Performance shoes at an affordable price
Written: Jul 23 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy installation and adjustment, price, quality
Cons: A bit snug during break in period
The Bottom Line: A great shoe that is very affordable. To avoid a painful break in period, buy a half size larger.
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| gerper's Full Review: Specialized sport mountain |
When I bought my Cannondale Super V700 a few years ago, it came standard with SPD compatible pedals, something that I had never used before (I had always used toe clips on previous bikes). So, I was a bit intimidated, to say the least and knowing that the SPD pedals may or may not work with me, I really didn’t want to invest a fortune in SPD shoes, just to have them go to waste. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when I started pricing shoes, as some of them cost up to a few hundred dollars, which was quite a bit more than I wanted (or needed) to spend, as I am no pro bike rider by any means.
After doing a bit of pricing and research, I decided to go with the Specialized Mountain Sport shoes, with a retail price of around $50.00. Known primarily for their bicycles, Specialized has been around since 1974 and has a long history of bike manufacturing and development. Having owned two Specialized bikes before (and logging thousands of miles on each of them), I knew that this was a company that made dependable products that I could trust.
Installing the SPD hardware was fairly simple, as was adjusting the float or degree of free movement that your foot has when clipped in. It did take a few rides to dial in the float, but that is to be expected. Minor adjustments can be easily made with a Phillips screwdriver.
The shoe itself is made of a suede and a tightly woven Cordura mesh upper, which results in the mesh area being much more water resistant. There is also an internal tongue, which must be adjusted as the foot is inserted into the shoe (I found the fit to be “lumpy” if this isn’t done). Finally, two Velcro strips, are used to fasten the shoe. The strips, which have a plastic covering on the top, stay fastened very well, and I haven’t had any problems with the strips loosening during a ride.
The sole of the Mountain Sport is made of a stiff composite rubber, which is almost like a plastic. There is an ample traction area, that is fairly aggressive, but not so much that it prevents walking on pavement. As for the sole, I found very little flex, which is important, as you want a shoe that will offer support without bending like a traditional tennis shoe does.
The Mountain Sport comes in three color combinations: brown/black, red/black, and gray/black, in unisex sizes. As for fit, I found these shoes to be quite tight once I actually used them for a ride. However, they did loosen up after a hundred miles or so, to a much more comfortable fit. I would suggest that you buy a half size bigger to avoid this problem if you want a more comfortable fit during the break in period.
As far as performance is concerned, I have no complaints about this shoe and found it worked quite well, much more so than previous cycling shoes. Despite the fact the fit was a bit snug, I found they gave my feet more support which resulted in a much more confident and smooth ride on my part. No, these shoes didn’t work miracles on my performance (as I consider myself and average sport rider), but I did feel a bit more comfortable using SPD shoes and pedals versus toe clips.
Overall thoughts - Besides the initial break in period, I have no complaints about these shoes at all and highly recommend them if you are looking for an affordable shoe that also offers performance that would normally be found on higher priced models. Easy SPD installation and adjustment along with a good fit and performance make this a really good shoe for a cyclist of any level.
As always, thanks for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
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gerper
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Member: gerper
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