The XC90s landed in BikeRadar's Australian headquarters back in September 2014. They've since ploughed through marathon races, hiked up countless rock ledges to find better camera angles and taken in a long walk home after double flatting a test bike with only half the required spares on hand.
Sitting as Shimano’s top-level off-road SPD race shoe, the XC90s boast a long list of features. They’re impressively stiff, while a customisable fit ensures high comfort for even the longest races. Where their sibling XC70s sit as an excellent lower priced option that delivers 95 percent of the performance, the XC90s are there for the XTR user seeking the best.
- Highs: Super stiff, highly comfortable, heat malleable for 'weird' feet, grip in run-ups
- Lows: High weight for this level of shoe
- Buy if: You’re seeking an ultimately stiff and fast pair of cross-country or cyclocross race shoes. That said, if you don't need custom fit or ultimate running traction, the XC70s are a wise way to save some money
When it comes to fit, it’s worth stating that I’ve been a Shimano shoe-user for a long-time. My personal kicks are a pair of previous generation M-315s (my secondary pair are Bontrager RXL’s), and prior to that it the M-300s did their stint. The XC90 is the latest evolution in the line.
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Like the previous two generations, the XC90s offer ‘custom-fit’ heat moulding in the inner sole and uppers. With the choice of two widths and half sizes, I’d previously never felt the need to have this fitting done. However, for the sake of the review, I underwent the approximate 20 minute heating and vacuum packing process.
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