KT 2012 Gear Review: fi’zi:k Shoes
It was Marko’s love letter about fi’zi:k’s points-of-contact that started this off. It led to a conversation that resulted in us heading off to Belgium with some fi’zi:k point-of-contact items to test. Most stimulating was the notion of testing Italian cycling shoes. Both Marko and Gianni have publicly admitted their cycling shoe issues. Marko has shoes for each bike, that is a shoe issue. Gianni is just a picky, picky bastard: they have to fit very well, feet can’t ever slide around, and they have to look decent. Frank lucked into a pair of R1 shoes, the best Fizik makes, but Merckx punished him with narrow flippery feet, too narrow for the Fizik last. This made @Rigid one lucky S-O-B. And Brett, he has issues, enough to get him deported back to Oz but shoes seem to be low on the list.
VLVV -The Keepers
Gianni’s take:
When fi’zi:k jumped into the cycling shoe market a few years back I was surprised and a little skeptical. Shoes are not easy and cycling shoes are definitely not easy, they have nothing in common with saddles except being a contact point on a bike. And how can one not be a stickler about cycling shoes, I sure am. I’m a real pain in my own ass when it comes to finding great shoes. I’ve waxed rhapsodic about my old Maressi lace up shoes, I loved my Carnacs, I sold my White Ladies to Frank because they didn’t fit my foot correctly. How do you make a cycling specific bit of apparel where form has to follow function and somehow accommodate as many different shaped feet as possible?
Let me digress to the subject of form. My white R3s are so good looking I easily overlook some of their foibles simply because as I ride, I look down and see these killer white shoes and much is forgiven. A cycling friend has the red R3s and watching him ride away from me is now easier. Having fondled the white R1s, I believe they are the sweetest looking shoes out there, pure unadulterated white goodness. I take every chance to show anyone that will look the underside of the shoe’s tongue, it’s the Italian red, green and white, a beautiful touch. These shoes are made in Italy and I hope to be riding them five years from now which is more than I can say for my Chinese made Specialized S-Works shoes. Those weren’t going to last five years but now, as they are resting on a shelf as I road test the fi’zi:ks, they might.
Pros
- Great heel cup.
- Fit medium to wide feet.
- Nice arch support.
- The carbon sole is not too stiff, not too soft, just right.
- They look fantastic.
- Very well made in Italy.
Cons
- Straps not as good as boa lace system for perfect fit.
- Website needs more size information.
My remark about straps is a generic one. I like the way the boa wire evens up the tension making for a more secure fit. If fi’zi:k ever goes to that for the lower two straps then they will really have a perfect shoe. The ball of my right foot moved around even with all straps tight and for me, that was a problem. Like Brett, I slipped in an old pair of Specialized footbeds and the extra thickness fixed the problem. Never be afraid to fool around with different insoles. Regarding sizing, I believe they might run a half size large compared to Specialized and Carnac. It would be helpful for the website to have as much sizing information as possible as many US customers are going to have to buy these online.
Brett’s take:
I love these shoes. From the moment I saw the box, with its fold out twin compartments and story of the road printed on it, I knew this was going to be more than just a new pair of kicks; it was an experience, wrapped up in leather and embossed on my soul as well as my feet. And when I slipped them on, all my notions of Italian grandeur were confirmed.
I’ve owned a few different brands of cycling shoes over the years, and most have been fairly satisfactory in doing the job they were designed to do; wrap your feet and transfer the forces from the guns to the pedal. Some were a bit underwhelmed in the stiffness of the sole, some did better in that area but lacked in the comfort stakes, and some did both well but not amazingly. My Sidis were probably the best of the bunch, but the gaudy Italophile colour scheme became dated long before the leather showed signs of wear. The carbon soles of my Specializeds were admirably stiff, but the heel box never quite felt supple, and became annoying on rides over a couple of hours. They looked pretty good in the white though, but as I cleared out my S-branded gear they had to move on, more for the discomfort factor though. A pair of black Loius Garneau HRS Carbons were next, and despite the ability to heat-mold the uppers in the kitchen oven, still had a bit of a plasticky feel to them (not doubt due to the amount of shiny, plasticky material used).
