Shoes: Specialized Carbon Pro's (Women's)

[Starfish]

Did a little search...not extensive...hope this isn't a repeat.

Yesterday I made the mistake of trying on a pair of the Carbon Pro shoes for women, by Specialized. OMGosh...Sooooo comfortable.

I have to travel quite a ways to find bike shoes to actually try on, and I was coming home from a trip, so decided to stop & play, just for fun. I have always heard so much about Sidi shoes, and assumed I would love and want them. Well, I tried on some Sidi Genius 5's, and they fit fine, better than what I have now...but were "trim" all the way around.

Then, I tried on the Specialized Carbon Pro's, and I just went Aaaaahhhhh. They felt like slippers. The main difference for me was that, in the same length, they had just that tiny little extra bit of room in the toe box.

I wear a women's shoe in 7.5, and I have a pretty normal foot, with good arch, and my foot is a bit narrow, but never enough to buy actual narrow shoes. I have a pretty easy to fit foot. For me, the 38.5 in the Specialized was perfect, and felt WONDERFUL. :)

Now, to save up that $250 for shoes, and then another $150 for pedals!! :p

[ladyicon]

Hi starfish. I just bought a pair of the shoes you speak of. I found a store with last years model and only paid $129.00 :p They are like wearing slippers and the difference in the power you feel when you ride with them is amazing :D .
The toe box is bigger, but it lets me wiggle my toes a lot, and also I get no holes in my socks at the toe.
Mine have the 3 velcro straps, I am wary of the buckles I see on some shoes. Which do you ladies prefer? Straps or that ratchet buckle thing?

[Starfish]

Wow, sounds like you got a great deal on some nice shoes. I have never ridden with a ratchet buckle, but I intend to! The ones I tried on in the store were terrific. I loved how well they helped the shoes fit just right, and I love the idea, for centuries, of being able to reach down and loosen or tighten just a little depending on how much effort I need for that stretch, or if my feet need a little change in pressure, etc.

I will be curious to know how your stiff carbon soles feel at the end of a long day...like a century.

[GLC1968]

I just bought last years' carbon pro model in the men's (I have quite wide feet) and so far, I love them! I just rode a century this past Saturday, but I used my old (non-carbon) specialized road shoes because I haven't quite gotten the cleat placement right on the new ones, yet.

Have you checked out Specialized's site? That's where I got mine (again, last years model) for a great deal. Perhaps they still have the ones you like available?

[ehirsch83]

I have the same shoes! I got them when i was with the ex fiance, so he EPed them for me(oh how i miss employee pricing!). I have had them since April, I think, and I love them. They are a great shoe. If you can find them at a discount I say go for them!

[Starfish]

Have you checked out Specialized's site? That's where I got mine (again, last years model) for a great deal. Perhaps they still have the ones you like available?

No, thanks for the tip. Actually I forget to check their site for stuff like this, because I find the site loads and navigates really slowly. So, I needed this reminder! Thank you...

[Starfish]

Has anyone done long rides (Centuries or 8+ hours) with carbon soled shoes?

How is the stiffness on all day rides?

[JanB]

Hi Starfish...I have the Specialized carbon-soled shoes (the ones with the dial you turn to tighten) and I love them. I did my first century with the new shoes a couple of weeks ago and they were great. I had issues with my toes falling asleep and sometimes a burning sensation but since I got these shoes, those problems are much better. I have the red specialized insole in them also-wide feet, high arches. :D

[Starfish]

JanB, thanks. I've only had one pair of biking shoes ever. I read stuff about stiffness of soles vs. comfort for all day, but don't have experience!

Those Specialized shoes were SOOOoooo comfortable in the store, though!!

[juliejewels]

Just bought them today...I LOVE them I had to buy a size larger, though.
I have had great success over the years with Specialized shoes. I cannot wait to ride this weekend and sport my new shoes.

:)

[Starfish]

Hi all, it's me again! In the thread below, I asked a follow-up question about how it is to use shoes and cleats like this when you're OFF the bike on a long ride, like a century or longer. Wondering how it is to negotiate bathroom & food breaks on these types of shoes, etc. Thanks for any follow-up. I am close to getting these shoes and some new pedals! :)

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=16578

[Bike Goddess]

For what it's worth here's my 2 cents- I've had Specialized Carobn shoes for about 3+ years now. I put in Superfeet (the blue one) to help with arch support (took out Specialized insole first).

I cycle with Look imitation cleats - from Performance bike. You can get cleat covers for them which I have and use whenever I have to get off the bike for a break (as in walk) and when I've forgotten something in the house (we have hardwood floors so the covers work great). If you are diligent about putting the covers on as soon as you are off the bike, you will save your cleats and it will be much easier for you to walk around. I've had to walk some good distances in them- no harm done.

I also wear wool socks in my shoes. These won't sweat when your feet get hot. Yes, I've done many a century in these shoes and wouldn't wear any other brand!

