Submitted by
fstdd
a Racer
from Washington, DC Date Reviewed: September 3, 2009
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Purchased At:
Hooked up
Strengths:
comfortable foodbed, generally good fit, acceptable weight, good traction, stiff sole
Weaknesses:
crap buckle, too much volume in shoe, bad drainage when wet
Similar Products Used:
sidi, shimano
Bike Setup:
IF SSCX
Bottom Line:
I actually use this footbed in my sidis and these, because the sidis are horrible and these are great. Unfortunately, this shoe has a ton of volume so the fit is so-so. Most of what has been said about the buckles is very true. Compared to the sidi, these buckles suck. My next MTB/CX shoe will be a Sidi, but I'll keep these footbeds around (or buy another set of them from Specialized).
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
ziconater
a Weekend Warrior
from S.F., CA USA Date Reviewed: June 19, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
Very well constructed, EXCEPT for the buckle, which I've solved. Stiff soles.
Weaknesses:
The buckle is a piece of junk!
Similar Products Used:
Sidi Genius 5
Bike Setup:
Blah, blah, ....
Bottom Line:
This is a terrific shoe which transfers all of your energy back to the pedals. But, after just three months of use, one of the buckles sheared right off when tightening down.
So...being a guy who likes to solve problems, I shaved down the plastic humps on the shoe itself (located on either side of the buckle). There is no reason to have these humps on the shoe, it is only intended to prevent people from going out and using SIDI replacement buckles, which are wider, and thus can not be used unless removing the plastic humps. btw- I used a Dremel to shave it down. Now it's perfect!
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Submitted by
sloppy second
a Racer
from pa Date Reviewed: April 14, 2009
Favorite Trail:
singlettack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Comfort Weight Stiff Responsive
Weaknesses:
Buckles
Similar Products Used:
Sidi
Bike Setup:
29er race bike
Bottom Line:
I have thrashed 2 pairs in less than 10 rides ripped the buckles from the shoe threads poor design If you are a powerful rider which can put down some wattage avoid at all cost.
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Submitted by
Jeremy
a Cross Country Rider
from Beardstown, Illinois, United States Date Reviewed: February 1, 2009
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$220.00
Strengths:
Great fit. I have a pair of Sidi Ergo 2 Carbons for my road bike and the Specialized shoes are far more comfortable at half the price. All day mountain bike rides are no problem for me in these shoes. The buckle has never loosened while riding. Here is a tip for using the buckle. The main flaw of the buckle is that when you release the strap and go to pull it free of the buckle you are actually pulling the strap up into the teeth of the ratchet mechanism inside the buckle. The fix for this is to push the strap down against the shoe while simultaneously pulling it out of the buckle. This way the teeth on the buckle and strap don’t snag each other.
Weaknesses:
The buckle could use a few refinements, but works fine overall for me.
The visible carbon inlays look nice when the shoe is new, but were trashed in a single ride. They also make staying on the pedals a bit more difficult when not clipped in because the pedals slide around on them. I would have rather had rubber in their place as it would have looked better in the long run (after one ride) and made the pedal shoe interface seem less clunky. Plus how much weight are we really talking about here for covering two small carbon panels? 5 grams maybe.
Similar Products Used:
Gaerne, Sidi
Bike Setup:
Crankbrothers Eggbeaters
Bottom Line:
Stellar fit - buckle needs some refinements - the visible carbon inlays on the bottom of the shoe should have been rubber
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Submitted by
mikemikemike
a Weekend Warrior
from Moscow, Idaho, USA Date Reviewed: October 19, 2008
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Carbon sole, well constructed
Weaknesses:
Buckles suck ass. Really tragic that they screwed up the buckle so badly.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi Tekno
Bike Setup:
Ibis Mojo Carbon
Bottom Line:
I bought these for the carbon sole, because I trust Specialized high end stuff, and because a pair of sidis with carbon soles costs over twice as much.
The carbon sole really makes a dramatic difference, as compared with my 8 year old sidis. The power transfer difference is readily noticeable, so performace wise the shoes are great. unfortunately, the buckles are awful. They are difficult to ratchet, especially when trying to snug down for a nice tight fit when you need it most. The teeth just don't seem to engage and need to be fiddled with. Since I usually find myself a couple climbs into a ride and needing to notch it down for a bit more power, this is inconvenient for me. The fit is fine for me, but not great - the carbon fiber seems a bit less flexible, but that's a price I'm willing to pay for the stiffness. That said, I've ridden a 50 miler in them and was fine. They just don't feel comfy like the sidis did.
Overall, a good product, great value for a carbon sole, but the buckles really blow the package.
