TECH SPECS: RAPHA PRO TEAM LACE UPS
Price: £245 / $315 / €280 / AUD $450
Sizes: EU 36-47
Weight: 245g ea. / 490g per pair
Colours: White / Black
When I first saw the new Rapha Pro Team Lace Up shoes I have to admit I had some reservations about the speed lace closure system and how it would stand up in use. I’ve long been a fan of the design and aesthetics of the Rapha Pro Team shoes and wanted to test this version out for myself.
The Pro Team Powerweave shoes have been on the market for a few years now and we reviewed the originals back in 2020 where they received five stars. Associate Editor Josh Croxton complemented their stiff soles and light overall weight.
The Pro Team Lace-Up shoes feature pretty much all the same design features as the Pro Team shoes which are available with BOA dials. The Lace-up model retains the power weave woven uppers and carbon fibre sole, but uses a ‘Speed Lace’ closure system to secure the shoe and tighten it down onto the foot.
The Lace-up shoes are £50 cheaper than their BOA-equipped counterparts. I was keen to see if this was an easy way of saving £50 whilst taking advantage of pretty much all of the same tech or whether the Lace Closure wouldn’t stand up to hard riding or sprinting and prove my hunch correct that they would work loose over time.
Design and Aesthetics
Design-wise, as mentioned the Pro Team Lace Up model shares pretty much everything with the Pro Team Boa shoes bar the closure system. The most obvious of which is the soft, one-piece woven upper material Rapha calls Power Weave which is constructed from woven Polyester. This is then finished with a DWR coating, which is definitely noticeable; hold the shoe under a tap and the water just beads and runs off, though I guess it will need re-proofing in time.
The Lace Up shoes are available in either white or black. You don’t get the Hi-Viz pink/purple colour that the Pro Team Boa shoes are available in. So if you have your heart set on this colour and are shopping it will have to be the Boa version for you. I, however, stand firmly in the white road cycling shoe camp and think the white version looks great. Up close it’s actually a white/silvery grey mix with horizontal grey detailing running across the length of the shoe and down the vertical stripe that runs down to the cleat. If anything I’d…
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