Then the R3s arrived, and it was love at first sight, and pure sex when I slipped inside them. I fitted them with my much-loved Specialized footbeds, which had made all my previous shoes just that bit more comfortable and functional, but the fi’zi:k footbeds proved to be even more comfy and efficient. The carbon sole was a step up in stiffness too, and my pre-Keepers Tour rides revealed that I’d have no fit or comfort issues for the cobbles. I went in confident, and came out even more so.
Getting the size right was an exercise in research, and ultimately a lot of guesswork. As Gianni stated, there needs to be more guidance on this from the fi’zi:k website. Gianni found a shop site with a pretty good guide, which turned out to be quite accurate in getting the sizing right. I have always been a 44 in Sidi, with a bit of room in the toe box to facilitate the narrower profile. Specialized required a 43 for a good fit, whereas the LGs were 44 and a pair of Pearl Izumis saw me go to a 45! I did all the calculations and tentatively opted for a 43.5 in the fi’zi:ks. Turned out I got it spot on, and the slipper-like fit confirmed my choice.
The little details of the R3s all add up to a killer shoe, the titanium strap rings, alloy ratchet levers, carbon top strap and sail-cloth lower straps are all functional and super styley. I prefer the look of the black accents on the toe box and heel cup of the R3s to the all-white R1s, and they are actually lighter than the R1s too. And if they’re good enough for Millar, they’re good enough for me.
Frank’s take:
It was like love at first site, between me and the fi’zi:k R1’s that came my way. All white? Full carbon sole? Made from dead baby kangaroos? Yes, please. I don’t know why leather from a dead Kangaroo might be better than from a dead cow, but leave it up the Italians to do the leg work on that one and come up with the answer. I anticipated them like crazy, and Marko, who had received the shipment and sent them out to the Keepers, wasn’t helping as he kept sending me photos of the shoes to keep me nice and hungry. A shoe on a dashboard here, a shoe on a desk there. It was torture.
When they arrived, I experienced the shoes just like @brett described; the double box was a pleasure to open and read. The shoes are hands down the sexiest cycling shoes I’ve ever laid hands on; the seams all beautifully finished and the uppers bonded immaculately to the carbon sole. To slip your feet into them begs the question as to whether they are actually even cycling shoes and not just slippers with drill holes; the dead kangaroo question sorted, those hoppy little bastids are supple as hell. Must be all the bouncing around they do.
I slept with them at the bedside for a few days while I awaited dry enough weather to merit giving them their first ride. Sadly, my doubts about their volume proved correct as my freakish low-volume feet wouldn’t marry up to the roomy fit of the shoe. My feet aren’t particularly narrow, but they are very thin and as such I had to synch the shoes down as far as they would go and even then, I found my feet slipping around. A few emails back and forth with fi’zi:k who confirmed my fears: fi’zi:k’s design tends not to work for people with low-volume feet. Proving that my love for aesthetics does ultimately take a back seat to function, I was forced to return to my usual shoes.
Such beautiful shoes needed a good home, and I ultimately decided to donate them to Rigid during Keepers Tour as it was clear he needed a fresh set of kicks. He loved them to bits and they certainly didn’t seem to slow him down any.
Marko’s take:
Here we are, four grown men claiming to be hard, riding the most hard core of roads one can on a bike and we’re talking about how lovely our several-hundred-dollar a pair Italian shoes are. I’m reminded of that TV show that took place in New York City. You remember, the one with the four hottie fashionistas who drank a lot of cosmopolitans and made us all envious of how much time they spent in bed. If the Keepers are those chicks, I’m clearly the one with the shoe fetish and the fi’zi:k R1’s are my Manolo Blahniks.
