I have been riding Carnac for a long time…and have heard good things about the Shimano Tri shoe…any input?
For tri shoes, it seems that the specialized trivent is the way to go. That being said, many people choose Carnac because they are good for people with wide feet (not sure if that is you or not). I’d take a good look at the specialized shoe. A lot of the pros, whether they are sponsored by Specialized or not seem to be wearing them – Peter Reid (obviously), but also Tim DeBoom, Bjorn, and others.
I’m not a fan with the Carnacs. I don’t like the way the straps open to the inside and I’ve had to trim the strap width just so they’d slide better through the plastic buckel. I have wide feet and had to “stretch them out” in the toe box. I’m going to look for Shimano or Trivent this off season. What is the input on LGs?
I also have been riding Carnacs for over 10 years and tried to switch to the Tri-Vent. I absolutely love the fit and feel of the shoe but had some difficulty with the shoe and returned them this afternoon ironically. I had a first pair and had the cleats placed in the same position as my carnac’s, but experienced a Chirping sound. The bike shop returned the first pair who returned them to Specialized for return due a threading issue. My second pair also had a chirping sound and i abandonded my ride after a couple of minutes. We then put shims in the shoes and now I have experienced the chirping and a severe vibration. I know with my Carnacs I used an adapter with my Look fixed pedals. I have riden competitively for over 25 years and never experienced this issue before. Don’t get so stuck on what other people say which is the better brand because shoes as well as all triathlon equipment is up to individual needs and tastes. If anyone has any idea on what might make the Specialized shoe work with my current cleat position I would be very interested in giving them another try because they certainly felt great on my foot and now that I live a year round warm climate the issue of colder riding is no longer a concern they certainly would be a great fit. I also think they would work well without socks.
Any information on this issue would be a great help.
there are lots of good tri shoes on the market. I really like Shimano, specialized shoes just do not agree with me. Sidi have been very good for a long time. I used to use Carnacs, I really liked them as well. The Nike shoe is supposedly quite good, and I would seriously consider Louis Garneau tri shoes.
If you are happy with the Carnacs, I would recommend that you stick with them. Better the devil you know.
I have 4 pair of carnac that are good. They are comfortable and cool(temps).
But I love Shimano tri shoes. The reverse strap the carbon sole is very stiff. And the remain cool all day long. No hot spots on my feet or foot fatigue. But this is what works for me. I do have a wide foot and that is what drew me to Carnacs. My vote…Shimano hands down.
I just went through this yesterday. Tried on the Carnac, Specialized and Shimano. Specialized was too narrow. Toss up between the Shimano, and Carnac. The Shimano just felt better barefoot, so I went with those.
I had two pairs of Carnacs (tri shoe and road shoe) but have since switched to the carbon soled Shimano. They just fit my feet better and I agree about the carbon sole. No flex and no hot spots with is nice since I am using speedplays.
I have to second the Carnacs.
I have 2 of their TRS9C and have been on their shoes for 3 seasons now.
Best in the biz, in my opinion.
Ciao,
If you have wide feet you may want to look at Northwave’s. I could not get my extra wide foot into the Shimano’s.
I have both Shimano TR02 and Carnac Quartz. Love them both. One definite consideration is that the Shimano single velcro strap is designed for triathletes who are stepping into their shoes after beginning the cycling leg–strap won’t get caught in drivetrain before it is velcroed across.
–Brian
I have the shimano TR1s. They are nice shoes. The only complaint (small) is that sometimes the strap may rub the crankarms a little bit while riding. I have very narrow feet, so I probably have more strap overalap than most.
The Carnacs may be good if you have a wider foot.
i used my shimano TR02’s all season last year. they were awesome. no socks…still comfortable…no rubbing, hence no blisters. the vent in the front seemed to work well. the big velcro strap was easy. could have been my fit, but sometimes felt a bit loose. i think that was intentional on my part as i wasn’t sure if my feet would swell (they didn’t too much).
plus, i love the silver! went with my full DA color scheme…
I hope SIDI tri shoes are worth considering too. I just ordered a pair of SIDI carbon tri shoes. Tom Demerly’s (hope I spelled his name correctly) site gave them a good review.
They are light weight and carbon soles are good with speedplay small surface area pedals.