Scott’s newest road racing shoe came out earlier this cycling season and I’ve fortunately been given a chance to review a new pair.

Scott Sports has been partnering with the BOA Fit System for several years. The recent release of the RC Ultimate Shoe represents the pinnacle of that partnership for bicycle racing shoes, particularly road cycling.

Design:

These shoes are at the top of Scott’s pinnacle of road racing shoes. They’re lightweight, very stiff, adequately vented, and the fit is easy to adjust, even while riding. The shoes feature the top of the line in innovative components

• A double BOA Fit System with the new Li2 dial allows for customizable fit across the shoe. You can snug the heel tighter with the back dial or tighten the front of the shoe with the front dial. https://www.boafit.com/en-us/innovation/dial-platforms/li2.

• A super-stiff carbon fiber sole; allows for maximum power transfer to the pedal and drive train.

• A Carbitex CX6 carbon fiber upper allows for both flexibility AND power transfer all the way around the pedaling rotation, conserving every watt of power possible for transfer to the drive train.

• Comes with an adjustable ErgoLogic insole for a custom fit

Performance:

• I’ve tested these cycling shoes out in a variety of conditions; hot sunny weather, cold rain, hail, wind, flat roads and high mountain passes.

• Ventilation; these shoes are well vented; the front of the uppers have many small vents (about 50). The bottom of the front sole has a small metal mesh vent that allows air to move through to the vented insole. This not only helps keep feet dry and cool, but also allows for water drainage in rainy conditions.

• Climbing; This is where I found that these shoes really excel! They are stiff and lightweight. On 10%+ grades above 10,000 feet elevation, these shoes give me maximum power transfer while keeping my feet from overheating during maximum efforts. When I feel a hot spot coming on (these shoes are stiff), I can reach down and loosen the Li2 dials just enough to allow my feet to breathe a bit without sacrificing power. I love that I can easily micro-adjust the fit while on the fly!

• Fit: My foot is a “B” width according to the local shoe-clerk. I’m always a bit concerned about the fit on a shoe I haven’t actually tried on in-store. These are honestly a little wide for my foot (I wear a size 48 so I am able to water-ski with my long narrow hooves). With the BOA fit system however, there is plenty of room across the top of the closure system for me to cinch these in exactly where I need them. Even when more loosely fitted, my feet are not swimming side to side as they would be in wider shoes that don’t share the ability to customize the snugness across the top like these do. Lengthwise, these 48s are true to fit for me with no heel slippage, even under maximum effort. Scott’s customizable ErgoLogic insoles arrived in my pair of shoes with “medium” fit pads. They seem fine for my foot.