Shimano releases new RX8 and RX8R gravel race shoes

Gravel shoes are a thing now, with the days of putting up with MTB shoes a thing of the past. The demands are similar but different enough to warrant their own category. We’ve got a dedicated list of all the best gravel bike shoes, which features the previous generation of these shoes. 

The RX8 from Shimano is its gravel race shoe, rather than one for more general use (think stiffer soles and less time given over to hike a bike), but in this latest iteration, the model has diverged into two distinct versions to account for the growth of adventure racing as a genre. 

One shoe, two models

The old RX8 already sits in our buyer's guide to the best gravel shoes, and this latest iteration builds on the racy platform with the usual blend of road and MTB tech. The RX801 features the same Boa and Velcro combo as the outgoing model, along with a heel stabiliser and an upper that wraps over the foot rather than closing at the apex for a more snug and comfortable fit, along with a tweaked toe box design. New for this model is availability in half sizes, to account for those with more fussy feet sizing. More importantly, still is the fact that it is available in an extremely gravel tropical foliage pattern to match your favourite gravel race Hawaiian shirt. 

The RX8 is available in a size 38 to 48, with wide options too, weighs in at 268g and will set you back $275 / €229 / £229.99.

What about those more adventurous gravel riders though? Those who don’t immediately think it’s a daft idea to carry their bike across a dried-up river bed. Well, that’s where the RX8R (the ‘R’ standing for ‘Rally’ in this case) comes in. It’s ostensibly the same shoe as the RX8, but with an integrated ankle gaiter to keep grit and pebbles from getting into your shoes and causing all manner of annoyance. Sadly no tropical motifs here, but the rusty metallic orange option swaps in place instead. 

Available in the same size range as the RX8, but with a slightly smaller choice of wide and half sizes, the RX8R will set you back $300 / €274.95 / £269.99 and weigh you down to the tune of 290g.