The Bontrager RL WSD road shoes are a godsend to those of us with very wide feet or cranky cramping toes. No longer will you have to buy men’s cycling shoes to get the width you need in the toe box. Now you can have a woman’s narrow heel cup and the toe box room you need. To further customize your fit, Bontrager shoes come with an Esoles neutral footbed that’s upgradable to the ESoles EFit footbed which uses your body heat to adapt to your arch length and contour.
The RLs feature a mid-level carbon sole delivering plenty of stiffness but you’re not going to go slipping and sliding when you get off your bike thanks to a generous rubbery heel pad that gives you better purchase on floors as you walk. The RL is another shoe we tested that has a great size range from US 5.5 to 11.
One tester with nerve problems in her toes raved about the comfort of this shoe, thrilled to have found a shoe that didn’t bring on the familiar numbness after about mile 15. The only tester who had a less than enthusiastic reaction to the RLs had a very narrow foot (AA), so try before you buy, but we’re betting you’re going to love this shoe. It’s priced right and it’s packed with lots of value from its padded tongue to its molded heel cup. $180 www.bontrager.com
