The AM9 SPD mountain bike shoe is Shimano's new top all-mountain clipless SPD shoe for aggressive downhill, enduro and trail riding, replacing the well-liked AM45.
The look and first impression when you pull on the AM9 is that of a generously padded, supremely comfortable flat-pedal mountain biking shoe, with that skate shoe look and broad, flat sole for maximum pedal contact, feel and grip.
The boldest styling features are highly functional. Most obvious of these is the substantial Velcro-down lace flap which tidies up the traditional laces, protects the top of your foot and keeps water and trail debris out of the shoe. An extra Velcro strap at the top of the laces ensures that whatever tension you put into the shoe stays there.
The back of the shoe is dominated by a raised well-padded inner ankle, designed to protect those painful knock when scrambling to get your foot back on - adding to the excellent protection which has been added around an otherwise supple upper. This includes a tough rubber toe box and extra shielding on the outside of the forefoot.
On the bike the payoff for the supreme comfort is a bit of flex. Downhillers will welcome this extra pedal feel but trail and endure riders will find that the AM9 suits the extra support and larger pedalling platform of a caged clipless pedal.
In terms of pushing your bike up muddy slopes the AM9 manages fairly well, despite its fairly modest grip pattern, thanks to the teeth-like rows of traction tread at the toe and heel. We also found Shimano's Pedal Channel cut-away in the sole made finding the cleat intuitive.
The Shimano AM9 is a worthy update of its popular predecessor, coming in both lighter (800g for a size 40) and with an evolution of features that make it a wonderfully comfortable, medium stiff all-mountain shoe.
