First Look: Specialized’s S-Works EXOS Road Cycling Shoes

The new lightweight king

Today just as the rain has started to let up and the weather returns to the normal (fingers crossed), we got a special delivery from our friends at Specialized. These are their new lightweight contender. The S-Works Exos road shoes are light, at 302 grams a pair for our size 42, this makes them the lightest pair of shoes to pass through the office. The upper is made of Dyneema that leads into the white synthetic material (around the toe box) that has a fair amount of stretch. The insole is minimal but is branded Body Geometry.

The sole is unidirectional carbon and has a labeled stiffness index of 13. It has four voids covered with a very thin mesh for added ventilation. These voids in the sole are more than just cutouts and because of the way they are shaped and molded, most likely retains stiffness while also reducing material and weight.

When we put them on they offer a nice feel around the ankle and single BOA retention system but offer almost no support in the toe box. The tongue is well padded and also where the single BOA dial is located.

The S-Works Exos retails for $500…about $400 more than the Adidas Gazelle.

Hopefully these kicks hold up longer than the Giro Prolight Techlace (that suffered from broken sole) which previously held the position as the lightest shoe.

LIMITED EDITION S-WORKS EXOS 99

Also released today is a limited edition run of an even lighter version of the Exos. Specialized’s S-Works Exos 99 has a claimed weight of 99 grams in a size 42 and only 500 pairs have been produced. Specialized.com