DMT KR1 Knit shoes review

With their 3D engineered knit construction, DMT’s KR1 shoes have supple uppers and little weight – my size 45s weigh 578g.

• Best road cycling shoes
• Best road bike pedals

Their highly elastic, sock-like construction has a taut, snug feel, which makes the seamless upper conform very well to your foot, with a constant pressure all over.

The tapering heel cup fits higher than normal around the ankle and has a rubbery internal gripper, together ensuring excellent heel retention.

Stability comes from the UD carbon sole, with a sculpted shape that is raised around the heel and arch for solid support. A replaceable hard rubber heel helps walking grip, but the carbon toe has no protection ahead of the cleat, scuffing quickly when off the bike.

Very effective ventilation comes from a mesh-covered toe vent in the sole

DMT recommends choosing half a size smaller than usual, and although not the most generous in width, the KR1s accommodate fairly wide feet.

The uppers fit so close that they’re quite secure even before tightening the single IP1 BOA dial. Throughout each ride, just one millimetric click in either direction was enough to finesse the fit, and the reinforced, 3mm thick knit section below the laces stops localised pressure.

The carbon sole is phenomenally stiff, with a feeling of connected power delivery that only the best shoes can match. On the upstroke the sensation of the whole upper pulling the sole and pedal through each rotation is nothing like a normal shoe, where tightness is localised, often needing more robust uppers.

That’s not to say the DMTs aren’t robust, their construction allows them to be easily compressed, but a reinforced, weather-resistant coating around the sides helps maintain their shape. They have very little bulk, too, the ankle cuff sitting almost flush against your socks.

Very effective ventilation comes from a mesh-covered toe vent in the sole, backed by lots of large holes in the wraparound upper and the slim footbed, plus an open mesh triangle above the forefoot.

Aside from uncoated sections at the top of the shoe, the rest of the upper relies on the limited insulating properties of the shoe to disperse heat, which it does well, even in hot weather, making high-intensity rides extremely comfortable.