Just tried the new TRS9 shoes from Carnac. Was super excited to try these on mainly because I was wondering what a $320 tri shoe would feel like. Well, they are super light and look fast. I think they looked better online than in person though. The white carbon sole is super stiff but is more of a mat finish and not the high gloss look. The upper fits nicely with a neoprene opening but I and the other guy trying them on with me had a problem with the inside of the toe box being pretty rough if you were to rub your toes against the top. This may break in as you go though. The sit was also pretty wide, too wide for me but perfect if you have squared off toes or a wider foot. The strap secured nicely but is rather thin so if you have narrow feet (again not in my favor) it doesn’t really snug down real well. I’d personally prefer a wider strap to snug down more of the upper. One of the shop guys who I train with loved the shoes and they fit him like a glove. The strap is “backwards” but I actually think I prefer this design as it’s easier for me to tighten and I can’t really see how it would cause much of a problem getting caught in the chainline or spokes. I tried getting the shoe on quickly and found the neoprene inserts folded down funny and kept getting stuck folded under the tongue as I slid my foot in… not a good sign. And the heel loop was small and rather stiff to try to get you fingers in. So I guess in the end I was a little bummed about the shoes considering that when I heard they came in I hightailed it down to the shop just to try on a pair as they looked so sweet online.
If you order them and have wider feet and the wallet, I think you’ll like the shoes. Personally I’m going to look elsewhere. The Specialized Trivent felt pretty good and the new Shimanos are much improved over last years model.
If order them online and are used to other brands, SIZE DOWN. I wear a 45 in Nike, Sidi, Specialized, Pearl Izumi , SHimano but wore a 44 in the Carnacs. My roomate normally buys a 47 but fit in a 45 in the Carnacs. They fit very large.
