Fizik R3B Uomo shoes review

Endorsements don’t come much better than breaking the Hour Record, which is exactly what Rohan Dennis did while wearing a pair of Fizik R3B shoes. They have other fans in the Pro peloton too, having also been favored by Geraint Thomas and Phillipe Gilbert.

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We can understand why – They are amongst the most comfortable road shoes we have used and the UD carbon fibre soles are very stiff. The uppers are firm and hold your foot tight when pulling up in the pedals, unlike Fizik’s much more expensive R1 Uomo, which was much more supple.

>>> Review of the Fizik R1 UOMO

Despite having the R1 at their disposal many of the Fizik sponsored pro riders, opted for the less expensive Fizik R3B. It's understandable, as the R3B is lighter and the supremely supple upper of the R1 made it not as suitable for sprinting.

Although lighter than the R1, The R3B is not the lightest performance shoe in the world, with our size 45s hitting the scales at 340g a shoe. This is considerably heavier than the Giro Empire SLX, which is around 210g a shoe in the same size. The added weight weight certainly didn't seem to slow Geraint Thomas down while supporting Chris Froome in the mountains of the 2015 Tour de France.

That said, it shouldn't put you off, as the shoe more than makes up for this in comfort. My right fore foot is slightly wider than my left, something that is instantly noticeable on many shoes that have a narrow fit. I had no issue here.

The Boa dial provides great adjustment, but I did find the single sail cloth Velcro strap slightly redundant. The R3B are hand made in Italy and certainly look the part, while the laser perforated uppers have a classic aesthetic that also provides some ventilation.

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Our test pair (pictured) were in black, a retro colour choice, harking back to likes of Merckx. It has certainly seen a resurgence in the peloton, but if you don't like being compared to Michael Jackson with your black shoes/white socks combo, the Fizik R3B is also available in a rather bling white option.

For more information, head over to Extra UK.