Specialized

S-Works Torch Wide Cycling Shoe

The Shoes I've Been Waiting For!

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Size Bought:

41

Weight:

160

My 15 year old Specialized road shoes finally wore out and it was time to replace them. I didn't think it would be a 2 year process trying to find the right shoe! After trying nearly every brand on the market, I was greatly relieved to see that Specialized finally returned to their previous last designs and started making shoes that fit average sized feet again. Dunno why they ever went away from the old design but happy to see they're back. At 6' and 160lbs, I'm far from what you'd consider "stocky" and my feet are no different. Somehow though, every road shoe maker out there makes shoes for people with extremely narrow feet. The Torch went back to Specialized's slightly wider last giving your toes a little more room to breathe. Even then I found the Wides to be best for me giving just a little more width across the ball of the foot without being loose in the midfoot or heel like so many other Wide versions I tried. Specialized has forgone any excess padding that used to be present in the shoes of old, but thankfully, the fit is very dialed and padding isn't required. As far as stiffness, what used to be stiff a few years ago would be considered flexible by today's standards. You won't have to worry about overpowering these shoes. They can take all you can give. The BOAs are good, not my favorite design of all time, but adequate. Easily adjustable while riding and they have pretty small increments so you can find the right tension for each dial easily. After spending 2 years trying to find this shoe, I'm tempted to order a second pair just so I don't have to go thru this again should these wear out in the next 5-10 years!