Sidi Sixty Road Shoes

The Sidi Sixty road shoes – made to celebrate Sidi's 60th birthday – offer an uncompromisingly stiff sole with adjustable ventilation but this is balanced with excellent comfort that's sufficient for day-long rides. However, the hefty £360 price for a pair of shoes quipped with a Velcro strap, albeit in addition to the dial system that you'd expect at this price, is an interesting choice by Sidi.

For alternatives to these, have a look at our guide to the best road cycling shoes, which covers footwear ranging in price from just £40 to getting on for £400.

Sidi has once again delivered some stylish footwear with its new Sidi Sixty shoes, particularly in the captivating Anthracite Vino colour that I tested. You also get the choice of five other colours and the shoes are available in sizes 38-48, with 'half sizes' between 39 and 47 – though the half denotes a wider, not a longer, size. They use Sidi's own Tecno-4 Push dial that effectively tightens over the top of the foot, complemented by a Velcro strap to secure the forefoot.

This was my first experience with Sidi shoes, and I was initially uncertain about their narrow fit I had heard about. However, I was very pleasantly surprised, as they proved to be more accommodating than I expected. If you do have wider feet, perhaps try the 'half' in your usual size.

One aspect I discovered with these shoes is that in order to achieve the same foot position on the pedal, I had to position my cleats with a more pronounced inward angle compared to other brands' shoes. While this doesn't affect the overall fit for me, it could potentially pose a problem.

Fit

These proved a very good fit for me, with ample space for me to wear thicker socks while still allowing my feet to breathe comfortably. They sized up well too, and I found them comfortable and completely free from pressure points or hot spots that could cause discomfort.

I was impressed by Sidi's Tecno-4 Push dial system, which effectively distributes tension across your upper foot, with a Velcro strap across the toes. Not only did the shoes lack any noticeable hot spots, but the dial system also made for quick and easy adjustments to get the comfort just right.

However, I did discover one drawback during sprints – I couldn't achieve the same level of anchoring and tension as I can with other shoes.

This might be more of a psychological than a practical disadvantage in a sprint, but I would still like to have been able to tighten the shoes a tad more.

When it comes to heel retention, these don't have the same level of security as Specialized's Torch shoes, which grip your heel firmly without any movement. Sidi just hasn't implemented the same level of tension in this regard.

Sole

The Sixty's soles are remarkably stiff – they simply wouldn't flex in any direction. And this became immediately evident the moment I applied pressure to the medals. The sole has another feature in addition to this rigidity. Sidi calls it the 'Vent Carbon Sole', which accurately reflects a front hole that draws in air and exhausts it just behind the cleats. This ingenious design helps to keep your feet cool, reducing the likelihood of discomfort caused by heat and swelling.

The vent has a small plastic plate at the front that allows you to adjust and open and close it. I found this feature quite handy too, opening the vent fully on hot days and closing it on cold, wet days to keep my toes toasty.

Another positive is Sidi's incorporation of user-replaceable parts. You can replace the Tecno-4 Push dial, Tecno-4 Push plate, heel plate and vents, which should boost their longevity.

Value

With a hefty price tag of £360, these are up against the high-end race shoes from the other big brands. But considering they still rely, at least to a degree, on Velcro, I feel they're expensive for what they are. I'd have also appreciated a more performance-oriented heel retention system for greater security.

The DMT KR SL road shoes are £30 cheaper and Stu scored these very highly, praising their comfort and impressively stiff sole.

Steve really rated the £349.99 Shimano's S-Phyre RC9s, appreciating their stiffness, comfort, security and adjustable arch. He wasn't so keen on them in the cold, but if your feet tend to get hot, they could be a great choice for you.

Liam put the Specialized S-Works Torch road shoes through their paces, which at £385 are even more than the Sidi Sixtys. But he found them comfortable and easy to keep clean, though he wasn't so enthusiastic on the premium price.

Conclusion

These are a high-quality and expensive pair of road shoes that celebrate Sidi's 60 years in the cycling shoe game. But while I loved the stiff sole and the adjustable ventilation, I'm not convinced by the use of Velcro on £360 shoes, and I'd have liked to have been able to tighten them further. But if you can get them at a cheaper price and aren't worried about sprinting, they're very much worth a punt.

Verdict

Good looks, stiff soles and superb comfort – but I'm not convinced at Velcro on a £360 pair of cycling shoes