Fizik Women's R4B Donna Road Shoe

Stylish and well-performing shoes with long ride comfort at a competitive price

The Fizik R4B Donna sits somewhere between mid and high performance among women's cycling shoes, and is, in fact, the mid-range women's shoe from the brand. And very good it is too.

The range of female specific road shoes has grown steadily in recent years, a nod towards the ever increasing popularity of the sport with both genders. The majority of women's shoes still sit within the entry level or mid-range bracket but more manufacturers are venturing into higher performance models too.

When you're spending this sort of money on a pair of cycling shoes, you're inclined to start being quite picky about build quality, weight, comfort, performance, AND looks. As with most of Fizik's shoes, the R4B Donna have nailed it on the looks side of the equation, provided you like white shoes.

The lines are sleek and the shiny turquoise patent effect tongue and turquoise heel lining, toe and heel grips contrast nicely with the stark matte white microfiber upper.

The shoe fastens with two Velcro straps and a Boa IP1-A closure, all of which, along with the toe and heel grips, are replaceable as accessories from Fizik. Both the upper and the tongue are heavily perforated for ventilation. The outsole is carbon fiber injected and designed to take three-point road style cleats.

The fit of the shoes is slightly generous for the stated size, but not overly so and those with a somewhat broader or higher volume foot may well want to consider them as an option. The straps and Boa system tighten and adjust easily and effectively, and the foot is kept good and secure, once adjusted.

Out on the bike, the shoes are light and stiff, giving good power transfer successfully coupled with long ride comfort. Responsive enough for racing, but comfortable enough for the longest of sportives, these shoes are even pretty reasonable to walk in.

The perforations mean that feet overheat less than in many shoes, but they do mean that those whose feet run cold might want to consider toe covers or oversocks, which seems a shame with such pretty shoes. That said, the matt white finish does very quickly get dirty in wear and is quite hard to clean effectively.

At £40 more expensive than the bottom of the range R5B Donna, they weigh 10g per shoe less, so it's worth working out how much that weight saving is worth to you as a buyer. At this price point, they come out a shade lighter than most equivalent women's shoes, enough to consider anyway.

Stylish and well-performing shoes with long ride comfort at a competitive price