Shimano has announced a new range of S-Phyre road cycling and cross-country mountain biking/cyclocross shoes.
This confirms the Shimano S-Phyre XC903 as the unreleased shoe we spotted Mathieu van der Poel wearing at an Olympic cross-country mountain biking test event in September.
The S-Phyre RC903PWR is a new road racing shoe. It’s visually similar to the RC903, but with a single Boa Li2 dial and a Velcro strap across the toe box.
As the name suggests, Shimano says this is for “high-power efforts”.
Shimano says the S-Phyre TR903 is its first dedicated triathlon cycling shoe.
Availability, sizing and pricing of the new range are yet to be confirmed.
What we know about the new Shimano S-Phyre range
Shimano S-Phyre XC903
As we noted in September, the new S-Phyre XC903 bears close resemblance to the existing Shimano S-Phyre RC903 – Shimano’s flagship road cycling shoe.
The brand’s new premium mountain biking shoe has a similar toe box vent and laces. From the second Boa dial, these start wide before narrowing towards the toe.
Under the laces, there is now a thin strip of mesh for ventilation.
Micro perforations wrap around the front of the upper and halfway back on the sides. The old shoe had two separate blocks instead.
The sole of the shoe looks unchanged, however. The S-Phyre XC903 keeps eight large lugs and four smaller ones, plus spike holes under the toe.
Shimano rates the stiffness of the carbon sole to 11 (one below the highest rating on its internal scale) as before.
We assume the new S-Phyre XC903 supersedes the XC902, which came out in 2021.
Aside from the classic electric blue colour, the S-Phyre XC903 will be available in white and black.
Shimano S-Phyre RC903PWR
The Shimano S-Phyre RC903PWR is a new road cycling shoe designed for track racers, sprinters and time-trialists, according to the brand.
A Velcro strap across the toe box replaces the second Boa dial on the S-Phyre RC903, which will remain in the range.
This new feature may be intended to make the fit more secure during all-out efforts.
That said, the RC903PWR bears a close resemblance to the S-Phyre RC9 Track. Could the S-Phyre RC903PWR be a repositioning of that model instead?
With the S-Phyre RC9 Track, Shimano said the Boa dial was replaced with a Velcro strap to enable the use of toe-straps (which remain popular in track cycling events), and the increased pedalling security they can provide.
Whatever the case, the laces from the top Boa dial run halfway down the instep of the shoe. On the S-Phyre RC903, the top Boa dial adjusts horizontal tension only.
The S-Phyre RC903PWR comes in white with pearly white soles.
Shimano S-Phyre TR903
Shimano claims its first specialist triathlon cycling shoe, the S-Phyre TR903, is made for fast transitions and accelerations in short-course triathlon.
An elasticated strap across the top of the shoe and single Boa dial are intended to make it easy to put on and take off in a hurry.
The carbon sole is less firm than the S-Phyre RC903’s at 10 versus 12 on Shimano’s shoe stiffness scale.
You can choose from ‘gunmetal’ or blue.