Specialized has today released two completely new S-Works Exos road shoes and both can lay claim to being the lightest in the world…
How so? Well, the Exos at a feathery 150g (claimed weight for size 42) is the lightest production shoe with a Boa dial closure, meanwhile, the Exos 99 at (you’ve guessed it) 99g, is quite simply the lightest production road shoe ever.
The launch, ahead of the coming Grand Tour season, is a nod to where these shoes will likely be put to best use – the mountain stages in the pro peloton. These shoes are clearly built for climbers.
That said Specialized suggested the positive response and interest from its sponsored pros points towards the possibility of selected use in the upcoming Classics too.
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Take your pick
‘We see it a bit like Venge and Tarmac’, says Specialized’s Will Watt. ‘It’s just about having different products for different days. This shoe is not to replace the S-Works 7. That’s still the GC shoe.
‘The Exos are for the mountain stages when every bit of weight saved can work to a rider’s advantage. And shoes are a rotating mass too, which makes it even more important.’
The bulk of the weight saving comes from the all-new Dyneema uppers. It feels tissue-paper thin, yet somehow the woven material also feels tough and durable.
‘This new Dyneema weave performs in all conditions,' says Watt. ‘It’s a very tough material, very hard wearing, and it doesn’t stretch, even soaking wet or in very hot environments, which really helps to maintain the consistency of the structure and support in the upper but at an incredibly low weight.’
Specialized makes no secret of the fact from the outset this project was about creating the lightest production road shoes in the world, but given its credibility in bike-fitting, with its comprehensive Body Geometry range, this was clearly not going to be something it would be prepared to achieve at all costs.
The Exos are pro level race-day shoes so performance is paramount and that remains at the core of both shoe designs.
‘The Exos looks like a simple shoe but this is technically the hardest shoe project we have ever worked on,' Watt explains. ‘To make a shoe light that still performs at the top level is really not easy. It’s a really selective use of materials. The development time was much longer than the S-Works 7 [shoe] in order to achieve it.’
To that end, Specialized’s FACT Powerline 13.0 carbon sole unit (as used on the S-Works 7 shoe) forms the basis of the both Exos shoes, delivering a super stiff platform at this critical contact point.
The Exos incorporates a single Boa IP1 dial closure, which needs little introduction as the practically ubiquitous system for quick and easy tuning of the fit, including on-the-fly adjustments.
The cleat mounting hardware is titanium, both lightweight and corrosion resistant, and Specialized has trimmed a bit of weight out of the insoles for the Exos shoes too.
At £450 the Exos is not a shoe we’d expect to see being widely used, but to those who are slaves to power data and the bathroom scales, it will certainly appeal.
The Exos is available now, in white (as pictured) with an all black version to follow soon; sizes 36-49 (half sizes 38-47).
Lightest in the world
With the Boa system is itself adding around 30-40g to the shoe it was easy to see how the lace-up version – Exos 99 – could achieve its exceptionally low weight and become officially the lightest production shoe in the world.
The Exos 99 will be to order only, in Rocket Red colourway, with only limited numbers available worldwide. ‘Maybe 500 globally, and maybe as few as 50 in the UK’, says Watt.
S-Works Exos 99: sizes 39-49 (half sizes 40-47)
Specialized Exos review
As soon as you pull these S-Works Exos shoes from the box it’s obvious they are a very specific and quite different product.
The weight, or should I say lack of it, is immediately apparent.
My size 43.5 weighed 161g (150g claimed for size 42). At 322g for the pair then, the S-Works Exos are lighter than some single shoes from competitors.
The thin and extremely light feel of the Dyneema upper is almost exaggerated by being paired to such a rigid carbon outsole and even the floppiness of the upper means you can’t just slide your feet in like a ‘normal’ shoe, it takes a bit of pushing and pulling.
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Once on, though, the S-Works Exos almost disappear. It barely feels like you are wearing shoes at all.
For me, that was initially cause for concern. Ultralight shoes I’ve tested in the past, where brands have gone all-out to save weight using very minimalist uppers, have always felt like too much of the support of the shoe was sacrificed chasing grams.
There’s no point having superlight shoes if they don’t perform like top end shoes, but thankfully Specialized does not appear to have fallen into this trap.
With its Body Geometry concept still at the heart of the Exos, the key proponents of a performance shoe have (understandably given this is being aimed at pro-level Grand Tour racers) been maintained – the stiff outsole and support through the heel cup and from the slimmed-down Body Geometry insole are all palpable out on the road.
I was surprised by the level of support the Dyneema offered too. I don’t mind admitting I was uncertain about whether this shoe would be my cup of tea, but my doubts proved unfounded, mostly.
The uppers stood up well to hard, out of the saddle climbing efforts and maximal sprints on the flat and they are sublimely comfortable thanks to the Dyneema being so incredibly supple.
Also, because the Dyneema doesn’t stretch I didn’t find the need to have to re-tighten or adjust the Exos mid-ride, as is often the case with some top-end shoes.
So far so good then, but shoes of this weight are not entirely without compromise.
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Size matters
My impression is the fit is really important to get the best out of the Exos and as such sizing must be precise.
The Exos toe box is quite roomy – and you definitely don’t want your foot to feel like it’s swimming around – so it’s critical to get the fit spot on and snug straight out the box.
Specialized offers half size increments, and I came down half a size from my usual 44 to 43.5 in the Exos, and I even wonder whether I could have got away with a 43?
With the single Boa dial placed high, there is a tendency for the majority of the tightening force to feel concentrated towards the top of the tongue.
That does compromise the fit a little, as in order to get the toe box cinched snugly, the top of the shoe begins to feel too constrictive.
Clearly some of that comes down to personal preference for how you tight you like your shoes, and it will certainly depend on the shape of your foot – for instance, those with quite a shallow foot (like me) will notice it more – but it’s worth noting all the same.
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It’s not a deal breaker, it’s just one of those inevitable concessions that you almost have to accept with only a single point of adjustment.
In terms of the overall look, the Dyneema often doesn’t always sit smoothly in terms of holding its shape and often there are small depressions, like dents, in the toe-box area, which means aesthetically it can look kind a bit untidy.
Personally, I didn’t mind this, it is after all just a tiny gripe, but when you are paying £450 for a shoe it might be an issue for some.
One final point is I feel like I noticed more vibration coming through the sole to my feet, presumably as a result of there simply being nowhere else for it to be dissipated, as might be the case throughout a more substantial shoe.
My overall feeling about the Exos is it's a niche product, and especially given the high price tag will not be a big seller, but for some the attraction of what amounts to substantial weight shedding, from a rotating mass too, will easily justify the outlay.
In the same vein, those few inevitable compromises over a more substantial shoe design, will likely be freely accepted and the psychological gains of having the lightest shoes in the world reaped appreciatively.
For me though, I don't get paid to race up hour-long Alpine climbs, so I'm not convinced of the number of times I'd find myself feeling the need to choose the Exos over the S-Works 7, or similar.