[ladyicon]

Hi Starfish. I have had Specialized carbon shoes for about 8 months. The pair that I have are 2006 shoes. They have a sock liner inside of them, which i would not get again. Back to your question.....these are great shoes and walking in them is a breeze, wearing them for a century you never even know that they are there. I wear SPD cleats. Hope this helps.

[VeloVT]

My boyfriend has Specialized S-Works shoes (carbon sole and a cool BOA closure) and likes them a lot. It was horrendously difficult to find a shoe that he didn't find uncomfortable for some reason -- we spent hours and hours looking.

In general, I think the difficulty of walking in road shoes/cleats is greatly exaggerated. It's really not that bad, even without cleat covers. (I don't have them actually -- though every time I walk over muddy ground and have to clean my shoes before I can clip in I think I should get a pair :p ). The comfort factor -- at least on the bike -- is more related to fit than stiffness, I think, and making sure you don't fasten them too tightly if you are prone to numbness.

[GLC1968]

Hey Starfish -

I mentioned earlier that I'd bought the carbon pro shoes but hadn't worn them on my century. Since then, I have. I've worn them for centuries, for two day events, and for moutain climbing when it was just TOO steep and I had to push my bike up about a 1/4 mile... No problems!

I have the look-type cleats (shimano pedals) and I don't have cleat covers. I haven't wiped out yet! I do find them to be a tad slippery on wet surfaces, but I just try to avoid those. I also have to knock mud off them after pee-breaks in the woods, but it hasn't been an issue yet. Oh, and the walk up the mountain...not comfortable, but doable. It just motivated me to get my fat butt back on the bike as soon as humanly possible! :p

For me, there are no better options. I find that I cannot wear my mountain type shoes (even though they are super comfy for all day mountain biking) for long days on the road bike. I don't know if it's the cleat/pedal combination or the shoe stiffness, but they make my feet ache. I've got foot trouble (its the reason I started biking), and only the stiff road shoes will allow me to be comfy for long days in the saddle. Walking around comfort was secondary importance to me, so I didn't give it much thought. Now I'm used to it and I wouldn't wear any other type shoe.

I have worn my mountain-type shoes on 'touring' type rides where we planned to get off the bike, tour a site (like an old plantation or a farmers market), and then ride again. In those situations, I didn't want to intentionally wear out my cleats...and since the riding part of the day wasn't that long, it didn't matter which shoes I wore.

I hope this all makes sense and helps you in your decision a bit. :)

[Starfish]

Hey everyone, this all does help, very much.

I am confused about cleat and pedal compatibility. I currently have SPD cleats and pedals, and I'm wondering if the cleats and pedals I have can be used with the Road Carbon Pro shoes?

The online specs say the shoes are compatible with SPD-SL setups, but I don't know what that means...don't know what the SL means.

Has anyone had mountain pedals and SPD cleats on mountain shoes, and just switched to the Road Carbon Pro shoes without buying new pedals and cleats?

Just curious. I'm thinking I will treat myself to some new, lighter pedals (probably the Look type Shimano pedals), but just wondering.

Thanks again. This really helps a lot.

[GLC1968]

If you are looking at the Carbon Pro for women, it looks like they don't take the SPD mountain cleats. The picture on specialized's website shows the bottom of the shoe for what I am guessing is the 2008 version, and there are no holes in the middle where the SPD cleats would go. I don't know if older versions are the same or not. Mine also don't have the holes for SPD (my old, non-carbon, specialized road shoes did have the SPD holes).

SPD-SL are the look-type shimano cleats. I forget what the designation is for the regular SPD cleats... It's so confusing! :confused: The look-type ones have three holes spaced in a triangle pattern kind of around the ball of the foot. The other mountain-type SPD's have two holes in a vertical pattern near the center of the shoe.

Lets see if this pic works - from Specialized:
http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/equip/07ShoeProRoadWmns_l.jpg

The three holes you see are for the SPD-SL cleats.

[Starfish]

GLC, thank you. That answers that...new pedals are also in my future!

Dang! ;) :p

[Starfish]

Just the final note to this thread. Yesterday, I ordered the Carbon Pro shoes and the Ultegra road pedals. Soon I will have a new pedal system to learn. Only fell over once when I got my first clipless system...hope to improve that for this go 'round! :p

Thanks for all your input!

[Starfish]

Another follow-up here. I have had these shoes a couple weeks now, and I am experiencing some knee problems in my squirrely knee. Now, I know there might be many factors going into this. But, for anyone who is considering these shoes, you might want to consider carefully how you might be affected by the varus wedge they have built into the outsole.

I felt from the outset on the bike that it might be rolling me to the outside of my foot in a way that is not right for me. Now we are working on shimming the outside of the foot via shoe insert and cleat shim to flatten it back out.

