We ride the new Specialized S-Works Recon and Recon ADV

Specialized have just released the new S-Works Recon mountain bike and gravel shoe. It has been directly influenced by Specialized's top road shoes, with input from their multi-discipline athletes and over 100,000 foot scans from RETÜL fit data. The result? A high performance, light weight shoe with a wider last to serve more foot shapes. The premium shoes will sell for $625, while the new Recon ADV lace up shoe will sell for $350. More on that below.

A closer look at the S-Works Recon

The S-Works Recon carries all the learnings of Specialized's Body Geometry which has a number of known features to aid comfort and fit. They all mean your foot stays in the best position for pedalling, which assists efficiency but can also help eliminate knee pain and hotspots. Specialized also have 3 different inner soles for different arch support – it really makes a difference for those with flat feet or high arches.

The upper is fully synthetic, wtih 2 BOA dials for a precise fit. The heel cup is asymmetric, for more support on the inside and lower on the outside, to prevent any rubbing on the outside edge of your ankle.

Specialized use an internal I-beam design for the full carbon sole. It means the weight is reduced while retaining the rigidity needed for flat out gravel and cross-country racing. My test pair in EU44 weigh 300g per shoe. The outer sole is pared back to the absolute minimum for sole lugs, aimed at pedal contact, with enough to dig toes in for hike a bike, or heels for scrambling. There's a small section of rubber in the instep for stepping over high, slippery trail obstacles.

What's really cool are the shims to tune your shoe and pedal interface, builsding up the stack of the lugs next to the cleat pocket. It's so open that mud clearing should be no issue, but for many riders being able to have a firmer feel in the pedal is preferable to lots of free float. These shims will provide that.

On the trail

I've had these shoes for a couple of weeks and have a few rides on them. I've used Specialized S-Works XC and road shoes on and off for over a decade, plus the last three iterations of the 2FO. I have always enjoyed the fit, especially with the green inner sole for more arch support.

I have a wide foot and Specialized have always worked well for that, but the new Recon SL is something else, with no contact around the end of my forefoot. The new BOA fitment reachs on more of an angle, pulling from the inside edge of the shoe to the outer. Specialized say it removes the need for the small toe strap, but I never used these anyway.

On Shimano XT Race pedals they have a fair bit of free movement, but the pedals are at least 3 years old so that's not unexpected. However, I will get to work on the shims to create a more snug fit between the sole of the shoe and the pedal – as that's what I prefer.

They are super stiff, up there with my regular Shimano XC902 and my 2013 era Specialized S-Works road shoes. I'm yet to use them on a ride over 3 hours, and this is where I think the comfort from the wider base at the forefoot will really count. For those pushing hard in marathons and stage races, this is a huge bonus for foot comfort, but all out performance as well. 

I'll be clocking up some more hours in these for a coming review.

From: Specialized Australia 

The Specialized Recon ADV

The Specialized Recon ADV are a lace up shoe to get off the beaten track. This shoe is targeted at gravel riders and looks straight out of a gravel look book, But Specialized say they tick off all the requirements for putting big hours in. The Recon ADV is suited for the rider who wants to be out all day, and are built to work well on and off the bike. 

Part of this is having a toe flex section for being surefooted when hiking up to get a better view, or scaling a steep set of stairs to a beer garden post-ride.

Specialized still use Body Geometry design on the Recon ADV for fit and performance based on 100,000 foot scans. For anyone spending a lot of hours on the bike, having proper knee and hip alignment makes for pain free riding with reduced chances of injury. It's win win.

The upper is breathable and said to manage moisture like no other shoe in the Specialized range, while the TPU guards mean the shoes will go the distance when hiking or dealing with gravel roost.

On the trail

Well, we've had a test pair sent out to a contributor a few weeks ahead of launch and haven't heard from him since, despite his photos and review being due. So we can only imagine these shoes are amazing in use, and he's still out there! We'll have his review when he's back on grid.

RRP: $350
From: Specialized Australia