any why? I need a new pair! My Sidi’s are like 9 years old and until last night when I tried on a new
shoe, I didn’t realized how flimsy they are. I’m sure they have a new design that is better.
Thanks!
a lot depends on what kind of foot you have and what fits it well. Northwae, for instance, has a wide toe box and is good for someone with a high volume foot. I always had good luck with shimano, given i have somewhat narrow feet. I now have specialized, and they are great…very light, stiff, and narrow. Try a bunch on. It’s not like a running shoe, they should be snug.
We stopped selling SIDI several years ago when their prices started creeping up and they changed U.S. wholesale distributors. That was one of (many) really stupid mistakes I’ve made. As a result, I was on my knees to their sales rep two years later begging to be a dealer again.
The first sign I made a mistake was when all the fellows who work here were buying SIDIs mail order for themselves and paying retail as opposed to wearing shoes we sold that they got employee purchase discounts on. Ooops. It wasn;t that the shoe brands we were selling were *bad. *It’s just that the SIDI’s were so much better. One fellow who works here just paid $575 retail for a very high end pair of SIDIs. Needless to say, we got back in bed with those guys.
They are simply the best shoes available in my opinion.
I have really been impressed with the Specialized shoes. They have made some dramatic strides in both the tri and road markets in the past few years with really well thought out designs, technology and styles.
I recently switched to the Specialized S-Works BG Carbon shoe. While it is a road shoe, this shoe by nature of it’s design and technology would be a great tri shoe for any event longer than a sprint.
Why not for a sprint? Too hard to get in and out of, relative to the benefits of wearing them?
Why not for a sprint? Too hard to get in and out of, relative to the benefits of wearing them?
I have not tried this yet, but from what I can tell getting this shoe, on and off would be slightly, just slightly more challenging than a typical one strap TriShoe. So if every second counts for you in a sprint, then look else where. The up side is this shoe fits way better than any other tri shoe on the market, if this is the shoe for you and it fits. I note that it goes on/off way easier than any other traditional three strap or two strap and ratchet road shoe. It really seems to be the best of all worlds.
Dead on the money with Sidis. I have a pair of Addidas and Specialized, too. Nice shoes, but I love my Sidi Energys. But, they’re so pricey that you can get custom (D2, Rocket) for just a little more.
One thing I can’t understand is why I can mail order them from European sites at less that LBS cost. I realize that this voids the warranty, but in my little mba pea-brain, this makes me think Sidi or their distributor is really taking advantage of folks. When you can buy the $499 shoes off the web for less that $300 shipped, it makes things very tough on the LBS.
Thanks for the replies. I tried on the Specialized last night and really liked them. I see what you mean as being used as a long distance tri shoe as well. I like the quick release. I’m going to check out some new Sidi’s as well.
Sidi Genius, Sidi Triathlon. Sidi, Sidi, Sidi
DISCLOSURE: i used to own a shoe store so i’ve got a thing for shoes. that said, i have about 18 pair of high end cycling shoes (road & tri) and while i like many of them for different reasons i keep coming back to my sidi genius 5 and specialized s-works boa’s (2nd generation) for my road riding.
i’m a big fan of specialized BG design and like others have said, a carbon soled sidi is so nice and stiff for power transfer while the uppers are nice and soft on your feet. i haven’t broken down and gotten a pair of Rocket 7’s yet but after i finish the bathroom remodel…
you dont happen to be a size 11? lol
i’ve tossed up ads in the classifieds section…err bike section. running/cycling shoes don’t seem to get much action. but if anyone is a 41, 41.5, 42 or 42.5 they should definitley PM me 
Sidi Genius. That’s it. I’ve had a pair for 10 years and have been looking for a deal on a size 45 for a couple months now.
Count me in as interested…size 41.5 and looking to replace my low-end Carnacs, but can I just e-mail you? I don’t what PM is. I know what IM is, not PM though.
i have very narrow heels and a wide forefoot, making shoe fit difficult, but i have found the solution in the heat-moldable Shimano 300’s. very stiff, light, comfortable, and don’t slip on the heel due to special material in the heel cup. the less-expensive SM 220s are a cool-looking white and have most of the same features. good luck.
seamus
Total Sidi whore here… I have 7 pairs: 3 road (for 2 different pedal systems, plus a spare pair I got on closeout that lay await in storage), Tri, MTB, touring, and a winter boot. Over the years, I’ve also tried/owned Shimano, Specialized, Carnac, and Northwave, and each time I ended up replacing them with another pair of Sidis.
Sincerely,
Imelda Signori.
My recs are almost always Sidis (if they fit) or Specialized. I really like the S-works Boa shoes as well and I’ve been using them for several years.
Nashbar has the Sidi Genius 5 for $205 right now which is a pretty good price. A few weeks ago I snagged a pair from them for only $150 and absolutely love 'em.
Scott
I have the Side Ergo2 and the a newer model of the genious with the hi tech carbon sole which is also a great shoe. Both of them kick ass, The only time I use anything other than a sidi is at Tris because I got a free pair of shimano shoes which are ok. I just ordered the Sidi Terra which is an offroad tri shoe, Im really stoked to try them out at XTERRA this summer!!!
Dammit. I had been keeping such a keen eye on the Performance website that I totally neglected Nashbar. Good find.
ps. Any idea if they have any coupons running? 