Gravel racing is intensifying at pace, as the sport becomes ever more professional and high-tech.
With that in mind, Specialized has launched the S-Works Recon EVO, a new flagship gravel shoe designed for maximum comfort and performance off-road.
Rather than starting from a blank slate, the S-Works Recon EVO combines the foot-hugging uppers of the Ares 2 road cycling shoes with the full-carbon sole from its Recon off-road shoes.
There’s also an updated ‘Body Geometry Natural Last’ said to reduce forefoot pressure by a whopping 44%, compared to previous Specialized shoes.
At £399 / $549.99 / €479, the S-Works Recon EVO shoes are eye-wateringly expensive, but my initial impressions of the fit and performance – based on riding them on the Specialized Crux 5 launch and beyond – are very positive.
Uncompromising power with all-day comfort
Like practically every high-end cycling shoe, Specialized promises a compromise-free combination of maximum efficiency and comfort with the S-Works Recon EVOs.
Refreshingly, the brand has moved away from arbitrary sole stiffness scales in recent years instead simply saying that the soles are made from unidirectional carbon fibre that we’re supposed to assume is ‘stiff enough’ (it is).
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Specialized product without some bold performance claims, and the S-Works Recon EVO shoes are no different.
Like the Ares 2, Specialized promises a 44% reduction in forefoot pressure thanks to the updated last – which has taken on a more ‘foot-like’ shape.
‘Foot-shaped’ might seem an obvious thing for a shoe to be, and therefore not something worth shouting about, but it's fair to say there are still plenty of shoes (cycling or otherwise) that are narrower and more pointy than the average foot.
The shape itself reminds me of my Bont Vaypor Classics, with its relatively wide and squared off toe box. That pair of shoes is now more than a decade old, so it’s fantastic to see a major brand like Specialized finally catch up on this theory, even if it’s fair to say I got on with its previous shoes too.
I’m also hopeful that Specialized going in this direction will prompt a few more high profile cycling shoe brands to follow suit.
Unlike the Ares 2, Specialized doesn’t appear to claim the same “7-watt power increase” for the S-Works Recon EVO shoes, but given that claim is fairly hard to believe at face value (especially as the brand hasn’t shown its working for this figure, as far as I’m aware) that may be for the best in terms of keeping rider expectations in check.
Excellent performance, at a price
Since returning from the Crux 5 launch with the S-Works Recon EVO shoes, I’ve been riding with them quite a bit and have almost nothing but positive things to say about them.
The updated last shape is better than previous Specialized shoes – I was actually able to go down half a size from an EU45 with my favourite S-Works 7 Lace road shoes, to a 44.5 here, and it’s a clear improvement in terms of fit (at least for me). Enough, in fact, to make me question whether I should upgrade to a set of the brand’s S-Works Torch Lace shoes…
And while the wrap-around – or “patented PowerHug” – closure system is quite fussy to look at, it's fair to say it is effective.
Finding a secure, comfortable fit is easy and with two premium BOA Li2 dials per shoe, adjusting things on the fly is a cinch.
I also appreciate how far back you can put the cleats – almost towards the mid-foot, if desired.
The white colour might seem an impractical choice for an off-road shoe, but I’ve found they clean up well, much like Shimano’s latest S-Phyre RX910 gravel shoes.
The tread here is also fairly minimal too, but there’s enough to be practical for gravel or cross-country riding.
The only major sticking point then, it would seem, is the price.
£399 / $549.99 / €479 is in a similar ballpark to Shimano’s RX910 shoes (£369.99 / $480 / €419.95), but you don’t get insoles with adjustable arch support like Shimano provides. Like most Shimano products, real-world pricing is typically lower than the RRP too, though of course that can't be guaranteed.
The stock Specialized insoles are decent enough, but to modify the arch support you’ll have to cough up another £30 for the brand’s Body Geometry SL insoles (available in low, medium or high), or £125 for a set of Retül Custom footbeds at one of the brand’s dedicated bike fitters.
Is that a deal breaker? Stay tuned for a full review.
