Fizik
Solid shoe. The cleat position can be set so much further back than my Shimano RX8 or Fizik X2 shoes, so way more adjustable. I wanted more walkability than my RX8 and firmer sole than my X2 and these areexactly what i was looking for. BOA is lower level and rhere is more movement in the heel than I would prefer, but hard to beat for the money. Shoe dries reasonably well but not as good as the X2. Comfy walker. Longestride is 200 miles. Typical ride is about 50... Would buy again. Hope this helps.
Stiff sole and light, snug upper makes them great for riding hard. As such, there are not great if you need to hike a bike or walk outside of the saddle. I noticed the outsole rubber is soft and wears down easily. I'm lucky to have a second pair of shoes for days when I do more walking/hiking, so as long one can use these for what they are designed for, they're great! Wore them for a 11-hour ride yesterday and had no issues besides generic fatigue.
I rode with thin Italian saddles for many years and for the last 5 or 6 on an Arione VS which I think has been discontinued. In my quest for replacement I have suffered painfully as I got caught up in the cut-out and width rabbit holes. Coming full circle I decided to try the Arione R3 because it comes in a wider version. Well the padding is much too hard so I am considering the purchase of the original Arione Classic which hopefully has padding equal to the VS. I have come to the conclusion that sit bone width is overrated because with the forward lean on a road bike I don't actually sit solely on my sit bones. The quest continues. I rode approximately 4,500 miles in 2021, am 60 years old and average around 17 mph in a mountainish area.
I had the R1 on my road bike and bought the R3 for my gravel bike. Used it on my ride across NY,390 miles. It was comfortable the entire ride. This was a "B" grade purchase, not sure if that is the right terminology. The discount was super. It appeared to be new. No scratches or any indication it had be used. The price was great.
