really cool design, hopefully this is still going forwards. reminds me of skimo boots....are you familiar with pierre gignoux? https://pierregignoux.fr/en/ A great example of a small boutique brand that took over the high end carbon boot market (which isn't that big....but has all the big manufacturer names like la sportiva, scarpa, and dynafit trying to catch up)

So I have not been very active on any kind of social media lately, but things are really moving now, despite continued difficulties in global manufacturing. I just got back from Italy to nail down final approval for all of the design and releasing all of the molds for production. Here are some photos of how some of the shoe gets made. I could not take photos in all the factories due to confidentiality requirements for the other manufacturers that make parts there. Particularly the carbon fiber manufacturing, which is too bad because it's pretty cool.

These photos are of the mold for the large part that covers the heel of the shoe - this is really the heart of the whole thing.


One half of the mold. When the two halves are together and in the molding machine, the molten plastic is injected in, and there are water cooling passages throughout so that the mold cools and the plastic hardens in a few seconds. Then to release this complicated part from the mold, a bunch of stuff has to happen.


First, these 4 parts retract out from the molded part. You can really see the surface finish that imparts the texture to the part here.



Next, the two halves of the mold separate, and then this big core pops out and then the part is pushed down and out of the mold.



This is what it kinda looks like when the parts are ready to be released from the mold.




Here are some of the machines used in producing the molds. This factory also makes molds for Ferrari and Ducati.


This is an injection molding machine that these molds get put into to make the parts.


This is used to print the graphics on the upper. It is a kind of glass plate with millions of microscopic holes in it. They use a lithography process to put that pink stuff on it that block the holes where you do not want ink to come through.


These are the machines used for the printing and the cutting of the uppers.


Laser cutting of carbon fiber cloth for the sole.


Templates for all the fabric parts that go into producing the upper. It is so simple and clean-looking but there is a ton that goes into it!

There are a few design changes being worked on, then all the rest of the molds will be made, then there is the lead time to make all the parts before the main factory can start assembling the shoes. Expecting early June for the first production run. I have high hopes that this is a real date.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Hey - I am very sorry about all of our delays! No one is more antsy than me. It's looking like our first production run is in early June - shipping shortly after that. I cannot blame anyone for getting tired of waiting.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Which sizes in the first production? I've advised a few clients to wait for your shoes to be ready.
Also, mondopoint size charts please??

38 to 48 in the first run. Half sizes from 40.5 to 46.5.

There are a couple last adjustments being done right now for the scaling of the different sizes of the big heel part, so I do not have the mondopoint chart right now.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Where does the line form?

Thanks for sharing Ed, great to see the update and looking forward to being an early adopter :).

I have big feet (normal width) and have noticed quite a bit of variability between brands in the cycling shoes I've owned over the past 25 years or so - most brands I'm around 47, but have been anywhere from 46 to 48. To ensure I order the right size, are there any brands you'd suggest which have fit/sizing similar to the Velovetta shoes?

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B. Sport Coaching and Exercise Science
Triathlon Australia Performance (Level 2) Coach

Ed, do you know if there are plans for a sizing guide similar to what Lake has? As a flat footed guy, I tend to err towards wide lasts, but it's very dependent on shoes and a fit guide would be helpful to ensure I don't have another shoe on my shelf that doesn't work for me.

https://www.lakecycling.com/...r-lake-cycling-shoes

I saw the website has been updated. Does this mean we can expect some shoes anytime soon? Are you going to give Forum members a heads up so we can get to the front of the line?

Eddddddd!!! Got an update?

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Hey - yeah.

So as you saw, back in February we were planning on being in production in June, availability shortly after. Long story short (story is below) the hope is that we will be in production in September. But I cannot guarantee it yet.

The story:

After I got back to Colorado from Italy, the carbon sole manufacturer, which had always been the slowest component supplier in every part of the process, basically stopped responding, provided no updates for a long time and generally was making me nervous. This next part gets complicated...

The "main factory" - the one that takes in the uppers, the soles, the plastic parts, etc. and assembles it all into a shoe is the company that I deal with directly and they manage all the sub-contractor factories that make the other parts. There was another brand (let's call them brand x in this story) that uses the same main factory as me, and they were also using the same carbon sole company. Well the carbon sole company decided that Brand X needed to buy more soles from them, so they just made a bunch of soles without receiving any order, and just made whatever sizes they felt like. Then they contacted Brand X and the main factory and demanded that the soles be paid for, which was rightly refused. Then the carbon sole company decided that the best way to put pressure on the main factory to make this purchase happen was to freeze all work on all other brands that used the main factory, which included me.