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Submitted by
Stephen Seeber
a Cross Country Rider
from Bethesda, MD USA Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At:
Germantown Cycle
Strengths:
Comfortable
Weaknesses:
The buckles loosen during rides and are easily broken. The replacement buckles do not work much better. The shoe treads have steadily broken off. These are now nearly road shoes. The entire left buckle stitching pulled out.
Similar Products Used:
Many others
Bike Setup:
Maverick ML8
Bottom Line:
These shoes, while comfortable, have been nothing but trouble. I have been through two pairs, but no more. I must constantly tighten the ever slipping buckles. The tread loss has resulted in poor traction when walking. The final straw was when the buckle pulled off of the shoe. Very poor durability for such as expensive shoe.
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Submitted by
Pete
a Racer
from VA Date Reviewed: August 27, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$230.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Light, comfortable- mostly due to very nice footbed and wide front section.
Weaknesses:
Buckle, what it joke. Plastic piece of something that has bent in my hand the first time I was trying to ratchet it up. $230 shoes and specialized let's this go into production with this buckle. The whole buckle is very poor- dollar store quality...; loose and very long threads inside the shoe under the footbed, when you remove the footbeds and re-insert you have to make sure all of them are under otherwise very annoying. Harder to get in and out with eggbeaters than my Shimano sh-n221 carbons.
Similar Products Used:
Carbon Shimanos
Bike Setup:
Light race ready HT and FS
Bottom Line:
They fit well, but not worth $230. The price does not reflect the price. My old shimanos were much nice and more solid, only I could not get the right size so I tried these. If you buy only the high performance footbeds and insert them into most of the good shoes you will have similar fit and for 1/2 price and better quality.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Nunyabiz
a Weekend Warrior
from Raleigh NC Date Reviewed: August 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Joshua Tree National Monument
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
local Craigslist ad, never worn New in box
Strengths:
Very comfortable, seem to be very well made, work great, look good
Weaknesses:
None so far
Bike Setup:
Schwinn HomeGrown hard tail (Yeti Frame) Mavic 717 disc rims, Hope Pro II hubs, XTR Frt/R derailleur, Shimano M520 pedals, Holy Roller tires
Bottom Line:
I haven't had these shoes long enough to give a reliability rating/review but so far they are great, very comfortable. Unlike it seems most everyone else I personally am having no problems whatsoever with the buckles. Mine are working perfect, I just touch the little red button and it releases instantly and the ratchet works perfect when tightening them. Literally takes 2 secs to put these shoes on or take off. These shoes are very well designed and I'm glad I found them for $100 instead of the MSRP of now $235 not $200.
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Submitted by
joel
a Racer
from phoenixville pa Date Reviewed: July 17, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
keiswick cycles
Strengths:
fit and function are perfect. even with a very stiff sole you can still hike-a-bike if needed with no effort. longevitiy...these shoes last.
Weaknesses:
buckle, it is stuck while the shoe is on my foot,
Similar Products Used:
other specalized, nike and shimano
Bike Setup:
does it matter??? This is a shoe
Bottom Line:
if you can get them at a reasonable price go for it, you wont regret it. I have used mine for rides and races atleast 4 days a week every week for the past 2 years and they are just now needing replaced because the egg beaters have dug into the sole. Other than the buckle, these are nearely perfect! I give it a 4 over all for the buckle.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Lynda Racey
a Racer
from Plymouth MI Date Reviewed: May 17, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Ride Boutique, Brigton MI
Strengths:
Stiff, comfortable
Weaknesses:
Price?
Similar Products Used:
Sidi dominator, Nike Cairns
Bike Setup:
Titus Racerx
Bottom Line:
My old Nike Cairns finally wore out and I was looking to replace them with a stiff, light race shoe. I didnt start off wanting to spend $200, but after trying several brands/types, I decided to buy into the carbon/body geometry hype. It was worth it! What a great shoe, noticeable improvement in power transfer. As soon as I can save another $200, I'm going to get the carbon road shoes!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joel
a Racer
from Phoenixville, pa Date Reviewed: March 26, 2007
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$120.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Fit, very light and over all durability
Weaknesses:
BUCKLES
Similar Products Used:
nikes, other specialized
Bike Setup:
C-Dale F600 nothing stock
Bottom Line:
These are great shoes in every way except the stinking buckle. It simply will not loosen while on my foot, while this does not concern me during the ride it is agrivating. Overall great shoe with a very stiff sole thats possible to hike-a-bike with. they fit great and have lasted fore more than 2 race seasons. Get these shoes, just know the buckles will become very hard to release.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dougo
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan Date Reviewed: December 30, 2006
Favorite Trail:
All MMBA trails
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
Denny's Central Park Bicycles
Strengths:
Light and very comfortable
Weaknesses:
Minimal, as others noted, ratchet mechanism a tad difficult to disengage at times, although I don't personally see why this would affect you during a ride unless you're doing a triathalon or something.
