Tried the s-phyre 9 over the last few days, wasn’t a good fit and they didn’t have a size larger.
Tried the Ballista from Bontrager, good fit, good price, half of everything else I’ve been looking at but worried about the single dial in the back of the shoe.
Tried the s-works 7. Couple spots around the ankle that worried me in regards to comfort. Torch 3.0 was more comfortable.
Thinking about trying Lake 242, Giro Prolight techlace and Fizik R1 Infinito.
I like the looks of the Fizik infinitos, but I have some fiziks for Cx and they are the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve worn. Felt great when I got them, but hell.
Anyway - speaking of shoes. I have some Giro empires for road and over the weekend I used my shoe covers and I did sweat a lil bit, took the covers off and there was some residue left over probably from the sweat from the covers: couple of black streaks and such. Problem is, not coming off. Maybe a magic eraser will do the trick?
Has anyone tried the new Rapha Pro Team Shoes? I’m thinking of pulling the trigger on them.
Any experience?
Anything by Giro actually seems to fit as it is supposed to unlike some weird sizing from some brands…I have a pair of carbon soled Trans which I like and a pair of composite soled cheaper ones which I also like and I can’t remember what they were called …I always race in the carbon version because they are bound to be faster even though I can’t tell the difference 
Also I got them half price - so £80, the other pair cost £70…I refuse to spend any more than that on something that make you walk round like a duck 
I have no direct experience, but this might be helpful for you:
I splurged on a pair of Garneau Course Air Lites, the same ones that Education First’s Mike Woods wears except in flouroescent green. I got them at half-price still $225 Cdn, at the Garneau factory store in Quebec City. A half size smaller may be a better fit but they are a pretty snug shoe.
I’ve experimented over 10 years with multiple purchases from different brands/models but have settled on Bont asian fit shoes which cause me no hot spots whatsoever. I thought the asian fit was a joke at first but it works well for me (supposedly a wider forefoot, narrower heel; coming from someone who is Asian!). I would say - continue to experiment until you find a brand/model that works well for you and then stick with it 
Fit is your number one concern when choosing cycling shoes. The best thing you can do is try a bunch of different brands. Usually you get a good idea just slipping the shoe on and tightening it up.
Do not listen to what others say works for them, your feet are unique and what works for you buddy may be a terrible fit for you.
Also do not worry about what the “cool brands” are, or how the shoe looks. If a cool looking shoe fits you great then go for it, but do not prioritize style over comfort.
I recommend trying at least 5 different brands on (more is better). Make fit the main concern, durability is probably number 2 depending on your budget and how often you want to get new shoes.
Bit the bullet and bought some S-Works 7 in White. Wooooooeeeee these shoes are 
!
I’ve got white S-Works 6 road shoes, and they are really hard to put on, but once they are on, the fit is amazing. My only issue is that they scuff super easy, so you might watch out for that, unless they have changed the material.
Update on my s-works 6 experience:
I have broken the toe spike studs out of the sole on two pair of the s works 6 XC shoes racing cyclocross; I grabbed a pair of Shimano S-Phyre 9 XC for cx racing. I find them easier to clip into pedals in, as well as warmer than the s-works. The s-Phyre also feels a bit less stiff, better for running. I think they (S-Phyre) are a better shoe for cyclocross than the S-works, but still have the Sworks for xc mtb riding and racing.
The S-works fit me better than the Shimano, by far. Much more snug fit with better heel retention.
Overall, I still love the s-works 6 for road and xc, but have switched to the Shimano S-Phyre 9XC for cyclocross.
Do you remove the wire from the clip? If not, try that. That’s what I do in my S-Works 6 shoes and they’re fine to put on.
Agree with those citing fit as #1. I have a very narrow heel but need a decently wide toe box. I swim in Shimano shoes- just too big all over, but I’ve found Italian brands to be narrow enough for my foot: Sidi and Giro work for me. I have had Sidi T2s for 15 years, and just last season bought the Giro Factor Techlace after trying a couple of other brands (Bontrager and Shimano) of road shoes. I like the variability of fit on the Factors, and they’re not the most expensive shoes out there (I got mine for $250). I personally like the look and I don’t have any fit related issues with them.
But again, if you go with SWorks shoes or whatever because they’re hawt, and they don’t fit right, you’re doing it wrong.
I should have stated that I’ve got the Sub 6 ones, so the lace up version. That’s why they are much harder to get on.
Haha let’s not misinform people to think that you can’t find shoes that fit well and also look good. Sometimes it takes work. S-Works have always fit me well and the bonus for me is they look “hawt”
Of course they can! I’ve never sprung for Sworks shoes. People just fall victim to what’s cool and want it to work because it’s cool. When you’re dropping several hundred bucks on a shoe, fit matters more. That’s all!
I splurged on Sidi Wires with 4 bolts for speedplay cleats… love them!
Another vote for Lake with wide feet. Their wide shoes have wide soles, not “high volume” on the same narrow sole. They even have the dimensions of their soles (lasts) on their website. This was comforting when ordering shoes online. They are one of the very few manufacturers to have true wide shoes. I have some MX218 as my only pair of cycling shoes that are over a year old, with a lot of mud, water, and rocky hike a bike. The rubber tread next to the cleat came loose and I shoe-gooed it back on. Both BOA adjusters failed about a week apart, but BOA replaces them for free, no questions asked.
I have flat & wider than normal but not wide feet. So far I’ve found that I cannot wear Giro or Specialized.
Last year, I found Lake MX237 Endurance & they’ve been great. Pretty much blew through that pair last year & just managed to pick up 2 more pair at close to half price. I remove the stock foot bed & replace w/a flat, thin foot bed on the bottom & a pair of SQLab 214 insoles for flat feet on top. I also use a set of Bikefit in shoe wedges to get my pedaling distributed evenly across my foot.
