DMT's Mag Force shoes, flagship of the current range, break the trend for carbon fibre-soled race shoes. They feature a DMT patented magnesium sole, and although that sounds quite strange (a metal soled shoe?), it actually makes a great deal of sense.
It’s lighter than a carbon fibre sole, and because it’s constructed from a magnesium alloy, the three-point bolt fixings for cleats have threads directly threaded in the sole (no extra plate inserts inside the shoe).
The sole is extremely stiff – stiffer than any previous shoe I’ve tried – and a stiff sole makes for better power transfer, meaning you ride more efficiently. If a sole flexes a lot, your foot can flex around the arch and this can lead to tendon damage, pain and a common cycling complaint of a burning sensation in the soles of the feet. Another bonus is wear. Carbon soles can get gouged and scratched even with a minimum amount of walking, and though it’s unlikely to make the sole fail, it doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence (and they look very used, very quickly). The Mag Force sole shows signs of scratching but it doesn’t get that ‘fractured glass’ surface you see with carbon, and the toe and heel protectors (nylon) can be replaced when worn.
The uppers are designed around DMT’s own supple microfibre material, and shaped using its SL-SF system. The inners are a seamless sockfit shape, which feels great and shapes around your feet without pinching or rubbing. The three-point closures allow for a great deal of adjustability, and the ratcheting closure at the top is simple to use and adjust in small increments. Width-wise, they’re not as broad as a Northwave shoe, but not as slinky as a standard Sidi – for me, spot on.
In use, the Mag Forces feel perfect: incredibly stiff, great when climbing out of the saddle or sprinting, and the uppers are superb too, in that you don’t notice them.
They’re superlight and perform brilliantly (and look pretty brilliant too – that ultrabright yellow may not appeal to your fashion sense). The downside? Price. At just shy of £200 they are very expensive, and although we’ve no doubt they’ll last years, that’s a helluva lot of cash to spend on shoes.
