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review

Vittoria Speed road shoes

8
£99.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Great shoes, but make sure to try on before purchase
Weight: 
662g

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The Vittoria Speed Road Shoes are mid-range shoes that would be appropriate for higher level and amateur riding. The Italian shoe maker have made some fantastic shoes in the past few years, so how do these compare?

Looks & Fit

These are very good looking shoes that combine panelled nylon mesh with tasteful colour choice and strong lines. In the words of a colleague: "they look great, a bit like Adidas Predator football boots". As a non-cyclist and a football fan, this is perhaps the highest compliment that he could give.

One of the problems that I did have with the shoes is the fitting though. They come up slightly large for the size I tried (43), but as there is significant variance in most shoe manufacturers this may be expected. The bottom two velcro straps are good and hold the foot in a comfortable position throughout a long ride, but the top strap is too long.

As somebody who has relatively normal feet in terms of height, the top strap extended down to the bottom rung of the clip, meaning that I could only tighten it to my foot to a certain extent. Although it wasn't uncomfortably loose, it was something that was noticeable on longer rides. It needs to have four or five more rungs on the plastic, which the length of the strap does not allow for.

It was something that didn't matter too much at this time of the year as an extra pair of socks or particularly thick socks solved the problem, but in the summer this could be an issue for those with flatter feet than mine.

Weight

We weighed these shoes at 662g, which is about comparable to other shoes in the £100 mark. There are others that are lighter (Specialized Elite & Comp are two that spring to mind at nearly 100g lighter each). However, these shoes are built for comfort and long rides rather than extended climbs or sprints.

Performance

These shoes manage to combine both effective stiffness in the soles with strategic and effective padding, meaning that extended rides are a breeze. As I mentioned before, the fit on the top strap could certainly be improved with four or five additional rungs on the plastic, but with thick socks this isn't an issue.

The ultimate compliment that I can pay to these is that after a significant number of miles, I can forget that I am wearing a new pair of shoes as there is little movement and no discomfort.

Value

£99.99 seems to be about right for these shoes. They combine high stiffness with comfort for shoes that are more suited for sportive riding rather than sprinting or climbing. They compare favourably to other shoes that I have tried in the same price category.

Overall

These are good shoes but they do come up big, which is something that people should bear in mind if ordering online. I was also disappointed with the top strap, which certainly seems to have been designed for those with particularly wide or high feet.

Aside from these details though, the shoes are both stiff and good value for money. The materials used are high quality and they are well designed, so for those who are looking for aesthetics and comfort above weight, these would be ideal.

Verdict

Great shoes, but make sure to try on before purchase

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Vittoria Speed road shoes

Size tested: 43

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

"Performance lightweight shoe, with CRS fastening system that perfectly adapts to the foot. Appropriate for both higher level and amateur riding."

I would agree with these points, it is certainly aimed at higher level amateurs, although those who are serious about weight over comfort may look at others on the market.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

UPPER: Nylon mesh - hydro repellent synthetic leather

SOLE: Nylon Sole

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Impressive stiff construction and great material selection. The only reason it lost marks was the top strap, which could do with including a few more rungs.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performed well, with the stiffness in the shoe acceleration was swift and powerful

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Over a month of use I found no concerns over the quality of the materials used in both interior and exterior of the shoe. The stiff sole also lends itself to being hardy and likely to last.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

You can get lighter shoes at this price, but in terms of combining comfort and weight, these are by no means excessively heavy.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

Very comfortable, as I mentioned, I forgot I was wearing a new pair of shoes even after a few hours in the saddle.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

For a pair of shoes of this quality, £100 seems to be about right.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The shoes performed well throughout the review in both short sharp acceleration and comfort on longer rides. In addition to this, they are attractive and something that I enjoyed wearing.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The stiff sole was impressive without compromising on the overall comfort of the shoes.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The top strap could certainly do with a few more rungs for those of us with regular sized feet.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

An impressive shoe from a company who have made some crackers in the past.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,

 

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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2 comments

Avatar
FullGas | 9 years ago
0 likes

I have a pair of black Vittoria Braves, they're a slightly improved version of these shoes. After only 1500 km of use the fit of the heels became loose to a point that I started to get arch pain in my feet. Following advice from my LBS, I replaced the shoe's the inner sole with something better to no avail. Now I ride on a pair of Bont Vaypor+ and they're awesome.

My advice is, if you like to relentlessly put power on your pedals, buy something else that's stronger and lighter.

Avatar
therevokid | 9 years ago
0 likes

interesting about the ratchet strap ... i had exactly the same
issue with a pair of specialized shoes very recently !!

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