Riding a bicycle is a wonderfully simple task. You push power through the pedals and away you go. Hold on to the bars and there you have it – you’re a cyclist. Feels good, doesn’t it?
But ask any road cyclist what change made the biggest improvement to their riding and they’ll all give you the same answer – the right shoes. The right shoes help you to look good, ride well and make the whole experience a whole lot better.
Specially created to ensure every single ounce of power is transferred into forward motion, Specialized shoes adorn the feet of some of the best cyclists on the planet. Our S-Works slippers have been on the top step of the WorldTour podium plenty of times over the last few months.
But not all of us need super-stiff road shoes capable of dealing with 1000+ watts. With that in mind, we’ve been working hard to create an ‘entry-level’ shoe that is as feature-packed as our podium topping kicks, designed to meet the demands of regular riders with no corners cut. Let us show you the way with our new Torch 1.0 road shoes.
Throw away the rulebook
The back yard at Specialized HQ is piled up with old rulebooks. We chuck ‘em out, you see. The Torch 1.0 does away with the old idea that ‘entry-level’ should mean cheaper tech and compromising on style. They come equipped with Body Geometry sole construction and footbeds, ergonomically designed and scientifically tested to boost power, increase efficiency and reduce the chance of injury by optimising hip, knee and foot alignment. The Varus Wedge, Longitudinal Arch and Metatarsal Button provide superior comfort and support.
All this in a £90 shoe? You’re joking, right?
No joke. And there’s more to these shoes than that. The lightweight and simple-to-use Boa L6 dial and a single Velcro strap across the toe box allow precise fit adjustment, either before you set out or on-the-fly. The synthetic upper gives a soft, supple feel over the foot so that you can concentrate on the job in hand.
Stiff and light
Pro-level road shoes score high on what we’ll call the Stiffness Index. When you’re smashing out WorldTour power, a rating of 15.0 is required to maximise power transfer in the push for the line without any wasted through flexing and bending of the shoe. That’s the stiffness you’ll find in our S-Works 7 shoes.
For the rest of us, from those who ride for the love of it to those who race for the thrill, a rating of 6.0 is the ideal compromise – not so stiff that you feel like you’re wearing rocks but still tough enough to meet the demands of everyday riders. The injection-moulded composite sole is engineered to be plenty light and still stiff enough to cope with the rigours of daily riding. And because it’s not made of carbon, as well as keeping the cost down you’ll not be afraid to risk scratching the soles on the walk into the café. The three-bolt cleat interface is designed to work with most pedal cleats.
Way ahead of the pack
At this price no other road shoe comes close. Weighing just 263 grams in a size 42, the Torch 1.0 redefines the phrase ‘entry-level shoes’. We’ve created the most comfortable, supportive and high-performance sub-£100 shoe in history.
We think they also look pretty damn swish. Available in stealthy black, cool-as-you-like aqua or “Y’all see me?” hyper yellow and in sizes from 36 to 49, you’ll be seeing plenty of these on the feet of local riders from now on. Get down to one of our stores and grab yourself a pair before they all go – we reckon they’ll be flying off the shelves.