Admittedly, I actually own a pair of R1’s and R3’s. Hello, my name is Marko and I’m a shoe whore. The R1’s were provided to me by the good folks at fi’zi:k. I snatched the R3’s off the clearance rack at Barney’s for a steal of a deal. Since Gianni and Brett already did the R3’s justice, I’ll just add that mine have become my dedicated gravel shoes. One might think that a CX or MTB shoe might be better for gravelling and that’s what I rode for years. However, my embarrassment of shoe riches forced me to move the R3’s over to the gravel rig. After all, gravelling is essentially road riding and road pedals work much better. The R3’s perform great in that application for all the reasons already mentioned plus they clean up superbly. I am to understand that the uppers are essentially constructed from the same material as the microtex bar tape. We all know how durable and easy to clean that stuff is. After 100 miles of grimy, sweaty gravel on the Almanzo the R3’s cleaned right up and were ready for the next cocktail party.
The R1’s are everything the R3’s are but go up to 11. Yes, that’s one higher. Rather than using microtex, the uppers are fully made from baby Kangaroo leather. The sensuousness of this leather is sublime. It is tough, supple, cleanable, and very pretty. Baby Kangaroo leather might just be Australia’s best export. And while the carbone sole is the same as the R3’s, the R1’s come with a heat moldable insole. As Gianni said, don’t be afraid to try various insoles for that Cinderella fit (I ride a Specialized insole in the R3’s). The heat moldable insole of the R1’s gave me a Cinderella fit right out of the box. I haven’t baked them for two reasons. The first, is that they fit well straight-away. The second is that there is no information on the fizik website about how to mold them even if I needed to. As a former ski-boot fitter I know a lot of people do this in the shop and that fizik has good shop support for their products. But it would behoove them to paste an insole molding tutrorial on their site for the do-it-yourselfer.
We received our support from fizik very shortly before the Keepers Tour and I didn’t have the opportunity to ride my R1’s before leaving. Based on the fit of the R3’s and comfort out of the sweet box that Bretto mentioned, I was confident the R1’s would serve me well on the KT. As you may imagine though, there was a certain level of trepidation that the untested shoes wouldn’t be quite right over the cobbles on a trip of a lifetime. Those concerns were quickly allayed on the first ride of the KT, a 120K sufferfest over the pave of Roubaix straight into the velodrome. The Onyx Blahniks (yes, added to the Lexi) were not thought about until the end of the ride as any good performing, comfortable shoe should be forgotten about on rides. Having zero issues with the contact point to my pedals meant that I could focus all my attention on the pain in my hands and the fact that I had to ride a child’s bike when my shitty FSA seatpost snapped on the Orchies sector.
I’ve gone back to riding the Yellow Princesses on my rain bike after riding fizik shoes on numbers 1 and 2. And although surely not applicable to all shoes, the biggest fit difference for me between the YP’s and the Onyx Blahniks (as well as the Aristocrats) is the sole. The fizik soles, not only the insole but the carbon soles themselves, feel much more contoured to the foot whereas the YP’s feel noticeably flat. Now I’m no cobbler, but doesn’t it seem logical that your feet would be more comfortable and perform better on a surface that matches their shape? Riding the YP’s is a pleasant experience but the tingly feeling on the bottom of the foot creeps in on long rides. This simply is not the case with the fizik shoes. I have yet to have any pain or discomfort in these shoes whether it be on pave, tarmac, or gravel or on rides from 20 to 170k.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/[email protected]/fizik shoe review/”/]
Oh yea, I understand shoe sagas. Started pedaling on Giro Factor shoes sized (44.5) to fit right and allow foot swell. Black with red detail which matches my Sword (my bike) — Black with red detail.
I have 3 pairs of fizik shoes. 2 red R3s, one for summer, and one half size up for winter to accomodate thicker socks. 3rd is the all white r1, which is sized for summer, but so beautiful I’ve yet been able to get myself to screw up some speedplays to it.
