Specialized

Recon 3.0 Mountain Bike Shoe

Not good shoes

I purchased a pair of these shoes, not from backcountry (they were out of stock in my size). They are oddly narrow and I don’t have wide feet at all. Also, everything people say about the shoes digging into your ankle and the boa dial digging in on the side of the shoe is true. I tried to post a review on specialized’s website and they wouldn’t post it on there’d

Can't go wrong..

It was time to climb the ladder... I upgraded from a Recon 2.0 which was a great shoe. This shoe provides much better power transfer and has a much better closure system due to the dual boas. On a side note, if you do have to hike-a-bike these may not be that great due to the stiff carbon outsole but the Stride Toe Flex area does provide some flexibility and does make the shoe hikeable. Great shoe if you are looking for Sworks features at a lower price point. Note on sizing, I wear a us12 / 30cm, size purchased was a eu46 with no fit issues.

Very good, but very flawed

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Weight:

null

I've put a couple thousand miles on my pair of Recon 3's, used for road riding, gravel, and mountain biking. Pros: - Stiff soles, great power transfer - Boa works well, upper dial may be a tad too high and put painful pressure when dropping heels - Very good traction - Decently roomy toe box (way better than Giro, in my opinion) - Drains impressively quickly - Comfy to stand around in Cons: - Tongue is way too long, digs into my ankles, now I have actual scars there. In hindsight I wish I'd cut the tongue shorter on day 1. - Sizing runs large, my normal size is too big and now I need to downsize, but Backcountry doesn't seem to carry the in-between sizes

Not for wider feet

I was really excited for this shoe. It looks great, but the look doesn't match the fit. This was my first cycling shoe from this brand. I have several from other brands. This shoe was much to narrow in the front part of the shoe for what I guess is a wider food than some of the other reviewers. I don't wear the larger width shoes when that is an option so I wouldn't say my foot is super wide. This shoe was uncomfortable from the moment I put it in. The length was fine. If you have a narrow foot, this shoe may be a great option for you.

Best shoe I've found

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

11

Height:

5' 9"

Weight:

220

I have a relatively flat foot that gets wider under load. I also have a normal to narrow heel. Generally, if I find a shoe that fits in the forefoot, the heel slips. If the heel is locked, the forefoot is tight. When I tried these shoes on, my initial feeling was that they were a bit big. As I tightened the BOA, though everything felt perfect. When coasting, I had tons of room in the forefoot, borderline loose for cycling shoes. Then when I put the hammer down, they felt perfect, no tightness on my toes, but still sufficiently stable and locked in. All that said, they have the flaws that others mention... The toe strap has some extra material that can cause some pressure on the top of foot by your toe knuckle. Also the upper BOA is located up too high. If you drop your heels for a decent, you can really feel the pressure of the BOA lace if you have them set relatively tight. Under normal pedaling I don't feel it, but it's bad on decents. Overall though, for my feet, this is the best compromise I have found by quite alot. I've previously rode Shimano, Lake, and FiveTen.

Roomy toe and overall shoe

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Weight:

null

Unlike other reviewers who say these are running small, I definitely found I need to size down in these. That?s why I am returning them. Otherwise they?re very comfortable. Toebox also seems spacious.

The worst fitting shoe I've ever worn

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Weight:

null

I've worn countless brands of shoes over many years of mountain biking, and my feet generally fit most shoes pretty well. I have no idea how these shoes were made, but they felt pretty terrible the instant I tried them on. They were the right size, they just hit my foot in all the wrong places. I can't imagine riding any distances in these things.

Great Shoes for my low volume feet

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

48

Height:

6' 4"

Weight:

205

It is evident from the previous reviews, that shoes, like helmets, are a very hard thing to generalize whether they are comfortable or not. I have rode in many different brands, including PI, and Sidi. I bought these this summer, to mainly ride gravel in. I have put thousands of miles on these, on both my gravel bike and my MTB. I have found them incredibly comfortable, and one of the only shoes that I haven't had to put extra insoles in, for my low volume feet. Maybe that is the key. I will probably keep these to race and ride MTB, and hopefully get some of the stiffer S-works version, when I can afford them, for longer gravel rides/races. The soles on these Recon 3's have great traction, when off the bike, and seem pretty comfortable to walk in, when needed. My only sorta complaint, would be that I had been riding my gravel bike in very stiff road shoes, and although I love the ability to get out of spd cleats much easier than my road pedals, on extended rides the stiffer soles were easier on my feet.