Battered, beaten, and taken for granted, the sole of the MTB shoe is a workhorse that is crucial to the connection between you and your bike. And when it comes to mud wrestling, high-speed descending, powering up rocky climbs, and high-altitude walkabouts, the sole of your shoe can make all the difference for better control and more comfort both on and off the bike. That’s why we developed the next generation of MTB soles. Meet ULTREAD, the all-new mountain bike shoe technology that delivers a mix of sturdy rubber compound and smart tread designs that offer a true upgrade whether you’re using flat pedals or SPD on your mountain bike.

The flat pedal GR ULTREAD sole offers a completely fresh tread design. The hexagon structure follows the pattern of flat pedal pins, so the pins grip around every side of the hexagons, creating a super stable connection without losing that floaty feel. The grooves where the pins grip are tapered, so mud and stones will not fill up the grooves. It’s details like these that you’ll appreciate when riding and when walking. The pattern is also designed to help push out and drain water and mud to the edge of the sole.

Besides the tread pattern, we also looked at the front of the sole when designing ULTREAD. Extra traction up front is especially important when walking uphill as this is where you need grip to push yourself forward. The stepped toe block does just that. The design is contoured to help you stay firmly planted when scaling rocks or roots, even on the steepest and slippery slopes.

The XC version of the new ULTREAD sole comes in several different shoe models. The XC502 and XC702 offer grip beyond anything you’re used to at an affordable price point. The shoes that sport ULTREAD technology are aimed at comfort with a slightly springier and more flexible constructions while still being sturdy and stable. These shoes are ideal for your local cyclocross race, a gravel expedition, or intermediate mountain biking.

For off-the-bike stability, the ULTREAD tread pattern is made out of chunky, high-traction blocks that follow the natural way you put your foot down. And talking about down, the heel block offers extra stability and grip when you have to walk your way down the trail. While we’d of course prefer to ride that section, sometimes a trail just tests us, and it’s times like these that it’s good to have confidence in your grip.

The new S-PHYRE XC902 is the race-focused XC shoe option with ULTREAD sole technology. It’s lighter, stiffer, and sturdier than anything out there. With the new sole design and rubber compound, the XC902 shaves an additional 35g off the overall weight from the previous XC901. But lighter doesn’t mean any less strong. The new XC902 delivers a 20% higher tear strength than the previous models.

Above all, the XC902 is built to go fast. It uses less material to reduce weight; the arch is narrower, the heel cup higher, and the toe and arch blocks are designed more aggressively. This makes the new S-PHYRE XC902 feel right at home at World Cup cyclocross competitions, epic mountain biking races, and the fastest, most aggressive gravel challenges out there.

Check out Shimano's new mountain bike shoes and the all-new ULTREAD soles technology at your local SHIMANO dealer.