This year, Sidi Sport celebrates half a century of building high performance, not to mention, high style cycling shoes. The Italian brand marks the occasion with a Limited Edition Ergo 2 Carbon road shoe.
The founder of Sidi, Dino Signori, remains at his company’s helm.
“The secret of Sidi’s success is the balance between my passion and that of my family along with the intuition and ability of our staff to see their innovative ideas become winning products,” Signori told BikeRadar. “Another fundamental element is that we also use athletes to test our footwear during races and events before introducing them onto the market.”
The family owned manufacturer based in Treviso, Italy will offer the limited edition Ergo 2 Carbon shoe in March. The new shoe is billed the Ergo 2 Carbon 50 and it sports a celebratory graphics package — white, gold and embossed with the Italian flag. Additionally, Sidi uses the occasion to launch a new carbon fibre sole called, Carbon Lite. The new sole is handmade and lighter than the current design, but doesn’t sacrifice stiffness or strength according to the company.
The Ergo 2 Carbon 50 comes complete with a commemorative shoe bag and book that explains Sidi’s current technologies and the history of its first 50 years. The package costs $US550/€330.
Sidi was founded in 1960 as a workshop and laboratory for making cycling and other sport shoes. Throughout the years Sidis were worn and tested by some of cycling’s greatest names, including: Hinault, Moser, Fignon and Kelly. Saronni, Hampsten, Fondriest, Zulle, Indurain, Ballerini, and Olympic gold medallist Paolo Bettini have all been all part of Sidi’s family. Currently, two of the worlds best cyclists wear Sidi’s on their feet: Mountain bike ace Julien Absalon and the grand tour master, Alberto Contador.
With a tenure that spans 50 years, Sidi have undoubtedly encountered challenges. BikeRadar asked Mr. Signori to recount how the company has persevered.
“Probably the most difficult moment was right at the beginning as when I started working on my own,” said Signori. “I didn’t have much money but lots of debts.
“I have always been precise and respected any commitments I had taken even those that led to personal sacrifices. SIDI celebrates 50 years in 2010, I am very proud to say that despite a few difficult moments due to global market situations, up until today, SIDI has always found a way to react positively and move forward.
“I am a person that has learned how to make decisions," he continued. " My children say I am a pessimist as I am always worried that things will not go too well and think the worst even when there really is no need to. Maybe this pessimism has led to me make certain decisions that in the end have proved to be positive. Not all [of my] decisions have been the right ones, but thankfully there have been very few errors.”