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A good pair of cycling specific shoes will help you to be more efficient, stand out, and enjoy your favourite rides even more. In this article we have put together 6 best cycling shoes for men under $100 in 2021.
We also have articles where we feature other cycling shoes in case you want to check them out as well:
10 Best Road Cycling Shoes for Men Under $200 in 2021
7 Best Road Cycling Shoes for Women in 2021
Introduction
More often than not when talking about cycling specific shoes we refer to the ones you clip in to bike pedals. Clipping in ensures that your feet are in an ideal cycling position and makes your pedal strokes more efficient.
In this article, we have put together 6 best road cycling shoes for men under $100. While shortlisting these 6 we focused on the highest quality within a $100 price tag. Our list includes great entry-level options to choose from without breaking the bank.
If you are not sure what to look for in a pair of cycling specific shoes then check out our cycling shoes buyers guide. It has a lot of useful information and will make your buying process much smoother and faster.
1. dhb Dorica Carbon Road Shoe
- Sole Material: Carbon fiber
- Upper Material: Microfibre
- Closure System: Laces
Positives
- Very stiff carbon sole
- Great fit
- Enough ventilation
- Lightweight
- Good price to quality ratio
Negatives
- Limited color choice (white and camo only)
dhb’s Dorica Carbon road shoe is one of the best entry-level options as it has a lot to offer for the price.
dhb used microfibre material on the upper part of the shoe, which is very lightweight and soft for higher comfort and better fit. In addition, perforated holes around the shoes provide enough cooling and ventilation.
The sole is made of carbon fiber, which is one of the stiffest sole materials you can get. Usually, you can’t find a carbon sole on shoes below a $100 mark so this is a nice bonus with dhb Dorica. As for the closure system, dhb used laces on this pair. Laces are not the easiest to operate, but on the upside, they are very light.
Overall, a pair of dhb’s Dorica Carbon road shoes is one of the best entry-level options under $100.
2. Shimano RC1 Road Cycling Shoes
- Sole Material: Glass fiber–reinforced nylon
- Upper Material: Synthetic leather
- Closure System: Strap
Positives
- Great price to quality ratio
- Durable and well built
- Very lightweight
Negatives
- Be careful with sizing (Shimano usually runs small so consider going a size up and double check sizing with a retailer)
Shimano RC1 road cycling shoe is a great entry-level option for beginner cyclists or those looking not to overspend on a pair of cycling shoes.
The upper part of the shoes is made of synthetic leather and mesh. The synthetic leather does not stretch over time allowing the shoes to stay the same and provide a great fit for longer. They are very comfortable to wear and fit naturally.
The sole is made of glass fiber-reinforced nylon, which is quite common for entry-level shoes. Also, these shoes come with a 3 straps closure system. These straps give you more flexibility to find an ideal fit.
Overall, Shimano’s RC1 road shoe offers a lot for the price and is a great pair to own and save some money.
3. Giro Techne Cycling Shoe
- Sole Material: Injected nylon
- Upper Material: Synthetic
- Closure System: 3 hook-and-loop straps
Positives
- Very versatile and could be used for road cycling, MTB and even indoor classes
- Great price to quality ratio
- Very comfortable to wear and provide a lot of ventilation
Negatives
- These are entry-level shoes and thus you don’t get a lot of premium features (e.g. the stiffest sole or Boa closure system)
Giro’s Techne road cycling shoe is a versatile entry-level option for road cycling, MTB and even indoor classes due to its universal cleat compatibility.
Giro used synthetic material on the upper part of the shoe, which is very comfortable to wear and ensures durability. In addition, these shoes provide enough cooling and ventilation.
The sole is made of injected nylon, which is not the stiffest sole material, but good enough for entry-level shoes. Also, Giro’s Techne comes with a 3 hook-and-loop straps closure system allowing you to put them on quickly and secure your feet in an ideal position.
Overall, a pair of Giro’s Techne is a great entry-level option that would be perfect for a lot of cyclists.
