Until now Trek hasn’t had a big presence in the cycling shoe and kit market. That’s set to change in 2009 with the introduction of a comprehensive range of shoes and clothing from its Bontrager component division.
Bontrager certainly appears serious – its website makes a big deal of the ‘science of comfort’ and the research and design that’s gone into the new range. Its top-end road shoes certainly look the part with carbon outsoles, a customisable insole and a unique last.
We’ve yet to get our feet into those, but the last – which promises extra stability – and the insole also feature in the Street.
This ‘casual’ offering feels more supportive than many similar shoes, with a stiff sole that, on the bike, feels closer to a road shoe’s. That said, it’s still easy to walk in with the cleat – mountain bike-style only – set just deep enough.
The synthetic leather uppers are supportive but they’re snug around the toes – try a size up. The custom insole – from eSoles – is a neat idea, but some won’t get on with the supplied removable arch. And at present there’s only one place in the UK to get them customised.