The MW7 has a flex rating of five out of 12. I found this provided a very comfortable shoe when riding and walking, but without sacrificing power to the pedals – especially for a non-competitive, trail riding MTB shoe. They turned out to be boat-like on my feet, and the size 44s I have now are on the generous side. To confuse matters further, I am also reviewing a pair of Shimano XC7 shoes at the moment, they're also a size 44, and they fit just right. In other words, the MW701s size up big, unlike other shoes in Shimano's range. Value

Shimano’s recently updated MW7 (or SH-MW701) shoe is their flagship winter clipless mountain bike shoe. Having been in the SPD pedal game for 30 years this year, you’d think the brand knows a thing or two about the shoes that connect to them, and you’d be right. Shimano shoes are generally excellent, and the MW7 is no exception. In addition to the Gore-Tex liner, other features include a fleece-lined insole, synthetic leather upper, Boa retention system, Michelin rubber sole, neoprene cuff, and a “Torbal” midsole. All of these features combine to make a well thought out and highly functional shoe. The cover over the Boa dial is an improvement over the MW701. Protecting the system from dirt minimises any compromise in the performance of the dial.The dual-compound Michelin rubber provides good grip on the pedals and on the dirt. Plus, the tread pattern makes it easy to locate your cleats. Lawrence Crossman-Emms No matter what type of bike product your buying, from the simple accessories through to the full setup of your custom built road bike, there are lots of important considerations that you should take into account, especially when you’re shopping online and unable to test the product first. This is especially true when you’re buying products like Shoes – Cycle. With regards to their waterproofness, I have mixed reports for the MW7’s. For the initial part of testing they did keep my feet dry and I was raving about them! I rode in the rain, I rode through plenty of puddles and hiked in lots of mud all with dry feet.

Shimano has a long history of making decent winter boots. Originally these boots’ predecessors evolved from Shimano’s original downhill clip-in boot, launched last century, but the design has been refined over the last couple of decades and what we have here is a great, if reasonably ugly/workmanlike, boot designed for the cold and the dark, the wet and the snowy. Beneath the boot is a rugged tread that has been specially designed by rubber wizards, Michelin. The rugged winter tread is fitted to a weather-proof boot upper featuring high ankle protection and a lace guard to prevent water ingress.The midsole uses Shimano’s TORBAL ‘torsional balance’ system, allowing more lateral flex towards the heel, which Shimano claims helps improve control on technical downhills and aggressive trail riding, and keep it stiffer under the ball of the foot for power transfer. I expect these conditions are beyond what any shoes should reasonably be able to withstand (my other waterproof gear soaked through too), so I can’t mark them down, but don’t expect them to keep you dry in every circumstance. While the MW710 felt like a decent trail-riding shoe, the MW702 has returned to XC-styling, which I feel compromises overall performance. Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply.