Following the launch earlier this week of an S-Works gravel tyre, the new S-Works Vent EVO two-bolt shoes underline Specialized’s heavy focus on off-road performance.
Essentially, the S-Works Vent EVO is combining the “durability and technical innovation” of the S-Works Recon off-road shoes with the ventilation and breathability of the S-Works Vent road shoes – making for a high-performance off-road shoe for hot conditions.
Specialized doesn’t limit the S-Works Vent EVO’s use to just XC race courses or gravel races. The benefits of the Body Geometry shaped sole and footbed, along with the improved temperature regulation, makes the shoe equally suited to those racking up the miles, exploring near and far.
The construction
(Image credit: Specialized)
Specialized has applied its “advanced engineered mesh” across the toe box, tongue and medial panel in order to “pull in and move air around your foot as efficiently as possible."
Together with the TPU and Dyneema panels, the upper is said to be sufficiently supple so as to remove lengthy break-in times, whilst still providing the required support.
Applying Specialized's Body Geometry data, the sole and footbed have been “scientifically tested” to “increase power and efficiency while reducing the chance of injury by optimising hip, knee, and foot alignment.”
(Image credit: Specialized)
More specifically, the shoes feature a “Longitudinal Arch”, built into the outsole and designed to better support the foot and prevent arch collapse. In addition, a 1.5mm forefoot “Varus Wedge” has been included to prevent forefoot collapse, while a “Metatarsal Button” helps spread the toes to prevent numbness.
Using the same FACT Powerline carbon plate as the Recon off-road shoes – Specialized’s lightest and stiffest – the responsiveness and power transfer of the S-Works Vent EVO should be on a similarly high level.
Pricing and availability
The shoes come in at £400.00 / $450.00, which puts them at the upper end of Specialized’s S-Works range. In the UK, only the S-Works EXOS lightweight road shoes come in more expensive, at £450. In the US, that $450.00 price tag puts the Vent EVO as currently the most expensive S-Works shoes in the range, with the S-Works EXOS only $425 by comparison.
After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back.
But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia.
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