check out specialized shoes

[Climb01742]

yesterday afternoon i played hooky. left work early and went to my LBS. since i'm switching back to speedplays, i had to get some new shoes. (guess which shoes speedplays aren't compatible with? yes, the very expensive carbon shimano's i bought this past summer. :crap: ) i had kept an old pair of sidi's with speedplay cleats from years ago, but they were shot. i use custom footbeds that require a wide sole to give the footbed something to "push" against, or be supported by. so carbon sidi's were out, sadly. tried on lots o' shoes, all the usual suspects. then someone suggested the new specialized pro carbon roads. i'm sure this isn't fair, but before i tried them on, i thought that specialized shoes weren't as "serious", or technical as like sidi's, shimano's, carnac's, whatever. but according to my LBS, specialized hired a shoe guru from nike and put lots of reserach into their new shoes. it shows. the pro carbon road shoe is great. nice, wide, stiff carbon sole. a "high volume" upper. really comfortable straps. usually, with shoes in the past, out of the box there has been one spot somewhere that rubbed a bit or was a little tight, which (hopefully) stretched out over time. but with these specialized shoes, not one spot felt less than sweet. i never would have thought of them. and they were $180. not cheap, but a lot less than some shoes. like those shimano's that will now take up a very expensive hobby: collecting dust.

on finding nice new shoes: :banana:

on having an almost brand-new pair collect dust: :crap:

[zap]

Purchasing shoes of any kind in the past has always been an exercise in shopping anger managment. Now I go to one store to purchase dress or casual shoes and purchase Sidi road shoes from whomever gives me the best price.

Recently I browsed through a lbs and decided to try on a pair of Specialized Pro mtb shoes as I needed to replace my broken 10 year old Sidi mtb shoes. Boy was I surprised how well they fit and the support was pretty good for stock shoes. I thought quality was comparable to Sidi but costs 25% less. I'll be on my way to that lbs shortly to purchase a pair.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . any of their road shoes, but I have three pairs of the mtb shoes--Sport, Comp, and Team--and I really like them. The fit is consistent, the quality is good, and you can pick up the Sports (cheapest trim level) for very low prices consistently on eBay. Trash 'em totally in the mud? No problem! . . .

BBDave

[Climb01742]

i ride in a specialized helmut. their helmuts are good i think.

[bags27]

I ordered Specialized's top-of-the-line shoe from their main distribution center, and they couldn't possibly have been nicer: I wasn't exactly sure of the size, so they sent two different sizes, told me to ride them for 30 days (!) and then just to return one. In the end, I returned both, because my feet are totally flat, and this had a pronounced arch, which would have blistered my feet. Too bad. I absolutely loved the shoes. Incredibly comfortable and well made. If I didn't have flat feet, I'd buy them in a heartbeat. I find that most of the stuff they contract out for is top notch.

[my2cents]

i know that speedplays don't work well with some shoes right out-of-the-box but speedplay sells a longer axle for 'wide' shoes -- shimanos may work with this lonegr axle (assuming they still make this option available -- the last time I checked on this was about 18 months ago).

[NateM]

Since you use a custom footbed in your shoes are you aware of the built in Varus in the Specialized shoe? This is not built into the removable insole but the shoe itself. http://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=5337&JServSessionIdroot=d0uu1db9dg.j27006
I had footbeds made for my feet last year and was told that I could not put them in the Specialized shoe.If I had wanted, the footbeds could be made specifically for them but then could only be used with them. The Specialized shoes are very nice but be aware of this feature if you use orthotics. Nate

[Climb01742]

nate, thanks a lot for the heads-up. i'll definitely check it out. the collective brains of this phorum is remarkable. merci.

[Brian]

I have a pair of the Specialized Pro Road Shoes. They are incredibly comfortable, light, well ventilated and easy to adjust. I actually started with a pair of Sidis, but didn't like them. My LBS exchanged them for the Specialized. The Pro is extremely stiff. I can't imagine the Carbon Pro being any stiffer, but it may be lighter.

Now, I'm not sure if the Carbon Pro has a different footbed than the Pro, but the Pro footbed comes right out. My custom orthotics fit in them just fine.

[Oaklandhills]

Climb - are you looking to rid yourself of the useless carbon Shimanos? size 43 per chance. Glad to hear you found some nice replacements.

[flydhest]

or, perhaps, size 45?

[zap]

bags27

I have flat feet and have been moving towards ever better corrective orthotics. I think most people don't fully understand orthotics for not only support but to correct problems such as flat feet.

In my case, my custom "corrective" orthotic was very uncomfortable at first. A lot of pressure on my arch as the orthotics desprately tried to raise them. I got used to them and now I notice shoes that don't have sufficient arch support. That is why I recommend people take "corrective" action during the winter months. It takes time to get used to them.

[Climb01742]

about my shimanos--i think i'm gonna hang on to them until i'm sure i've got the shoe/pedal thing figured out. i have a bunch of old cycling parts and odds and ends that i thought i'd never need again...until i needed them again. but if i do decide to peddle them (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) i'll let you guys know.

ps: they don't smell or anything. :banana:

[bags27]

Thanks, Zap, for your concern and caring. I, too, have custom orthotics. Just the Specialized didn't work with them: threw my arches way off. There's a wonderful fitter around me whom I will be seeing soon.

[Bosun]

They are the best shoe for the money. No other shoe fits the way they do out of the box. My only complaint is that they seem a bit cheaper than my buddies Carnacs, which seem to be carved out of ebony. --of course they weigh much more also...

[Climb01742]

i did some digging about the varus wedge in the shoes. from what i was told, the cant is only 1mm. perhaps more a marketing thing than a real thing. i was told that most feet, and most footbeds, can easily accomodate it. which makes me happy. no shoes have fit me quite as well as these. :banana:

[Dbelk]

Yes, I purchased a pair of Specialized Pro road shoes 1 year ago. They've performed flawlessly and are very comfortable! These shoes also have a very understated and barely noticeable rubber heel that keeps one from busting one's ass on rest stop-convenience store floors. I also carry a Spec "dirt bag" saddle bag hooked to my Spec Pro Body Geometry saddle. Go Spec!