Which one fits your foot the best?

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What about Giro imperial?

It's hard to say unless I was able to find several retailers that carry all these models.
Locally it's going to be hard for me to test all those shoe fits and I don't plan on ordering them all online to test.

The Giro Imperials look really nice. They are quite expensive at $425. The S Works 7 is $400 and the Exos is $500, so it's in the similar price range of those. It's a shoe I would consider.

This. I have Giro Empires and The S Works 7. The Empires save you a few watts in a time trial, but are less comfortable in the toe box. They can be a bit restrictive there and I don't have overly wide feet. Still I use them in TTs up to IM distance.

The S Works 7 are one of the nicest cycling shoes I've ever used. Super comfortable.

It's ALL about the fit.

After wearing Sidi shoes for a decade, last year I shopped and tried on all the shoes you've listed and decided to go with a pair of Fizik Infinito R1 (not knit) road shoes. (The Shimano and S Works shoes fit my feet really strangely with slack / bagginess in odd areas.) I like the fit of the Fiziks on carpet. But after rides of over an hour, they give me hot spots (and, eventually, callouses) running down the middle of the soles of my feet. I tried the Fiziks for probably 1,500 to 2,000 miles, but went back to my Sidis purely because of the fit issues.

Do most Giro's have a narrow fit? I have very narrow feet, but it doesn't mean the comfort would be there.

Would you use your S Works 7 for an HIM? Those are the type of races that I do the moo most. I'm wondering if they will be difficult to get on and off in a reasonable amount of time?

I'm using the LG Tri X Speed Triathlon shoes. Those fit well, but I'm probably a half size large. No hot spots or pressure on the toes.

It's ALL about the fit.

This is it!

All the shoes mentioned are great shoes.

All the main shoe mfg have really upped the game with cycling shoes in the last few years. So many great shoes to chose from but ultimately it's what shoe fits best and is most comfortable.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

They do seem to run narrow. I've never had that problem in other shoes. I'd absolutely race IMs in the specialized. I'm thinking about doing it next race. I suspect I'll run faster off of the bike due to comfort increases.

Weird, I'm the exact opposite. I love the fit of my Giro empires (sockless), no hotspots or issues on any rides so far (80 miles is the furthest I've been in them). I tried on Sworks 7 and had an issue where they rubbed my toe oddly, and that was in a size too big.

Just goes to show there is no one size fits all!

I have the Exos and a few iterations of the Sworks shoes. I really like the Sworks 6 (Orange with laces) as a tri shoe when you replace the nylon laces with elastic laces. The only problem I have with them is that the heel cup is very stiff and makes it impossible for me to get my feet into them on the pedals during IM events. The Exos are very nice and 'should' be pretty aero with boa on the frontal profile. Well worth the price IMO but I caution you on the sizes. I tried the 44 and 44.5 on at my LBS and mistakingly went with the same size as all my Sworks shoes (44.5). Go down a half size because the toe box is so supple that there's plenty of room. At my current size my heel moves up and down. I'm trying to find the right inserts to help that although it doesn't seem to impact my power.

I was down to the Giro Imperial or S Works 7. Based on your feedback, I think I'm going to go with the Giro's. Sounds like the S Works 7 will be tough to get my foot in and out. The Exos I've heard aren't really an everyday shoe. They would be good for racing and climbing, but maybe not everyday and into spring and fall. I have heard of bunching of the tongue with both the S Works 7 and Imperial which isn't great. No shoe is perfect though.

Did you end up getting the Imperials? Any thoughts after using them for a while?

I did get the Imperials and they're amazing! I just love them. They're very comfy, light AF, and you can really dial in the fit. Plus they look very sharp! No regrets whatsoever.

Which color did you go with?