Specialized S-Works Road Shoes
4
/5
REVIEWS
4.0
QIKRATE
0.0
WEB
0.0
|
|
Own this? Help your community (Tap a star to rate) |
|
|
|
|
|
DESCRIPTION
Specialized's 2011 S-Works Road shoe. The double boa design allows for greater adjustment and 'dial-in' ability for the rider, while adding to the comfort and weight savings of the shoe. Carbon soles with a 12.0 stiffness factor rating.
USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
2 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Comfortable Tight fitting shoe, with a very stiff carbon sole, BOA lacing system allows shoe to be tight without pinching, good venting
expensive
A great road shoe with a very stiff sole, and with the BOA lacing system allows the shoe to be tightened over the foot evenly. a very light shoe with a carbon sole. However these shoes are quite expensive but are worth paying for as they are a good quality shoe.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Weight, feel, sole, adjustability
Synthetic leather outers scuff easily
I have read the other reviews and, really, cycling footwear is subjective. What fits me may not fit others the same. That said. . . . . .got rid of all my other shoes and have 4 pair of the S-Works. Love them, love them, love them. Thinner and more comfortable carbon sole than other shoes, better feel, no hot spots for me, so nice to be able to adjust while doing 30 in a pace line. Much lighter than most other shoes and I like the feel of a stiff yet thinner sole than other brands. Not trying to trumpet Specialized but they do a great job on their non-bike lines like shoes and cycling clothing. Had one boa issue in two years and they fixed it at the Specialized shop.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi Ergo 2, Nike Poggia, Nalini sharks, Northwave SBS, DMT Radial
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Comfort, ease of adjustment, comfort, power, very light
snug to put on, price
I have a wide foot and so have always used the Sidi mega shoes which I really liked. I finally was convinced to try the S-works shoes and I am blown away after using them for my first race. I was a leery using brand new shoes on a tough race like the Tour of Battenkill but they felt good on the warmup so I gave it a shot. 62 miles of tough climbs and brutal dirt roads and I had zero issues with my feet or shoes.
The one thing that stands out vs my Sidis was how efficient they seem to generate power. Not sure what it is but they just seem quicker on the peddles. They aren't cheap but man are they great shoes!
Similar Products Used:
Sidi 5.5
OVERALL RATING |
1 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Feel good out of the box. Hole in the bottom allows water to drain. After I snapped them I bought some Bont Vaypor shoes. Much better shoes.
Hot spots develop on very long rides, not as stiff as a Bont. Also more expensive and less comfortable. The white is hard to keep white and they look old very quickly.
Had mine for about 4 months and snapped the carbon in the sole (there was no impact). Absolutely zero service from Specialized, won't replace the shoes, won't return my calls or emails.
Apparently they use the same carbon in their top end bikes. Wouldn't touch them unless I was sponsored by them.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
well ventillated, light, easy to adjust, great heel cup, stiff as one would ever need
cannot repair a scuff so be careful
Started riding Sidis back in the late 70's and they felt like riding in bare feet,,, but when I slipped on these new S-Works they felt much better than bare feet on the floor do ! Complete instructions about how to maintain the pulley system came inside the box and are very EASY to understand. I was told by the seller to keep the lower adjustment very loose and work more on securing the upper wheel and cable for a firm fit. The heel cup is really-really good as it does wrap around and up my heel for complete support.
Guess one just needs to buy the proper shoe for the actual foot shape rather than for price and looks. Common sense really. Saw lots of them on riders in the Pro peleton last year too.
OVERALL RATING |
2 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
1 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Light, stiff, good looking, good foot bed
Boa lacing system is high maintenance. Continuously jambs and apparently needs to be replaced after 7500 miles or so. Buying the right insole tacks another $75 onto the cost
I am very frustrated. The Boa system keeps jamming and there are no maintenance instructions provided and none I can find on the Spec website. I don't think high end components should mean high maintenance. I am also not thrilled with the fit as it fits the front of my foot well but it's sloppy in the heal.
Similar Products Used:
Previous used Specialized and Sidi shoes with ratchets. Ratchets are very low maintenance,unlike Boa
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Boa system, weight, stiff s-works sole, ventilation, body geometry.
White "color", outer toe area surface abraids easily. I don't expect these shoes to be as durable as my Sidi's
I've been using Sidi's for mt and road biking for almost 30 years. I went with Specialized because I want to try the boa system and was having over heating problems due to the extreme temps where I ride. The double boa system did eliminate the hot issue for me. I love the boa system, great even fit! Ventilation is great for hot temps as well. When I first tried on the shoes I was concerned about the large toe box but the boa system keeps my foot snug so it hasn't been an issue. And although the heal cup fits me well the top of cup is quite flexible and I am concerned how it will ware over time. I have some toe over and even though I've only touched my front wheel a few times while doing track stands the a quarter inch spot of the white exterior has totally rubbed off down to the black inner layer. (I've only put around 500 miles on the shoes.) Fortunately the grey toe band down the center is the same color as duct tape so I will still be able to be fashionable!
Specialize should come up with a way to make the out toe more durable as many women have the toe-over issue.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi, Shimano, Specialized, Diadora, Look
OVERALL RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Boa, carbon sole, looks
Ventilation, short heel cup causes blisters.
Reviewing shoes is like reviewing saddles- everyones anatomy is different enough that comments like too narrow, too wide, etc. have no real meaning. So... I'll avoid those. I've been riding and racing for around 20 years. I have a lower volume foot but not truly narrow. I've ridden Sidi's for the last 12 years and my last pair was getting a bit ratty. I liked the anatomical approach Spesh has been taking with it's shoes so I thought I'd give them a try. Size on these run large compared to Sidi. Try a half size down. The Good: Super light, the double Boa system is the easiest and best I've used, the toe box is roomy for the medium/narrow overall fit of the shoe. THe BG footbed feels good and helps with the super stiff carbon sole. The Not Good: ventilation is pretty uneven, not as cool as Sidi's. The deal breaker for me is the design of the heel cup. It's way too shallow. There is a wrap around heel pad above the cup that is (I assume) supposed to fit where the calcaneus (heel bone) angles toward the achilles tendon. Unfortunately it doesn't, it presses on the heel bone and over longer rides, sprints and climbs, starts to make a hot-spot and blister. There is no apparent heel lift or movement, just some dense foam where it shouldn't be. I measured the "depth" of the heel cup and it's 30% shorter than the Sidi's. Unfortunate because even at $350 these have a lot going for them. Maybe I've go a funky shaped heel but this is the first time I've run into this on any road or mtn shoe.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi, Northwave, Shimano
OVERALL RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
1 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Appear to be incredible.
Wrong sizing - buy in a store
Very poor customer service - told me I should have bought in a store and not on-line
The main reason I am writing the review is to warn people to buy in a store and not online. The shoe appears to be awesome - if it would only fit. Under the website's recommendation, I bought the size they recommended. Didn't fit. If you want to return you need to pay $20. So I ordered the next size up and paid $20 for overnight shipping. Again, didn't fit (now 2 size above normal). Now I have to pay anotehr $20 to return. $60 bucks into this and I still don't have shoes.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi - perfect
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Great looks and comfort. The lacing system is awesome. You can easily tweak the fit while rolling down the road. Very light and stiff with a really nice footbed for exceptional comfort when the miles are piling up.
Expensive
Bought these to replace Sidi Genius 5's I had worn out. Was hesitant because I really liked the SIDI's but the good looks and high recommendations from the LBS sold me. This shoe has been comfortable and strong since the first ride. I have ridden them about 400 miles now and they seem to get better each ride.
Similar Products Used:
Sidi Genius 5