To say that Rapha's Grand Tour shoes have been eagerly awaited by the company's customers would be an understatement. It must have been gutting for the "full Rapha" roadies to have to put a slightly less stylish pair of shoes over their cashmere black and pink socks. Now Rapha have released their first ever shoe and the fanbase only has to wait for the Rapha cycle helmet, which surely must be on its way soon.
When the shoes arrive in the post you can't help but admire the beautiful packaging. Rapha certainly know a great deal about presenting their merchandise in the most attractive way. First you unwrap a brown box stamped "Rapha Performance Shoes" and then you get to the main box, a solid matt black with a white stripe. Inside it folds open to reveal an Alpine panorama and each shoe individually wrapped in its own shoe bag. Alongside the shoes there's a care manual, a small pot of leather cream to help care for the shoes and some screws for cleat fitting (of which more later).
Taking out the shoes, it's hard not to admit they are a thing of beauty. I chose the black shoes with the white lower strap (as opposed to the white shoes with the black lower strap) on the basis that they would be easier to keep looking smart (white shoes require a lot of care to keep them gleaming, in my view, and it seems that customers agree as many of the sizes of the black shoes are currently out of stock while almost all sizes in white are still available). The heel of the shoes has a reflective Rapha logo, an attractive and practical touch. Overall, the shoes look like they might actually make you go faster!
But there are many beautiful things that are ultimately useless. Are Rapha's Grand Tour shoes built to do the job they are meant to do?
Rapha says their Grand Tour Shoes "have been developed to offer a traditional feel but with the modern, cutting-edge performance needed for long rides and optimum power transfer". The good news is that they have worked with Giro, who are well known for their ProLight SLX and Factor shoes and have been in this niche of the cycling market for some time. In fact, the care manual tell us how Giro came to work with Rapha: "Having successfully applied their innovative design philosophy to cycling footwear, a partnership with Rapha was first conceived over negronis in the Ace Hotel, Palm Springs. This auspicious meeting led to the creation of the world's finest road shoe."
Slipping on the shoes for the first time (you are advised to do this on carpets to avoid scuffing them, otherwise you can't send them back if they don't fit properly), the most obvious feature is how soft the uppers are. Made from Yak leather (developed by ecco®), they feel super comfortable even at first wear. My wife and several colleagues have laughed at the idea of shoes made of Yak leather but the argument is that Yak leather is both very tough, durable and designed to survive extreme climates. Rapha claims "the nature of the uppers mean they will wear in beautifully to become even more comfortable over time" but I haven't worn them for long enough to give an opinion.
The sole of the shoe is a special edition Easton® EC90 carbon sole, which while it is only 6.5mm thick is also nicely stiff and solid. The EC90 is used in plenty of Giro's top end shoes so has a good track record. It helps keep the weight of the shoe down, although at just over 300 grammes it is not the lightest shoe on the market (for those obsessed with reducing weight on every component or item of clothing). Cleat fitting is standard although because of the thin sole Rapha supplies shorter screws in case the standard supplied cleat screws are too long. Tightening the shoes is by the now standard three lycra secured padded leather straps and an aluminium buckle which allows easy access in and out of the shoe.
One particular point of note is the insole that comes with the shoe, which Rapha bills as the "Renowned Giro SuperNatural™ fit with adjustable arch system". It allows you to adjust the shoes' interior to your particular foot shape. Rapha's attention to detail sees the insoles branded with the head of Jacques Anquetil, the five times Tour de France champion. Unfortunately I have enough problems with my knees that it made sense to go and get a specially moudled insole at Cyclefit, which cost another £95 (not cheap but the cost of two physio sessions, so value in the long term).
One word of warning, customers should be aware that the shoes come up big by comparison with rival shoes so you may need to order a size smaller than you would normally wear. The Rapha website has a sizing guide that is well worth consulting before buying.
On the bike I found the shoes to be very comfortable, nice and stiff and highly responsive. My only quibble was that the tongue felt a little long but after five rides of 50km+ I don't notice this any more. Another Rapha Grand Tour shoe buyer told me he had experienced the same issue but the tongue no longer bothered him.
The shoes retail at £300 (or $450 in the US or Canada, so at current exchange rates they are slightly cheaper for north American Rapha customers). I gather Rapha sold 70% of the first Grand Tour stocks within four days of them going on sale. They aren't the cheapest out there - the Giro ProLight 6 has a recommended retail price of £240/$360 - and there is clearly a premium you pay for style but it is not a vast premium. To my mind while they are don't fall into the bargain category they aren't outrageously expensive for what you get either.
If you want to futher add to your costs then you can also buy a pair of Rapha branded cedar shoe trees for £25 ($35 to north American customers) will help keep your shoes in great condition for longer, which makes sense.
Declaration: Richard Hutchinson paid for his Rapha Grand Tour shoes and did not receive them as a review item.
Click through to Grand Tour shoes on Rapha's website
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