For some reason, in the UK high-end cycling shoes are quite often known colloquially as “disco slippers”. It’s probably something to do with putting on your best shoes when you go out on a Saturday night and the same could be said for going gravel riding. The freshly updated Shimano RX8 gravel shoes would certainly not look out of place matched with your finest gravel cycling outfit, but with a sole stiffness rating of 10, we think these are better suited to gravelling rather than grooving. 

The RX8s are available in two variants – the standard RX801 and the RX8R, which features a “snug fitting ankle cuff that boosts protection from sand, grit, and pebbles.” 

Both models offer the same key features - a “super stiff and efficient” carbon-composite sole, a BOA Li2 dial with rubber grip and microadjust function (so you can make incremental adjustments to both tighten and loosen the fit), abrasion-resistant TPU outer sole, a “surround wrapping upper” to provide a “snug, secure, and seamless fit” and come with a pair of optional arch support inserts for anyone who needs to further fine-tune the fit.

The RX801s come in three colour options – silver, tropical leaves and black.

The RX8Rs come in metallic orange.

Both the RX801s and the RX8Rs will be offered in half size options for the most popular sizes (41-46) and a wide option for sizes 40-48.

The MSRP is US$275/€229/£229.99 for the RX8s and US$300/$300 /€274.95/£269.99 for the RX8Rs

You can find all the details of the RX801s here and the RX8Rs here