pair, they're on the heavy side when compared with others at this price. In all honesty, though, it isn't really noticeable, so unless you are really trying to cut grams, especially revolving weight, I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

Overall I like the Elite IVs very much. They are comfortable, stiff, and look to be very well made to justify their £150 price tag. I'd like to see a couple of refinements such as a stiffened heel cup and maybe a drop in weight, but it's hardly a deal breaker.

Verdict

Very comfortable race shoes with no compromise in stiffness, though a touch heavy for the weight weenies