Having ridden in a pair of Shimano R320s for many years I decided it was time for a new pair of road shoes. A positive experience with a pair of Giro Techlace mountain bike shoes informed my choice here. I went with a size 44 the same as my other Giro shoes and they are perfect. I have been told by ski boot fitters that I've got a very average foot, in size width and arch and typically wear a U.S. men's 10 in athletic shoes. The Empire SLX II's lace system is excellent for dialing in a comfortable fit and the middle sized arch supports (orange) that come pre installed are perfect for me. The shoe is very well ventilated and great for Southern California. I've got several hundred miles on them and haven't had any issues. My only critique is that I would like to see black laces on the white shoe, just for stain resistance.
I have an older pair of Shimano S-Phyre shoes with 18,000 plus miles on them. I think they are the first-gen S-Phyre shoes, so my following comparison is with these. They are super comfortable, but my left one is ugly due to serious scuffs from a bike crash I had a couple years ago. I chose the RC703 for a replacement since it adopted much of the design from the S-Phyre model. After 600 miles of use, I can say the 703's foot comfort is almost the same as my old S-Phyre. I personally can't tell any difference in the stiffness between the two models. The 703 toe-box is similar, but the S-Phyre's might be a little better form-fitting on my feet.
Shimano seems to have saved costs on the interior of the shoe and its footbed. The 703 doesn't tout the Silvadure treatment, but I used a nanosilver spray on the inside of the shoes and footbed for an antibacterial and odor guard. So far, the bright white outer surface seems to clean up nicely with a mixture of Simple Green cleaner in a spray bottle. Hopefully, the heel pads will wear longer than those of my S-Phyres. Although they have two BOA closures, they are not the LI2 BOAs that can both tighten and loosen without pulling up on the dial. That's a small sacrifice to put up with in order to save a lot of money. I do recommend these shoes for anyone wanting the feel of an S-Phyre for much less cost, especially when on sale.
The most comfortable SPD cycling shoe for wide feet ever. My feet don't get too hot when riding in 90-degree heat or too cold when the temperature is 40 degrees. The newer version of the shoe fits like a glove. This is my second pair. That's not to say that my first pair is worn out after nearly 20,000 miles of riding tarmac and gravel. I just wanted a backup shoe with the exact fit when the time comes to retire my first pair of RX80. Highly recommend.
I love Fizik shoes. I have 3 pair of Vento Stabilita, 2 pair of Vento Ferox Carbon, 1 pair Vento Powerstrap Aeroweave, 2 pair of Terra Powerstrap X4, 1 pair of Terra X5, 1 pair of Terra X3 and the new Aeroweave X. ALL of those shoes above are 43 and all fit identically. The Vento Proxy in 43 that I own has a TON of volume in the forefoot and the single Boa simply cannot close that up. Length and width are spot on to all my others. But the volume is simply too much. These were clearly built on a high volume last. Sizing down won't work IMO. I had to add a thick insole to make the shoes fit like all the others. Not ideal, but works ok. These shoes are the only pair of Fiziks I own that doesn't have the little rubber gripper dots in the heel which keeps the heel firmly planted in the shoe. I know that all sounds bad. But, they are built very well, have incredible ventilation, are reasonably light and if volume is what you need then they might very well be the ticket. Just be aware that if you have any of the other pair of Fiziks like I listed above, these will NOT fit the same.
