Specialized "retro" kangaroo leather shoes

[fiamme red]

Cheaper and lighter than Rapha's, and with a Boa closure.

Seems that they're imitating Rapha's marketing pitch: "The 74 shoe harkens back to the halcyon days of cycling when style and individuality mattered most." :rolleyes:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=64211

http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Specialized/8881?$Display$

[Jaq]

A few more months, and my lace-up Detto woods are gonna be all the rage. Scha-wing!

[Fixed]

Great looking shoe =400 dollars
Retro = good looks ?
Cheers :)

[brownhound]

A few more months, and my lace-up Detto woods are gonna be all the rage. Scha-wing!

As will saying "Scha-wing".

[1happygirl]

Sorry didn't grow in that era so the looks esp. coupled with the price, Yuck.

[54ny77]

More like, "This harkens back to the days when cycling shoe makers followed the, 'This is what is available and you will like it.' marketing approach."

;)

I had a pair of Marresi shoes in the day, which were the bee's knees (and cost me a lot of summer job earnings), but I think there's no comparison to today's even basic inexpensive modern shoe in terms of comfort and support.

C "The 74 shoe harkens back to the halcyon days of cycling when style and individuality mattered most." :rolleyes:

[CNY rider]

I think these look nicer than the Rapha, but for $400 and up I won't be trying either one.

[oldguy00]

fugly

almost as fugly as the new assos sunglasses

[fiamme red]

Dromarti's shoes look much nicer and more traditional to me than the Rapha or Specialized. They're a lot cheaper too.

[54ny77]

agreed. they look like beautifully made shoes. and frames too?

http://www.dromarti.com/images/dromarti/medium/roadframe_MED.jpg

Dromarti's shoes look much nicer and more traditional to me than the Rapha or Specialized. They're a lot cheaper too.

[fiamme red]

agreed. they look like beautifully made shoes. and frames too?I love this: "Delivery is 12 'Italian' weeks..." :)

[bobswire]

These:

http://i48.tinypic.com/2rylwed.jpg

OR These:

http://i49.tinypic.com/npkkeg.jpg

[eippo1]

The Dromarti's look way nicer and are much cheaper as well.

[binouye]

I have a pair of the Dromarti shoes (I asked around on the "bike fit" section first, so there is a thread there) and they are great (several hundred miles on them now). Since Marresi was mentioned a couple posts earlier, I thought I'd point out that Dromarti does not make their own shoes. The shoes are made by Marresi, and in fact the leather has Marresi embossed lightly on it; they do not say Dromarti on them anywhere. Much cheaper than those Specialized shoes (I got the Dromarti shoes on sale), and better looking IMHO.

The Dromarti's look way nicer and are much cheaper as well.

[Fishbike]

What is the functionality of these retro shoes? They look nice and are probably comfortable when you put them on, but how do they perform?

[Louis]

"The 74 shoe harkens back to the halcyon days of cycling when style and individuality mattered most."

Wow - what a fool I've been all these years. When it comes to cycling shoes I always thought that fit and comfort mattered most.

Having said that, I do like the way they look. But I would never buy a shoe that might have been made from Kanga or Roo.

[FlashUNC]

What is the functionality of these retro shoes? They look nice and are probably comfortable when you put them on, but how do they perform?

RedKitePrayer gave them a pretty negative review. Said the current S-Works model was a better shoe overall. Review seemed to indicate they changed the heel cup a bit in the '74 to account for being natural kangaroo leather, and that changed the fit for the worse over the standard S-Works shoe.

[bigflax925]

I don't care for the Boa closure on them - I'd prefer regular laces. I think I have a pair of originals in the closet somewhere.

Agreed, the Dromarti's look much better.

[sandyrs]

What is the functionality of these retro shoes? They look nice and are probably comfortable when you put them on, but how do they perform?

i'd imagine about as well as any other modern road shoe, considering they all seem to have carbon soles on par with "modern" looking road shoes. i think the main appeal is just aesthetics (really nice ones, I think), no?

[bobswire]

What is the functionality of these retro shoes? They look nice and are probably comfortable when you put them on, but how do they perform?

They'll perform up to the level of the guy wearing them as most bike related products. ;)

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Those are gorgeous.
These:

http://i48.tinypic.com/2rylwed.jpg

OR These:

http://i49.tinypic.com/npkkeg.jpg

[rustychisel]

But I would never buy a shoe that might have been made from Kanga or Roo.

sorta along side the topic rather than off-topic, but are you up for a debate about why you hold this view?

[54ny77]

http://tomheroes.com/images/COMICADschwinn%20bike%20with%20captain%20kangaroo. jpg

[Marburg]

What is the functionality of these retro shoes? They look nice and are probably comfortable when you put them on, but how do they perform?

They look flexy to me.

What? OK, it's a MTB joke... is this thing on?