They are sexy. They fit my foot well. Not the lightest shoe, so weight weenies beware. The packaging is a page right from Apple. These shoes are truly something else.
The black top strap on the r3’s is a nice personal touch.
Gawdammit, I want a pair of those. Is the kangaroo skin melanoma-free?
@roger
Shoe “problem” as well, do you? You may be my brutha-frum-anutha-mutha.
@roger
You, my friend, have a shoe issue! I’m impressed, 3 pairs. I tried on Frank’s white R1s and was very dissapointed they were a bit to big for me. Damn they are nice looking and I bet all leather uppers only get more comfortable after a good soaking rain ride.
It helps to have an industrial sewing machine. I was impressed with his mod too.
@Nate
Too young to develop skin cancer…we are talking youth, young nubile kangas.
@Gianni
Thanks for the cruelty-free product deets. But for the record I am not an antipodean marsupial fucker.
The idea of changing shoes scares the shit out of me. No joke I had crippling pain with my first shoes, low end Sidis. I may have found the right shoes with my Red Damsels but who knows. I have some jacked up feet. If money was less of an issue I would have no problem trying Fiziks. Glad for the honest reviews.
*sobs*
Sadly, I have a pair of Specialized R087s in dull, boring grey. I’m too poor to afford something as expensive as these beauties.
One day though…
@Xyverz
Errm, that should be Shimano R087s…
@Gianni
Kangaroo leather is the best leather for shoes because of its combo of light weight and high strength.
And because it is good fun to shoot ‘Roos. But they are fucking bad news if you are riding near one. A mate of mine was descending a few years back and this crazy wallaby started jumping next to him. He said he thought this was cool for couple of seconds until the wallaby jumped across the road in front of him – bringing him down hard.
@RedRanger
I too am leary of changing cycling shoes. My main shoes are a pair of Northwave Aerator 3s as presented enthusiastically by Mr. Boonen (I’m rule compliant enough to know not to have purchased the world champ version though – mine are white and red)which I finally got dialed with cleat shims and a generic version of the As Seen On TV ‘WalkFit’ plastic arch supports. Despite being narrow, my foot also apparently is high volume, so much so that any insoles or orthotics required for arch support means I’d have to pick between my toes being pressed up into the leather on the top of the toe area or my heel slipping out. Northwave changed their last and now none of their line fits me at all so when my Aerators wear out I’m not sure where I’ll go.
@VeloVita
yup. Mine are the Northwaves in the Red Damsels picture. If it wasn’t obvious I love red. Love those shoes.
I’m sticking with my Orange Sunshine.
Oh the envy is strong…Very nice shoes.
One question though. With @frank’s inhumanly long legs and “freakish low-volume feet” how is it that he can stand up? And should we start calling him Barbie?
Do you wear spats instead of knee warmers with these?
Oh, and why don’t they use Italian Kangaroo leather?
@Cyclops
Marko did start referring to these as ‘the aristocrats’ very early on in our dealings with fizik. It’s formal cycling wear.
I think they have a surplus down there.
@Gianni @Cyclops
I heard they originally tried to make the shoes out of Australian shoulder chips, but they provided to be far too brittle.
This article, while perhaps one of the longest on the site, is timely, as I have beens struggling with decisions on this topic.
I have rather non-descript Shimano shoes that I acquired pre-V-enlightenment. They are functional, fit, cause me no issues. They are scuffed, but in fair condition. Importantly, they are paid for.
Post-V-enlightenment, I have begun to covet the White Ladies. They look uber-pro. And (this was the kicker) they just came out with a 4-hole version to fit sppedplays, my mechanical contact points of choice.
But….the fucking things are $500/pair. Yikes. Let me says that again: YIKES!
So, the Rules require that it be All About The Bike (lest I be a twatwaffle) but does the Bike include The Shoes? By Merckx, by gum, I sure could do other Bike Things(tm) with 5 bills. Should this be a V-priority?
How would these shoes work for someone with flat feet?
