Shimano CL-SL130 6 Degree Float Wide Range Road Cleat

The cleat is doing more of the engineering work in this update than it might look like at first glance.

There are four cleat options, and the choice isn't just about float:

• Red, Blue, Yellow: same float options as the previous SPD-SL generation, carried over so your float preference doesn't change.
• Grey: same float as Yellow, ±3°, but built for standard 3-bolt shoes — which covers essentially every road shoe on the market that isn't from the new Shimano range. This is the compatibility option.

The trade-off with the grey cleat is the part that's easy to miss: you keep compatibility, but you don't get the lower stack height benefit, and your fore-aft adjustment range is smaller. Here's why. In the new system, lateral adjustment is built into the cleat itself, while fore-aft adjustment comes from a larger adjustment range engineered into the sole of the new S-PHYRE and RC810 shoes. If you're running the grey cleat on an older Shimano shoe or a third-party shoe, your fore-aft adjustment is limited to whatever range exists in that shoe's sole, not the extended range the new system was built around.

In short: the full benefit of this update (lower stack height and the wider adjustment range) is only available if you're also running the new shoe platform. The grey cleat is there so existing shoes aren't made obsolete, not as a way to get the full performance gain on old footwear.

FEATURES

• Lower stack height: The new SPD-SLR cleat reduces stack height by 2.3mm compared with the previous SPD-SL cleat. Less material between your foot and the pedal axle means more direct power transfer, and a lower, more stable centre of mass over the pedal.
• Faster engagement: The catch zone at the front of the cleat is wider, and the engagement angle has narrowed from 15.5° (previous SPD-SL) to 10.5° on the new SPD-SLR. In practice, that means less rotation of your heel to clip in.
• Lighter: The new cleats are up to 25% lighter than the outgoing SPD-SL version.

FAQ

• Is the new SPD-SLR cleat compatible with my old Shimano shoes? Yes, via the grey cleat, which is built for standard 3-bolt shoes. You'll keep compatibility, but you won't get the new system's lower stack height, and your fore-aft adjustment range will be limited to what your current shoe's sole allows rather than the wider range built into the new shoe platform.
• Do I need new cleats to use the new pedals? Yes, the new SPD-SLR pedals are designed around the new cleat geometry, so you'll be fitting new cleats regardless of which colour (and therefore which compatibility level) you choose.
• Why is the cleat engagement angle change significant? The engagement angle dropped from 15.5° (previous SPD-SL) to 10.5° (new SPD-SLR), combined with a wider catch zone at the front of the cleat. Practically, that means less heel rotation needed to clip in, so engagement is faster and more consistent.

Want the full breakdown? Read the in-depth guide covering everything about the new SPD-SLR cleat system, including how it compares to the outgoing SPD-SL cleat, what each cleat colour means for float and compatibility, and why the grey cleat is the right choice for riders on older or third-party shoes.