4. GES Roadster Cycling Shoe
- Sole Material: Nylon-fiberglass composite
- Upper Material: TPU with breathable mesh
- Closure System: Atop and velcro straps (Atop is similar to Boa)
Positives
- Very good and easy to use closure system
- Durable
- Great price to quality ratio
Negatives
- Slightly heavier than, for example dhb Dorica Carbon or Shimano RC1
GES’ Roadster road cycling shoe is a great entry-level option for many cyclists not looking to overspend on a pair of cycling shoes.
The upper part of the shoes is made of TPU and breathable mesh making them quite lightweight and comfortable to wear. However, keep in mind that these shoes are not the lightest in our review. For example, they are heavier than Dorica Carbon or Shimano RC1.
The sole is made of nylon-fiberglass composite, which is quite common for entry-level shoes. When it comes to a closure system, GES uses an Atop closure system combined with a velcro strap. Atop is quite similar to Boa, however, they use a slightly different technology.
Overall, GES Roadster road shoe offers a lot for the price and is a great pair to start with and save some money.
5. XLC CB-R09 Cycling Shoe
- Sole Material: Nylon
- Upper Material: PU-coated leather and mesh
- Closure System: Atop and velcro straps (Atop is similar to Boa)
Positives
- Very good and easy to use closure system
- Very lightweight
- Great price to quality ratio
- Artificial (vegan) leather
Negatives
- Limited color options (white and black)
XLC’s CB-R09 road cycling shoe is a versatile entry-level option for road cycling, MTB and even indoor classes due to its universal cleat compatibility.
The upper part of the shoes is made of PU-coated leather and mesh fabrics making them very lightweight and comfortable to wear. For those that don’t know PU-coated leather is actually artificial and is considered to be vegan.
The sole is made of nylon composite, which is quite common for entry level shoes. When it comes to a closure system, XLC uses an Atop closure system combined with a velcro strap. Atop is quite similar to Boa, however, they use a slightly different technology.
Overall, XLC CB-R09 road shoe offers a lot for the price and is a great pair to consider.
6. MSC Aero Cycling Shoe
- Sole Material: Nylon*
- Upper Material: N/A*
- Closure System: Atop and velcro straps (Atop is similar to Boa)
Positives
- Variety of colors and sizes
- Very good and easy to use closure system
- stylish look (subjective opinion)
Negatives
- This is an entry-level shoe and thus you don’t get the stiffest sole
MSC’s Aero road cycling shoe is not the most known brand, but it does offer some great features that allowed this pair to make it on our list.
*There is no information regarding the upper material used to produce these shoes. We are guessing that these shoes come with a combination of mash and synthetic, however, we can’t be 100% sure.
*The sole material is also not specified, but we assume that it is made of nylon, which is quite common for the entry-level shoe.
When it comes to a closure system, MSC uses an Atop closure system. Atop is quite similar to Boa, however, they use a slightly different technology.
We like it a lot that MSC Aero Road comes in various colors making them easier to match with many bike and clothing colors.
Overall, at this price point MSC Aero Road shoes have a lot to offer and could be your next pair of shoes.
CONCLUSION
Finding the perfect pair of cycling shoes can be overwhelming, but it is worth spending the time and choosing an option that you will be happy with. In this article, we put together some of the best options to consider under $100 for men. These are the best entry-level pairs that would be perfect for a lot of cyclists.
We hope you found this article helpful. Stay healthy, happy and active.
Why should you trust us?
In order to feature and review any products on our website we do extensive research, read user feedback, carefully review forum threads, look at search trends, brand popularity, try to actually use and test as many products as possible ourselves, and evaluate other factors depending on the product category. By doing extensive research and incorporating it with our own experience we are able to shortlist only a handful of products out of thousands of options.
We want to bring value to our readers and help them find answers to questions and buy the most appropriate cycling products. Brands and cycling professionals always try to innovate and improve to get the best possible outcome. Unfortunately, innovations and product improvements these days result only in marginal gains, but the price increase for these gains is not equally proportional. In economics, this behavior is defined as “diminishing returns”. Knowing this we focus on featuring the best value for the money products that are affordable, but at the same time have a lot to offer. We don’t want our visitors to overspend on something they will not benefit from.
