I picked up a pair of the new Louis Garneau Carbon Tri HRS shoes yesterday and all I can say is wow. I had seen photos of this shoe but they do not do it justice. It is much cooler in person. I’m not a big fan of white tri shoes normally and I still don’t understand why so many use white. But these will catch your eye immediately. The bulk of the shoe is white patent leather so it has a bit of a sheen to it that really makes it pop in person. This is where the photographs of this shoe do not do it justice.
LG shoes have always fit me nicely. They have a slightly wider toe box than other shoes out there. These don’t seem to have quite as wide a toe box as my LG Tri Air Compo’s but that might be because I was in a size too large (the reason I had to get a new pair). The Carbon Tri HRS is noticably stiffer than the Tri Air Compo’s and boast an all carbon bottom. The HRS stands for Heel Retention System and I think this is an area where the shoe shines (pun intended). The shoe has this tackiness at the inside of the heel which seems to lock my foot into the shoe with the same snug fit tht my SIDI road shoes provide. The upper is mostly mesh which seems very breathable. There is a lot of ventilation on the shoe without seeming to compromise any structural integrity. The shoe feels totally solid when pedalling. The show just disappears when you are pedalling. Very efficent transfer of power.
I’m not sure why the toe strap is there. For me it didn’t seem to effect the fit at all but this might be different for someone with a more narrow forefoot. The shoe is heat moldable but I haven’t even messed with that yet. I’m really impressed with this shoe. It is definitely the best looking tri shoe I have seen and doesn’t seem to make any compromises on performance. At $250 it isn’t a cheap shoe but it is definitely worth checking out if you are in the market for a new shoe. If you see this shoe in person you’ll know what I mean.