Rapha (United Kingdom) - Press Release: Professional cycling is the toughest sport in the world. What separates the winners is an ability to overcome and find comfort in the chaos. The Pro Team Shoe combines three advanced technologies, years of research and 30,000 kilometres of wear testing to provide absolute comfort, even in your most uncomfortable moments.

Elite racing exacts extreme and often contradictory demands on cycling shoes. They must be light as a feather but strong and stiff, highly durable, breathable and aesthetically beautiful. Most importantly of all, they must be comfortable. From the first pedal stroke to the third week of a Grand Tour, come rain or shine, comfort matters most to the professionals.

With this as our brief, we set out to create a race shoe that balances these demands. Over two years of designing and refining involving experienced industry experts, we have incorporated feedback from professional riders, completed exhaustive on-bike development, and created the world’s most comfortable race shoe.

Key Features:

Powerweave Upper:

Engineered with a world-leading fabric technologist, our revolutionary woven fabric sets a new benchmark for performance cycling footwear. Powerweave technology creates a strong, form-fitting and virtually seamless upper with woven-in design features exactly where you want them.

BOA® FIT System:

Tried and trusted by the best riders in the world, the Boa® Fit System has become ubiquitous on race shoes. Fast, lightweight and precise, this completely weatherproof system is guaranteed to last and dials in your fit with three key components.

Full Carbon Sole:

Engineered for consistent stiffness, our full-length carbon footplate ensures every ounce of power is transferred to the pedals during your most intense efforts. Protective toe and heel caps guard against scuffs and scratches.

Design And Refine:

Building on the success of our Classic and Explore Shoes, the challenge for our design team this time around was to create an equally comfortable pair that was light and stiff enough to perform in the pro peloton. Design Lead Jon Freeman cites a single piece of feedback as the genesis of the project.

“Several pro riders we spoke to during our research complained that many shoe manufacturers sacrifice comfort in an effort to make the lightest or stiffest model out there. In short, a shoe that is comfortable during blocks of back-to-back race days is compromised in favour of that killer campaign line: the lightest cycling shoe in the world. For the pros, comfort is the key. So that is what we focussed on.”

The three technologies that form the skeleton of the shoe have been selected in accordance with the results of extensive testing, including over 30,000 kilometres of all-weather wear testing. As Jon explains, each technology delivers a proven performance benefit.

“A woven fabric like Powerweave has many advantages over microfibre and knit alternatives. It’s super strong and does not stretch, locking the foot in place; it’s extremely breathable which allows your feet to thermoregulate really well; and it is also coated with a durable water-repellent treatment to keep rain and roadspray at bay. The fabric’s natural flex works extremely well in conjunction with the Boa dials to create a secure but frictionless fit and at the base of it all, we’ve engineered a super stiff carbon sole that efficiently converts pedal strokes into power.”