Specialized S-Works Vent EVO

Specialized S-Works Vent EVO: dial up connection for £400

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Specialized S-Works Vent EVO are none-more-ventilated XC and gravel performance shoes. More holes equals more dollar. At £400 these are some pretty full-on footwear.

Specialized S-Works Vent EVO

The S-Word can only mean one thing. Not cheap. Anything bearing the S-Works moniker means it’s the highest of the high end option from Specialized. How high are these particular heels then? They are £400 high.

Oof. “How much?!” etc.

Feel free to jump straight to the comment section to register your disgust. Two hundred quid per foot is indeed quite mind-meltingly extravagant.

If you’re still on this top half of the internet where information exists rather than outrage, here’s what you’re getting with these pimpy sneaks…

Aimed at XC and/or gravel types, the new Specialized S-Works Vent EVO shoes a claim to firmly tick (and pen and everything) three principal design intentions. Cool (as it temperature), comfy and performance.

If you’re a UK rider, you’d be forgiven for not knowing or remembering what Specialized’s Vent vibe is all about. This is because Vent’s primary function is keeping your feet cool.

Personally I can count on the finger of no hand how many times I’ve suffered from overly hot feet whilst riding a bike. Just doesn’t happen ’round here.

Specialized S-Works Vent EVO

Anyhoo. The S-Works Vent EVO joins Specialized’s other VENTy products, namely the S-Works Vent Road shoe and the S-Works Previal Vent II helmet.

The S-Works Vent EVO uses engineered mesh to get air flowing through the toe box, tongue and something called the “medial panel”.

The shoe unsurprisingly features a host of Specialized’s Body Geometry ergonomics, designed to adapt to a variety of different foot shapes. The last of the shoe is a completely new shape for Specialized.

Specialized: “Riders who gravitate towards more causal models because of fitment issues or lengthy break-in times with performance shoes can breathe easy—the S-Works Vent EVO fits more feet for more comfort across more surfaces.”

Other Body Geometry features include a longitudinal Arch built into the outsole, +1.5mm forefoot Varus Wedge to prevent pronation and a metatarsal Button to spread toes and prevent numbness.

The shoes feature the stiffest and lightest FACT Powerline dirt-specific carbon outsole found on the S-Works Recon shoes. The upper is made from a combination of engineered mesh/TPU and Dyneema for soft, suppleness.

Specialized S-Works Vent EVO

Here’s a pleasingly OTT snippet from Specialized’s marketing material to end with: “The S-Works Vent EVO goes watt for watt with the S-Works Recon in terms of performance, durability, and technical innovation. But much like the eyes are the windows to the soul, the S-Works Vent EVO’s ventilated mesh panels are windows to speed and comfort. Whether you’re lining up on race day or rallying roads and trails for miles of smiles, the increased airflow of the S-Works Vent EVO will put you in a flow state.”

While you’re here…

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/specialized-2fo-roost-clip-mountain-bike-shoes-review/
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/poc-consort-mtb-dungaree-review/

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Orange Switch 6er. Stif Squatcher. Schwalbe Magic Mary Purple Addix front. Maxxis DHR II 3C MaxxTerra rear. Coil fan. Ebikes are not evil. I have been a writer for nigh on 20 years, a photographer for 25 years and a mountain biker for 30 years. I have written countless magazine and website features and route guides for the UK mountain bike press, most notably for the esteemed and highly regarded Singletrackworld. Although I am a Lancastrian, I freely admit that West Yorkshire is my favourite place to ride. Rarely a week goes by without me riding and exploring the South Pennines.

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Home Forums Specialized S-Works Vent EVO: dial up connection for £400

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • Specialized S-Works Vent EVO: dial up connection for £400
  • stwhannah
    Full Member

    No one? Really? Not even a ‘@tomhoward already has a pair’? Sigh.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    I can’t fit into them at the moment 🙁 I’d go for the recons though, as I live in a place where someone appears to have left the sprinklers on a constant spray, so the money would be better spent on something more practical. Like a chainring and bashguard, for example.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    The point about venting is soo true, even riding in Spain I’ve never had my feet overheat!

    I’mi did assume they’re was a power meter in there or something considering the price

    PJay
    Free Member

    tomparkin
    Full Member

    No one? Really? Not even a ‘@tomhoward already has a pair’? Sigh.

    I think the problem here may be that there’s some kind of spectrum through “good value” and “reasonable” on to “a bit dear”, “crikey”, and “HOW MUCH” — but it doesn’t end there; it keeps going into a realm where language fails and the concepts involved can only be conveyed by a kind of raw emotion that words fail to express.

    So my hypothesis is that if these shoes were, say 240 notes, you’d get some carping about the cost. But these are just so much further along the spectrum that we don’t have the vocabulary to even complain about it any more.

    Superficial
    Free Member

    So typical of the West Coastal elite organisation with their Californian weather. So out of touch with the soggy-footed little people.

    Brianblessed
    Free Member

    I got as far as the price.

    rickon
    Free Member

    Lots of vents on a shoe in the UK = a bad decision. There’s probbaly 10 days a year that you won’t welcome an unwanted water host into your lovely dry toe people. But, that won’t stop some folk spending ten times what they spent on the pair of worn out Vans or DCs they’ve had for half their own lifetime, held together with dirt and gaffa tape, pressing the metal pedal on their 1 litre Fiat Panda with rubber bands for tyres.

    But still, you’ll look good on your gravel bike. Well, not that anyone can see your shoes because they’re usually covered in the UK’s finest dirt particles.

    But still, you’ll feel special.

    misteralz
    Free Member

    I’m sad that on a forum of IT professionals, nobody’s questioned ‘why dial-up?’ unless there’s a retro trend I don’t know about going on and people are actually using Netscape Navigator again.

    tomhoward
    Full Member

    ‘why dial-up?’

    Cuz the ‘laces’ are done up with dials innit.

    hillsplease
    Full Member

    Precisely 10 times the price of my first ever mountain bike.

    I do like a Sidi Dragon and Spesh are to be congratulated at making me think they’re buttons cheap. Can’t wait to tell Mrs Please about my thrift. Chapeau!

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Have to say I’m tempted, I run SPDs on my road bikes and really like Specialized BG shoes – so these tick all the right boxes for summer road shoes…

    ThePinkster
    Full Member

    My first thought was

    ‘do the dials go to 11?’

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

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