They are pretty. And it was super cool to get them for the KT. But shoes are funny things. IMHO, they have to fit your foot juuusst right. While I only have the one pair of kicks for cycling (Sidi Ergo Carbons), they fit my foot just right. Mostly. Just like every other shoe. It’ll be interesting to see how they fit after having some surgery on my foot this fall.
@scaler911
Fit is the one thing I think I’ve lucked out on with my cheapo Shimano R087s. They are, hands-down, the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. If they were a street shoe, I’d wear them all day long. I do, as a matter of fact, wear them all day long when I go for long rides (150+km in a day).
My next pair of cycling kicks will have big shoes to fill … so to speak.
(said R087s are my first pair of road shoes)
@Cyclops
Pretty shoes, although they look a bit like rock climbing shoes in the main picture, due to the black nose….some of the other pictures attached do them more justice. How vented and breathable are they? Any good for 30C plus weather? How do they hold up when flooded with sweat? Do kangaroos sweat?
The R3’s are my second-ever pair of road shoes, the first being Mavic Avenirs, which I will always remember fondly, like a first girl friend (both served me well for about 2 years).
They are very comfortable, but too wide for me. I went back and bought the optional heat-moldable footbeds and it’s a little better.
But, BUT: maybe it’s just having my first stiff carbon soles, and not to get all Huangy, but I really feel like I can transfer more power to the pedals. I FEEL like I ride faster. What price that?
So, I love my R3’s, even if they don’t fit perfectly (at my height, none of my clothes fit perfectly, so I’m used to it).
@eightzero
Shoes are a bitch. I actually like my dowdy old Spesh S-Works shoes. Well, I like the fit and lightness but I arrived at those shoes by going to a serious store with cycling socks and trying on shoes for literally 2 hours. They are all pretty different. Shimano were too narrow, Sidi ended up not fitting well, I ended up with Spesh because they were snug.
I’m too cheap to ever pay maximum for Sidis and I use speedplay too. If Fizik had not given me these to test I’d never buy them before I could try them on. But, I did see David Millar wearing them and I have had carbone for the aristocrats for a few seasons so it’s good to finally own them.
@mcsqueak
Looks like Fizik stole their design from Sir Les….
@Adrian
Good question. I found them warmer than the Spesh s-works but not uncomfortable and I’m riding in hot sun +30c all the time. More I notice my socks are a little sweatier. They have a lot of holes, no mesh. I’ve ridden in pouring rain, no worries, they clean up well. The R3 aristocrats are mostly synthetic, it’s the R1s that are all baby kanga.
@RedRanger
ooowwwww, another good question. There is some arch built into the sole. Is that a good thing for flat dogs? Fucked if I know.
Is anyone using the speedplay specific SIDI’s? Worth it or just a gimmick? Father’s day coming up and considering splashing out
@Gianni
Wut? Dowdy old S works shoes? Aren’t they still like 3-400 bucks? For the record I’m not convinced shoes add that much to your riding experience. I spend less on shoes but more on shoe covers than the average bear. Having said that, I’ve never ridden a pair of s works or sidi shoes, so I’m not an authority.
@Adrian
I ride the Sidi/ Speedplay combo, but not the ones specific for that (the Ergo 3 Carbon Speedplay). I have a friend that got them and said any difference wasn’t worth the $500 he dropped for them.
@Gianni
Really!? I’m riding around with Kangeroos wrapped around my feet – just call me Skippy. Guess there are enough of the bouncing marsupials in Aussie not to miss a few. Outback cars have Roo bars on because Kangas tend to fly across the roads unexpectedly. Great shoes though, they look so beautiful I almost don’t want to get them grubby on the road. Perfect function as well..
@Rigid
Outback cars have Roo bars on because Kangas tend to fly across the roads unexpectedly.
Having lived in the Outback for a couple of years and used my Roo bar on more than a few occasions (not that they help much, since the bastiges will turn and jump into the rear quarter panel of the car anyway), I can’t think of a better use for a Roo than to make these shoes.
