Footprints

I forgot to mention; a 20% coupon scored me some high-end shoes at roughly $170 off (not all of that was straight discount) a week or so ago, and I wore them for the first time, this morning.

I got them because of the combination of super stiff carbon-fiber soles (my other shoes are fiber as well, but not as solid.  Ditto my boots), adjustable fit (oven bake, then fit), and BOA "laces".

I wasn't sure if I would, but I definitely noticed the difference in sole stiffness.  I don't know if it actually does work better from a power-transmission perspective, but it certainly feels like it would.

The BOA closure I'd become familiar with from my winter boots.  The boots are from Northwest, and technically aren't BOA, but they do have similarly ratcheting wires.  The Lakes come off much more easily, but aren't nearly as adjustable; time will tell about which ratchet system I like better.  More importantly, though, they do share the lack of hot-spots that made me like the boots so much.  And they tighten down much more easily than the straps on my old shoes.

I haven't had a chance to play around with the fitting part, however.  They definitely don't fit quite right around the heel right now, although that might be more a matter of difficulty putting on than problem while wearing.  In any event, I do plan on doing the fitting; I just haven't had a chance yet.

Early returns on the shoes are very promising.  And I got them in the black/black color scheme, which I find a little weird.  Basically, the only non-black part is a gray spot on the back of the heel, so if you look down on them while riding, they seem like they're made for New Zealand's rugby team, or something.  It's not bad, and might well grow on me, but it's certainly odd.  At the least, you expect differently-colored logos; not so, on these.  It really is black-on-black.

In any event, early returns are very promising, and I'm looking forward to wearing them more (though perhaps only in dry weather; I'll have to think on that).