Interestingly, today I watched these videos (at bottom), and either #2 or #3 specifically addressed this development that Specialized has done. John Howard doesn't agree with it. At least for some people (I think me), the varus wedge is not a good starting place.

The shoes themselves, though...the fit of the shoe, the stiff sole, etc, is great. I am hoping we can get this dialed in so that you all aren't reading here that I am selling these shoes and pedals! For now, I am back in my old shoes/pedals until I get this taken care of.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=21797

[itself]

Bringing this thread back to life as it may be time to change from my Sidi Dominators to something new. I am trying to debate on a road or mtb shoe, carbon sole. I like the versatility of the mtb shoe as I'll have one shoe for both the mtb bike and the road bike. But I'm concerned about compatibility with different pedal systems, like the Frogs and the Bebops.

Sounds like you gals are really happy with the Specialized Brand? I think one weakness of the Sidis is the narrower shoe, which causes more hot foot.

Lisa

[Eden]

I switched from Sidis to Specialized recently - love, love, love the new shoes. They have a much more square toe box. No more pinched toes. I also like that I can actually get a high end shoe, unlike Sidi that doesn't make several models in my rather small size. I understand that they will even be bringing out the uber high end S-works shoe in women's sizing this year - its on their web site, but not available yet.

[redrhodie]

Funny this thread came up. I just ordered a pair of the Specialized BG Pro Carbon MTB shoes, which should be coming today or Monday. I've been using Specialized shoes for years, and love them, but I wanted to give carbon soles a try. My guy at my lbs got me a deal on last year's model (about half price).

I'll let you know what I think next week after I try them for a few rides.

This is the model:

http://www.specialized.com/cn/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=26199

[GLC1968]

I'm still a Specialized fan! Wide foot here - Sidi's were never an option for me.

Since my last posts on this thread, I have now also bought the Specialized BG Pro Carbon MTB shoes (mens version for more width). I wear these when I ride my commuter bike (which is essentially a touring bike). I wanted the ability to walk around in my shoes but my old MTB shoes were still giving me foot trouble for rides longer than 25-30 miles. When my commute became 40 miles round-trip, it was time to upgrade the shoes. I wasn't sure if my SPD pedals/cleats would allow me to ride those distances with my foot issues even with carbon soles, but so far, so good. Due to fitness issues, I don't commute as much as I'd like, but I have definitely worn this combination for long rides and had no foot trouble at all.

I think for me, the pedal system is the least important in terms of foot comfort. The bigger contributors are sole stiffness and toe box width. That said, I do still have pedal preferences for other reasons of course. ;)

[redrhodie]

Just found out my shoes won't be in until next Tues, so I'll update later in the week.

I'm glad you like the shoes, GLC! I can't wait (but alas, I must).

[radacrider]

Funny this thread came up. I just ordered a pair of the Specialized BG Pro Carbon MTB shoes, ....

I just rode home on a new pair of these today from my LBS. Very comfy, (finally replaced a pair of extremely old Nike Nguba shoes). (10 mile round trip). Good toe box room, firm pedal pressure.

Need to still do some fine tune cleat fitting, but very nice shoe.:o

[redrhodie]

I just came from the lbs, where the shoes were tooooo small. Sadness :( My other shoes are also Specialized mtb, so ordered the same size (40). Go figure. The same size is smaller.

On the bright side, a new pair was ordered a half size larger, and I will have them soon.

I've noticed it's becoming more and more unpredictable as to whether shoes will fit, even within the same brand. For years, I could buy an 8, and they pretty much fit like an 8, it didn't matter if they were boots or sandals. Now, an 8 might fit like a 7 or a 9. Anyone else notice this, or is just me? I'm a bit of an Imelda with Keens, and I have them in a range from 7.5 to 8.5, that's 3 sizes for the same brand of shoe. Don't you think they should be able to standardize it? How hard can it be?

Okay, rant over. :p

[redrhodie]

I gave my new shoes, which came yesterday and fit perfectly, a try this morning. I love them. When I first put them on, I was a little unsure about the length of the tongue, but since the top strap is adjustable (fore and aft as well as length), it turned out to be fine.

Right away I felt like I was using different muscles, but I'm pretty sensitive to any changes I make on the bike, and these are much stiffer than my old shoes. Since it was already in the 80s, with 75% humidity, I decided to keep it an easy ride. I still noticed a slightly faster ride for the effort, and the headwind sections felt a little easier, which may be psychological, but I'll take it!

I had good toe room, and no heel slippage. The "x-link closure system" was great. At first I made them a little too tight, but I didn't have any trouble loosening them one small step. They stayed put for the ride, and if they weren't brand new, I wouldn't have noticed them at all. Very comfortable, stiff, and easy to walk in. They also feel lighter to me than I was expecting from the weight listed on the website. They're definitely much lighter than my Keen "commuters".