At a glance High-end, off-road shoe with a ratchet closure and a stiff sole that offers race performance for three-season weather
Tested by
Jon Adams, tester for The Bike List
Performance
Specific cycling shoes attach to special pedal designs by a quick release cleat, and they fall broadly into two camps - road and off-road. The main difference between the two is that the cleats are smaller and recessed into the sole on the off-road shoe, and protrude beneath the sole on the road variant. The advantage of the off-road system is that you can walk unhindered because the cleat doesn't stand proud of the sole, and the plus points for the road system is you get a larger cleat that gives a more positive pedal attachment for extra power.
The Shimano M183N is a race-spec shoe for off-road use, so the cleats are recessed for easy walking. Because mountain bike and cyclocross racers invariably spend some time running with the bike rather than riding it, there are two aggressive studs up front to aid grip in gloopy or loose conditions. These are replaceable or just plain removable if you don't like the clickety-clack they emit when walking on tarmac, but a stud removal key isn't included with the shoe, so you can either splash out £13 on the bespoke Shimano tool, or you can attack the job quite easily with a pair of pliers. Don't remove the studs and ride off-road though, as it'll be nigh on impossible to get a load of crammed-in muck out of the threaded holes. If you want them out temporarily, make sure you plug the holes with short bolts to protect the threads.
The sole unit features a very pronounced, hard rubber tread for grip in all conditions, with tread pattern focused into nine sections around the perimeter. The cleat slots sit in the tread-free centre, neatly beneath the ball of the foot, and the cleat position can be adjusted by up to 20mm fore-and-aft, and 5mm side-to-side. The backing plates for the cleats sit under the padded footbed and are supplied in the box. The cleats themselves aren't supplied (these are brand-specific and come with your pedals or are available separately) but once they're bolted on with a 4mm Allen key, the hole left in the sole unit is sealed by a waterproof paper sticker that goes underneath the footbed. This never seems a very satisfactory or permanent solution, especially on high-end shoes, but it is the norm. What you don't get from this is a properly sealed sole unit though, so expect water to find its way in here once the paper sticker loses its oomph. I'd rather see the setup used on Shimano's winter boots like the MW80, where the backing plates for the cleats are built into the soles in the factory and permanently sealed from water ingress.
Out the box, the sole is very stiff and barely flexes at all, even with your full weight applied. This eases over time as the shoes break in, but when walking, you're still 
likely to get a bit of heel lift when the foot rocks from heel to toe. For pedaling though, it gives a wonderfully solid platform. Stiff soles give more power because none of the energy is lost on flexing the shoe, and you can really feel the difference if you're used to a softer leisure or touring shoe. The closure system of the uppers contribute to this extra power too, as in addition to two Velcro straps, there's a ratchet buckle, and this allows you to crank the uppers really tight for a very solid fit that allows none of your effort to be squandered.
The ratchet works like a big zip tie. There's a ridged plastic band that slots into a receiving sleeve, and after you've taken up the slack by pushing it in, you pull up on the lower lever to engage the ratchet and tighten it up, one ridge at a time. It's really effective and quick to use, and can be done easily when you're on the b
ike with your foot at the 12 o'clock position. To release the tension and give your feet a break, one push on the upper lever releases the ratchet in an instant. When you consider that your feet can swell in volume by up to 2 sizes when you're warmed up, it's great to have this kind of flexibility that allows you to adjust the fit on the fly.
The uppers themselves are made from a waterproof synthetic leather. Water will get in through the top of the shoe and the closure, but the material itself will keep the water and muck from penetrating the face fabric. Many race shoes have large areas of ventilating mesh on the uppers to keep your feet cool, but it's great to see a pair without this, as it extends their usefulness into general cycling duties like leisure riding and commuting.
For me, the fit was perfect, and the toe box is large enough to give you some wiggle room and prevent numbness problems. I've suffered this with some shoes, but despite the very stiff sole, my average-to-wide feet were comfortable throughout my hour-long test rides, with no trace of pins & needles or loss of feeling. I've always found Shimano shoe sizing to be spot-on for my feet, but many suggest it's a little on the snug side, and for this reason it's worth checking size carefully. The fit is everything with shoes, so try on the sizes around your normal fit to be sure.
£130 is an awful lot to spend on a pair of cycling shoes, but shop around and you'll find these around the £100 mark. Are they worth it? For the on-the-bike comfort, the on-the-fly adjustability and the performance increase you get from the stiff sole and the lock-down closure, the answer is a resounding 'yes'. They're not winter shoes, but they will see you through a good three seasons and edge into four if you invest in some shoe covers and Sealskin socks for rainy days and chilly outings. You don't have to be a racer to wear race shoes, but if you want to enjoy the lift you get from performance-oriented footwear without suffering in the comfort stakes, these are a really sound buy.
Buy from www.wiggle.co.uk
Shimano says:
The idea of the M Series is to provide serious MTB enthusiasts with the efficiency, fit, stability and durability necessary for their individual style of high-level off-road performance.
- Expert level off-road SPD shoe, suitable for racing or performance mountain biking all year round
- Aggressive injection-moulded mud-shedding tread pattern provides excellent traction when off the bike
- Silver carbon fibre reinforced plate in the outsole transfers your energy straight to the pedals
- Reinforced uppers feature polyurethane-coated synthetic leather for comfort, durability and protection from the elements making this shoe ideal for use in the Spring and Autumn
- Easy to use secure fitting micro-adjusting buckle strap is backed up by two offset and cuttable Velcro-style hook-and-loop closure straps that prevent pressure points
- Optional replaceable composite spikes
- Reflective detailing on the heel help keep you more visible in low light conditions
- Weight: 737 g for a pair of size 40
Find out more www.shimano.com
