FLR F-11 Pro Road Race Shoe

The FLR F-II Pro Road Race shoes use a lot of technology trickled down from the top of FLR's range and offer a comfortable fit and decent ventilation when the weather gets warm. If you have any performance aspirations, though, you might find the soles a little too flexible.

• Pros: Comfortable upper and sole shape, impressive breathability
• Cons: Nylon sole has quite a bit of flex

I recently tested FLR's top end F-XX Strawweight shoes and I liked them lot as a good, all-round race shoe, and the F-IIs are similar, especially when it comes to the fit.

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The microfibre upper is a single piece design and it feels soft against your foot when the closure system is tightened. The F-IIs use a cable system made by Atop for the upper two thirds of the tongue, with a dial pulling the cable through three metal loops. The beauty of this type of system is that it spreads the tension all across the top of your foot without any pressure points.

It has tiny increments, too, so you can tweak how tight the shoes are on the fly.

The pliable upper and tongue mean that when tightened it doesn't bunch up or crease, so no pressure points there either.

A Velcro strap is used at the bottom but it doesn't really do a whole it in terms of retention.

Ventilation is good thanks to plenty of air holes covering the upper and tongue, plus there are larger mesh vents above the toes. There's one underneath the toes on the sole too.

Over Easter, temperatures were touching 25°C here and I was wearing the F-IIs while out for a three-hour ride and they were surprisingly cool, especially when I was descending or cruising along on the flat. Those vents above the toes are the most effective as you can feel the breeze blowing in.

FLR calls the sole used here the R250 and it's constructed from nylon, although there is no mention of it being carbon-reinforced, which is probably why there is so much flex in it. Pedalling hard uphill or when sprinting, I could feel the sole bend a bit and create pressure around the cleat area.

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I'd say these shoes are more suited to audax or those rides where you aren't trying or needing to deliver maximum power. If I just went out for an easy recovery day I didn't notice any issues with them at all.

The soles are compatible with all three-bolt systems like SPD-SL, Look and so on, and they have large rubber bumpers front and rear to aid walking.

Build quality is pretty exceptional with all of the stitching looking impeccable. Where the uppers have been attached to the outsole you won't see any excess glue either. The reflective detailing on the rear is a nice touch too.

Since testing the Scott Comp Lace shoes back in January last year they have become my go-to shoes for when I'm going out for a steady ride, especially in the winter as the laces make the fitting of overshoes easy. They cost £85.99, so just a little less than these F-IIs at £89.99.

The shoes are pretty similar, both having comfortable uppers and nylon soles, although the Scotts are stiffer, but on the flip side the FLRs are a much better overall quality and they have that cable lacing system.

For an extra tenner over the FLRs, you could go for the Bont Riot Buckle, which use a fibreglass tub for the sole which is very stiff, plus they are heat-mouldable. That said, I often struggle with Bont shoes when it comes to shape.

Overall, the FLRs are a lovely pair of shoes, with their only real 'weakness' for me being the flex in that sole. If you're not a racer, though, and are more of a spinner than a masher, you might get on with them very well.

Verdict

Beautifully made and extremely comfortable but the soles won't be stiff enough for powerful riders