Either that or served alongside a nice roasted sweet potato.
I thought it was because they’re feral, and difficult to farm. The cute ones at zoos have far too much input to use em for footwear.
Red shoes?! Woah. (says the man with Silver Slippers.)
They look sharp in black & white! I’ve been on a big black/white kit kick for a year or so now. Let the bike & the Guns do the talkin’.
Carbon soles not too stiff. Very important! A friend compared riding in super stiff cycling shoes like running on a concrete floor, barefoot, for hours on end. Gotta take care of those feet and comfort is far more important than a few grams, I think.
Oh, a pal just got some Mavic shoes, not sure which model, but their high end ones for sure. Insanely light. I’m curious if they’ll hold up well though. Sidis, while expensive, last a long, long time in my experience.
On another note, for our NZed buddies – saw The Clean last night, last show on a tour. Jeez, those guys are awesome! Asked them about their flight home – Raleigh, NC, Dulles, LAX, Auckland, Dunedin. I wished them good luck on that thing!
@Frank – What shoes do you normally ride?
My long narrow thin feet have been a damn curse as far as finding a good fitting pair of shoes… I’m on Bont’s now but the darn things are way too wide and have way too much volume.
Shoes gotta fit. And they have to be black. I’ve found these to be nice and snug for my slightly wide-ish paddles. In terms of matching, I like that I’m linking up top and toes.
@Steampunk
Nice. Was/Wanted to go Trans, but decided on Factor (Black) and will use hi-arch on the next test ride. And Giro socks win on my product testing for past 6 months.
@Skinny_Mike
Went from Bont A1 to Giro Prolight SLX — begat Giro Factor. Narrow and they look narrow too.
@versio
I haven’t tried their socks, but maybe I should. I rather like Giordana’s left/right-specific socks, but then again the Italophile in me likes all things Giordana…
@minion
Yes, you are correct. They aren’t cheap except compared to Sidis. New ones are plenty of money. I called mine dowdy because mine are old, black and well worn. I agree to some degree about shoes. It’s more important they fit well and are comfortable for the long ride, that’s what matters.
Almost all newer shoes have a decent stiff sole and are not ski-boot heavy like my old Carnacs, which I thought were the d’s bollocks until I upgraded to the shoes in the photo.
@Skinny_Mike
Skinny, Frank rides the White Ladies I sold him a while back. I believe there is still a lot of love there.
I have found shoe nirvana for my narrow, extremely arched feet with the Lake CX331. Kanga leather, full cable lace, and Specialized extreme arch inserts.
@Steampunk
Ah, are they trans? if so they are the shoes I wished i’d bought. Might still get a pair for when my Scott Road Comp (which have been great) die.
I do like the fizik shoes but they are just a bit too flash / expensive for me.
@motor city
They are. I really like them so far, especially after picking them up for half price at the end of last season.
@Ron
Great band, aren’t they Ron? To my regret I haven’t seen them play for nearly thirty years, and I live in the same country! Did they play Point That Thing Somewhere Else? It was coincidentally playing on my iTunes just before I read your post…
@Ron
I’m a Mavic convert.
Got now 2 pairs of Chasm Mtb shoes, older in black and new in Silver.
Also have the Pro road shoe in white.
I love them. They’re all built on the same last as those models are at the matching price point. They’re light, carbon sole and fit me perfectly.
@Ron
@mouse
Mavic man here too – snagged a pair of white Zxelliums on sale for $150, which was a steal for a shoe this good. The upper hugs the foots like nothing else I’ve tried, snug and tight yet without any specific pressure-points. And they’re light – the pair with SPD-SL cleats weighs almost as little as a single Sidi with a Speedplay cleat. Going to get myself a pair of yellow ones next.
Sidi were too narrow, Shimano too wide, Bont too expensive (over here, at least) while Garneau and Bontrager were just meh. Mavic – just right.