This all came to my attention in June. I talked to the carbon sole company and they would not really say anything more to me than that they had a "contract dispute" with another company and that they could therefore not tell me when or if they would continue work on my project. So I fired them and hired a different company. They are smaller, but they make all the carbon soles for the main factory's in-house brand and they do great work. They jumped into it right away, but we were put months behind by the shenanigans of the other company, who is now being sued by brand x, I believe.

The new company is working hard to get all the molds done, and then complete all the soles to ship to the main factory for production in September. But no one will guarantee me that the timeline will be met.

It would have been impossible for me to imagine at the beginning of this project, so long ago now, how many crazy crazy things would happen to delay this along the way. I am working to get these to you guys as fast as I can!!

- Ed

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

im probably going to give up on tri all together by the time your shoes are out! :-P

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

Can you add fluo green shoes then :D?

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Your story reminds me of what the guys at Flo went through getting their first production wheels out the door. Totally flaky and dishonest contract manufacturers seem to be the norm rather than the exception.

Sorry to hear about the delay, but I look forward to getting a pair when everything gets ironed out.

Hate to hear about another setback. Most people would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. You’re either very persistent or very stupid 😜

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Let food be thy medicine...

Thanks so much for the update Ed - and sorry to hear about the run-around you're getting from your suppliers! Definitely makes me glad I'm not in the manufacturing business, particularly during/in the wake of COVID!

Really appreciate your persistence, can't wait to get my hands on a pair once they're ready!

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B. Sport Coaching and Exercise Science
Triathlon Australia Performance (Level 2) Coach

I am very tempted by these shoes. I wont be in the market for another year so i am perfectly happy waiting. Any idea what the price point would be?

thanks

I was going to write all that Mike's said. Agree 100%.

Good luck Ed and thank you.

OK folks - things are happening. All the tooling is complete. Components are IN PRODUCTION. Final assembly will occur in November.

Here are some production samples in process at the factory in Italy. These are 100% identical to the production shoes, made on production tooling - just missing the printed graphics.





The first production run is expected to be shipped to our warehouses in Europe and the US on November 15th. Every time I have relied on a date I have been told, we have missed it, but things are so far along, this can't be off by all that much.

I will be at the Slowtwitch gathering in Kona. Hopefully, I will have a couple of these samples with me when I am there.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

progress!
looks good

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My Blog - http://leegoocrap.blogspot.com

As we're getting ready for production, I'm working on some instructional videos to help people get the most out of the shoes. Here's a video on doing flying mounts and dismounts, if that's your bag.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Ed:

What is the sizing range on these?

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Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

Here's a size chart. The last was designed in size 44 and then graded up and down from there. I would suggest measuring the length of your foot to confirm the appropriate size. I would be interested to hear what you get on this chart vs. what you normally wear.

To measure, I like to put paper on the floor against a wall (might need to tape 2 together) and put your foot on the paper with your heel against the wall. Then mark the end of your big toe and measure on the paper. Make sure there is no quarter round or molding that prevents the paper from being at the same plane of the wall as your heel, if that makes sense.

Thanks!

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Any chance of widths on the size chart?
I've got a few clients I've advised to wait for your shoes and it's easy to measure with a Brannock Mondo

I get:

L foot 270mm long X 111mm wide
Rt foot 268mm long x 109 mm wide

I typically wear sz 44 and my current lake 403's are 44.5 2E. My D3 custom are 44 2E in the toe box and narrower than normal in the heel.

Your sizing seems short by 1-1.5 sizes.
Prior to buying my Lakes, I tried ~30 pair of cycling shoes. Shimano, LG, Sidi, Giro, Lakes, Mavic and I'm sure I forgot a brand. I was always a size 10 or higher. You would have me at a 9.5

The conversion typically from a men's to women's size is usually 1.5 sizes. You have it at 1 size. A W11 is a M9.5 typically.

As importantly as knowing length what are the widths and vamps?

I've got several people who need/want new cycling shoes for next season considering some are epoxying parts of their shoes back together to get them through their last race(s).

While I really like my Lake's I love my D3s. I might be interested in a new pair depending on width and vamp.

Hope that helps.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta