Mavic Cosmic Ultimate–Product Test

Adding Soles to Hoops

For the last few years Mavic has been putting a lot of effort into both their shoe and soft-good products, and each year we have seen marked improvements in their overall design and function. Last year the French label made waves with the introduction of their radical, limited-edition, 640-gram Comete Ultimate SL that was basically a slipper residing in an outer carbon skeleton. Unfortunately, at a price of $1000, the shoe was clearly not intended for most pocketbook mortals.

As a much lighter and less pricey alternative, Mavic has released an updated version of their lower-line Cosmic Ultimate that most notably has ditched their own Ergo dial-closure system in favor of the increasingly popular Boa dial.

 

THE TECH

The new Cosmic Ultimate is designed with a low-profile collar to provide additional ankle movement and range in motion when a rider gets out of the saddle. Also new on the shoe is the carbon SLR outsole, which has been shaved down to be 10 grams lighter than its predecessor. The stack height of the sole is only 6.5mm, which is intended to provide a more efficient pedal stroke.

The upper of the shoe comes with a more supportive TPU frame, which is laser-welded with mesh panels to keep the temperatures low. In contrast to the narrow profiles previously used, the toe box has been widened. In addition to the use of the BOA IP1 dial, the new version only uses a single dial that no doubt played a role in hitting the impressive sub-400-gram weight.

THE RIDE

Once putting the new Cosmic Ultimate shoe on, the mesh panels create a comfortable feel without many pressure points that you may find in stiffer shoes. We did notice that with the single Boa dial, though, we did have to wiggle our feet in a bit more than usual, as the shoe doesn’t open up as much as other shoes. While the shoe felt snug, the wider toe box was a nice addition.

With the single BOA system, though, we were able to get the back half of the shoe tightened down well, but we did have a bit of wiggle room from side to side in the front of the shoe since there was no additional closure system. The shoe’s minimal weight is noticeable through the pedal stroke. The reduced rotational mass increases the efficiency of each pedal stroke.

The breathability of the shoe is one of the best we’ve found. On one of the warmer days we’ve had in California, this shoe paired with a thin sock was a great combo.

THE VERDICT

As we’ve found in the past, the one thing to consider with lightweight shoes is the durability factor. If we had our druthers, we’d prefer to take the hit on weight by adding another Boa dial to get a more even fit throughout the foot.

For an all-around shoe, the Mavic definitely offers good bang for the buck. With its lightweight features, we’d assume a shoe of this caliber would be closer to the $500 range. Of course, with the Comete Ultimate priced more than three times as much, the $330 Cosmic comes across as a bargain.

PUNCH LINES

• Single Boa
• Lightweight climbing shoe
• Do you like yellow?

STATS

Price: $330

Weight: 382 grams (pair, size 42)

www.mavic.com