I figure that more of you have them now so it’s time to revisit. Do you like? Are they fairly narrow?
Anyone know how sizing compares to Sidi’s?
I have had mine for about a month and must say they work great. I have tried almost every other tri-shoe other than SIDI ( Carnac, Northwave, Shimano, DMT, Carnac, Louis Garneau) and they work great. I have had “hot foot” problems with almost all of the others. I will admit that they are narrow and therefore will not fit everyone but they seem to be the best option for me.
“It is never too late to fix your childhood!” Tom Robbins
I tried the Trivent on in LBS but found that the two sides where the tongue should have been caused rubbing on the top of my foot. I am looking at the Northwave Tribal but have no experience with NW. How do they compare with the Shimano or Carnac for sizing and shape?
They’re flippin sweet. I am in love with mine.
narrow sounds good to me! But, i read a review and it looks like they are a helluva shoe if they spent that much time and effort designing them.
I’ve had mine for a couple of weeks and I like them. They are a little bit narrow but they are comfy and secure. The upper is flexible enough that I tend to need a little extra pressure when pulling on the main strap to lock them down compared to my Nike Poggio’s, but I guess that is not surprising when you are securing one wide strap at the top instead of two narrow ones.
I have had one for about 3 months now. It is a little narrow compared to other bike shoes, but it fits me very well. Even though it has a bunch of vents, I have used it on some cold days with socks and my feet remained warm.
But size wise?
I finally grabbed mine. The immediate thing that I noticed is the sizing. I typically wear a 48 (13 US) but wear a 47 (13.5 US) in the Trivent and they feel more snug. According to the Specialized sizing chart I should have gone with a 46 but after putting it on it was clear that I needed a size larger. Fortunately I was able to try multiple sizes at the LBS. I recommend trying before buying if you can because they definitely run narrow and the sizing is odd if you have not used specialized shoes before.
I get in and out of them as easily as the TR-01’s but the trivent’s have a little more support with the extra strap across the forefoot. That’s why I chose them. The other thing that I noticed is that the portion of the outsole that interfaces with the cleat is a bit narrow as well. So the bottom corners of larger cleats (look) may not line up flush with the surface if you desire to position your cleats lower on the shoe. I don’t think it will be a problem but is worth a mention as I did not notice it until I was throwing on my cleats. The verdict is still out on the varus wedge thingy. These shoes could easily go for more coin. I only have a few rides in them but so far so good.
Yes, what about size? I wear a 11-1/2 or 12 (US) running shoe and size 46 Sidi’s.
The Specialized chart says 46 = size 13 US but that sounds way too big.
Hey Julian:
I race in an older pair of Northwave Tri shoes, and mostly train in Sidi’s. My NW’s are wider in the forefoot than the Sidi’s. Length-wise they appear about the same, but noticeable wider in the forefoot.
Hope that helps…T
THat’s what I am after, Tim. Thank you. I have a pair of Sidi Iron mtb shoes I use for Cyclo-cross and find that the heel cup is too narrow for me, how are the NW comparing here?
. . . never really paid attention to that since it’s not a problem for me with either shoe. Now that I think about it though, I’d say the NW is going to be slightly wider pretty much all the way through than the Sidi’s.
At least on my NW’s the uppers are not nearly as supple as the Sidi’s, plus with two velcro straps as opposed to the ratcheting system on the Sidi’s, I can get the Sidi’s much more snug.
That said, I’ve raced up to 1/2IM in both, with and without socks and have had no problems getting the NW’s snug and comfortable.
Hope that helps.
T
Pretty much all I need, Tim. I now commence the search.
Thank you.
I liked the Northwave shoes (good support/comfort) but they shrunk about 1/2 size when I was caught in a down pour. I had the same problem with the Shimano. Maybe the new NW uses different leather/material?
“It is never too late to fix your childhood!” Tom Robbins
Hmm, I will check the details on the uppers, many thanks.
Like Julian in England, I found that the top edge of the strap rubbed on my foot (I have a very high arch). I took them to a shoe-repair place and drew a line where I wanted the strap cut down. They cut it down and sewed it back up so nice it looks like they came out of the box that way. That extra $18 and they are now the perfect bike shoes. I love them.
Just picked myself up a pair today. I normally wear 43.5 in most other bike shoes, but went with a 44 in the Specialized, man they feel great. It seems as if they were meant for my feet. I have pretty narrow feet and i’ve tried the Shimano tr02’s and they are way too wide for me, it was like i was swimming in them. And with the metatarsal pad and extra arch support, these Specialized shoes look they are a winner. And agree with the person who said these shoes could be a heck of a lot more expensive.
rocket - I agree - I wore mine at IMAZ and they were extremely comfortable!
I got these after wearing the shimano tri shoes for two years - I have wide"ish" feet but the double velcro adjustment on the Specialized means I can get a comfortable fit regardless.
I love them
Do you Specialized owners find that the double strap system works more like a road shoe than other tri shoes (except maybe the Sidi)?