Long-term test of the Shimano S-Phyre RX910 gravel shoes

Recently, I took my pair of Shimano S-Phyre RX910 gravel shoes on a 164 km ride that mixed rail trail, paved country roads of various quality and logging roads that are also the playgrounds for ATVs and side-by-sides. It was the perfect route for versatile shoes that I had taken on many short rides, but needed to test along a longer distance.

Shimano released its top-end gravel shoe, the S-Phyre RX910, in August 2025. I was keen to try it out as the RX801 (in a cool Flint Hills Limited Edition) has been my go-to gravel shoe for the past few years. The S-Phyre RX910 came with the company’s new pontoons, each set made up of two thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blocks that sit to the side of each shoe’s cleat. They look like chunky lugs added to the sole. Shimano has needed something like the SPD cleat pontoons for a while.

Cleat systems and the gravel gap

With the rise of gravel riding, Shimano’s pedal lineup finds itself not-quite locking in, if you will, especially with pro riders. For most of us, really, SPD mountain bike cleats and a set of XT pedals are a superb option. You get the ease-of-use of the SPDs. The shoes designed around these cleats give you good walkability when a course has you dismounting your bike. But, for those riders who want maximum performance and speed in a race, they need to weigh some pros and cons of different pedal systems. The mountain bike cleat is easier to click into pedals as they are double-sided. The road system has one-sided pedals and its cleats are more difficult to walk on; however, the wider platform of road pedals offers better power transfer and often more comfort when you have many kilometres to cover. If a course won’t have you clipping out, then there is an advantage to the road cleats and pedals.

The Shimano S-Phyre RX910 shoes and their ideal mix of components

The SPD cleat pontoons, which come into contact with the pedal, aim to boost stability and power transfer on a set of gravel or MTB pedals. My S-Phyre RX910 with pontoons came with XTR Shimano M9200 cross country and gravel pedals. Those pedals, along with the whole XTR groupset, got an update in 2025. The M9200’s solid design now has a slightly lower platform height for better stability. Also in the mix was Shimano’s new MT001 SPD multi-entry single-release cleat. The shoe, pedals and cleats made up the company’s most contemporary system. I wanted…