Similar Products Used:
n/a
Bike Setup:
Specialized Rockhopper, stock, Shimano PD520s, bar ends, comp
Bottom Line:
Mildly surprised by how comfy these were for bike shoes, though that will obviously vary quite a bit by individual. Light enough to use for both road and MTB. Fun to brag about cool carbon soles.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dylan Jones
a Racer
from Boise Idaho USA Date Reviewed: October 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Hard Guy
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
George's cycles and fitness
Strengths:
Very light, very stiff, very fast, toe spikes are awesome for cyclocross and run ups
Weaknesses:
the left buckle froze up in the middle of a duathalon (worst time possible!) and it took me a while to rip my foot out of the shoe.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized BG sport
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Big sur, xt goup, carbon bars, mavic 717 wheels, avid bb7 brakes
Bottom Line:
this shoe actually made me faster!!! Ther was a noticable difference in performance. A great xc race of cyclocross shoe. buckles are somwhat problematic but if you are not in a hurry to get your foot out they are not that big of a problem.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Joel
a Racer
from Phoenixville, pa Date Reviewed: October 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
too many!
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$145.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
The convenience of a buckle, ligth weight, stiff and great fit.
Weaknesses:
The buckle is a bit on the weak side, I broke it after 8 races, the stitching on the toe started comming loose after 2 months (did not affect performance then or now,
Similar Products Used:
Several nike and other Specialized shoes
Bike Setup:
F600 with too many changes to list.
Bottom Line:
OK, so even though I did list a few problems with this shoe, none of them actually hurt the performance of the shoe. the stitching seens to be only cosmetic, the buckels are replaceable. Also I do race on a religous basis so I am going to break things and the face that these shoes held up for a full year says alot to me! They are a shoe you can actually hike a bike in. Also they are relatively light. over all I'd have to say that they are a very good shoe capeable of weekend rides or racing every week. Definately worth the money! 4 chilis for both because of the buckle and stitches.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
RP24Hours
a Cross Country Rider
from Irvine CA Date Reviewed: September 4, 2006
Favorite Trail:
San Juan Trail
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
Rock N Road
Strengths:
Great fit, stiff sole, softer lugs than Sidi give better walking traction on rock
Weaknesses:
Plastic ratchet handle, less adjustability than Sidi, loose stitching, BG wedge puts feet slightly higher on pedals (needed to adjust my seatpost up to compensate), buckles do not release smoothly.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi, Diadora, Shimano
Bike Setup:
Ellsworth Truth, X-0/XTR, Time ATAC pedals
Bottom Line:
After 3 years of hard riding, I needed to replace my Dominators. I had heard good things about Specialized shoes and decided to give them a try. Overall, they fit well and feel great on the bike. My only concern is with the lack of overall quality when compared to Sidi. The stitching on the toe cap is loose already, and the plastic ratchet handle feels like it will snap off in your hand when snugging up the arch straps. The replacement buckles are 2x the cost of the ones on my Shimano 180s. Time will tell if the buickles become a problem.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
garret
a Cross Country Rider
from tres rivers, ma, usa Date Reviewed: April 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
sterage rock
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$180.00
Strengths:
stiff, comfortable, fit my size 14 boats.
Weaknesses:
none so far, will check back
Bike Setup:
stumpy expert
Bottom Line:
if you're in the market to pay this much for a shoe, don't look anywhere else, i have all kinds of foot problems, flat feet, huge feet, and this shoe gets me lined up right. i hear some say they're hard to climb in, what shoe isn't? that being said i'm a hoss (240lbs) needless to say i don't make a lot of hills, and i climb just fine in them.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
GregG
a Racer
from Houston Date Reviewed: April 1, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Smithville
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
secret
Strengths:
Very comfortable, good energy transfer, good adjustability.
Weaknesses:
The ratchet mechanism tends to get caught on things.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi,Shimano, Gearne
Bike Setup:
'06 Stumpjumper, XT, Avid ULT, King wheels, Thompson
Bottom Line:
The Pro Carbon MTB shoe is far more comfy than comprably priced shoes (Sidi in particular) and works great. The carbon sole looks really trick. One weeks riding all the great competitive tracks around the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and the carbon gets quite a facelift. This is by far the most comfortable and best working shoe I have tried in the last 13 years. I would say it easily lives up to its $210 price tag.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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