​Guide to cycling shoes: Road cycling shoes or gravel shoes: Which is better?

Let’s get this out of the way straight away: there’s no single right answer. Road and gravel cycling shoes are designed for different purposes, and which one suits you best depends mainly on how and where you ride. The good news is that the decision is simpler than the technical specifications might suggest.

Power transfer: Road cycling shoes are considered to be faster

Road cycling shoes have stiff soles and cleats with a larger contact area. Both features are designed to ensure that as little power as possible is lost when you pedal. Gravel shoes use smaller cleats and – depending on the model – have slightly more flexible soles.

That sounds like a clear advantage for road cycling shoes. In practice, however, the difference is smaller than you might think: studies show that, above a certain level, sole stiffness makes hardly any measurable difference to performance. For the vast majority of us, therefore, a good pair of gravel shoes is more than enough. Only those who are really battling for every second will get a little extra out of the stiffer road cycling shoes.

Comfort and walking: this is where the gravel shoe comes into its own

As soon as you get off your bike, the situation changes. Road cycling shoes have a smooth, hard sole – on tiles or wet ground, it quickly becomes slippery, and walking feels about as graceful as walking on stilts.

Gravel shoes, on the other hand, have a tread and a sole that make walking much safer. Whether it’s a stop at a café, a section where you have to push your bike on a ride, or a quick trip to the supermarket: all of this is more comfortable in gravel shoes. If you’re not the sort who follows the ‘get on, ride, get off, done’ approach, but like to pop in for a coffee now and then, you’ll find cycling much more relaxed in gravel shoes.

Price: It depends on the features, not the category

Both types of shoes are available at prices ranging from around 100 euros to over 400 euros. Whether a shoe is expensive therefore does not depend on whether it is labelled ‘road’ or ‘gravel’, but on its features: sole, fastening, weight and brand. One advantage for beginners: a good gravel shoe often covers several uses – gravel bikes, road bikes and everyday cycling for commuting or an after-work ride. One shoe, one pedal system, and you’re sorted.

I’m certainly no longer a beginner, but I still prefer to ride in gravel shoes. For me, the more relaxed ride is well worth it. And the cleats last longer too. – Sandra Schuberth, TOUR editor

Which shoe suits you best?

• Do you mainly ride a road bike and want to pick up the pace? In that case, road cycling shoes are the obvious choice.
• Do you ride a road bike or a gravel bike, enjoy popping into cafés, or do you also go for walks when you’re out on a ride? Gravel shoes.
• Are you looking for a pair of shoes that can do it all – cycling, everyday wear and the odd bit of off-road riding? Here, too, gravel shoes are the more versatile option.

In the end, however, one thing matters more than any of these recommendations: the shoe must fit. A pair that’s too tight or too loose isn’t any fun – no matter how stiff the sole is or how big the studs are. So it’s best to try on several pairs before you make your decision.

Road cycling shoes vs. gravel shoes: an overview