Finding a shoe on one's feet is not easy. Like a saddle, you must often test many models before you can find the ideal product for you.
I have tried many models in recent years, but never have been able to try shoes from the American brand Specialized, and yet, everyone around me who had tasted them did not want to change anymore.
I finally got to test the mid-range Expert Road, which is in the range under the prestigious S-Works 6 and Audax. With a price of 199.90 €, it is in the average fare sport type bike shoes.
Available in fluorescent yellow, black or white and black, this Expert Road is more about discretion, except in its fluorescent yellow color of course. Two different textures, the white being matte and the black varnished/shiny.
The upper is made of thermo-bonded synthetic material for the lightness and it remains rather flexible. A fairly widely perforated stem that suggests that ventilation should be good.
Only on the top of the heel is a mesh fabric. The part that has a good thickness of foam on the entire part that includes the heel.
At the heel, there is a reflective material surmounted by S Specialized. Finishing side, nothing to say, it's clean and consistent with what is expected of a pair of bike shoes to 200 €.
The brand announces a weight of 260g in size 42, I weighed my copies in 43 to 536g the pair or 268g each.
For the tightening system, these Expert Roads rely on velcro on the front of the foot and a Boa IP1 disc on the instep. A known marriage on many shoes and which reconciles efficiency and precision of tightening while maintaining a relatively low price.
As a reminder, the Boa IP1 disk allows to tighten and loosen to the millimeter by actuating it in one direction or the other. To remove his shoes quickly, just pull on this disc, which allows to fully disengage the lace.
Not 100% carbon for the outsole, but a carbon/fiberglass mix that offers a good budget/performance ratio.
The index of stiffness is 8.5, where an S-Works rises to 13. A sole on which there is an air inlet in the front of the foot. Two protective rubbers on the front of the foot and at the heel come to protect the sole when walking.
The front guard is not replaceable, unlike the rubber on the back. Good point, they are very well placed and sized since, at the end of the test, the sole is not marked.
The drilling is of type 3 holes. no adjustment latitude for these, it will be necessary to be content with the amplitude offered by your holds.
This outsole benefits from Body Geometry technology. Thus, the latter goes up slightly at the level of the arch of the foot, the inner side of the foot, to provide better support.
The insoles placed inside also benefit from this technology to optimize hip /knee/foot alignment and thus improve performance and comfort. As an option, it is possible to choose soles with a more pronounced arch support, but the sole supplied with the shoe already offers support, which is not the case for all soles.
I tested, in addition to the original soles, this model of green Body Geometry soles, those which offer the most pronounced support. Insoles that will be chosen not at random, but after a quick study Arch-O-Meter that will define the type of sole most suitable for your feet. Depending on the arch of your feet, the support needed will be different.
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