WOVEN FOR THE WORLDTOUR

Competing at cycling’s elite level requires professional riders to perform in a wider range of conditions than ever before. Though most items of kit can be swapped out to suit the weather, shoes require more careful consideration. When it comes to footwear, superstition is rife and riders seldom switch suppliers even between seasons for fear of ill-fitting shoes.

To break the mould and trigger a change, a new pair of race shoes must reflect the broad range of races throughout the season and provide comfort in any conditions. Over the last two months, the Pro Team Shoe has hit the ground running on the feet of WorldTour riders including CANYON//SRAM’s Hannah Barnes and EF Pro Cycling’s Neilson Powless.

While Neilson started his season in the heat at the Tour Down Under, Hannah made her bow at the rain-streaked Belgian season opener, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Though they’ve been racing and training in very different conditions, both attest to the unparalleled comfort of our new race shoe, and are glad to have made the switch.

“I’ve not been riding in them for long but it feels like months and months. Once I do the dials up, my feet are really in there, secure and not moving anywhere,” she said. And it’s not just us she’s been telling, it seems some of her training partners have got the message too: “Tao is getting fed up with me saying how much I like them,” Hannah laughed. “They’re the kind of shoe everyone will love.”

For Neilson, it’s the woven upper that makes the difference: “They hug my foot more completely than other shoes I’ve tried,” he said, considering his choice of words as carefully as he does his equipment. “The Powerweave fabric is form-fitting but doesn’t generate any hotspots because it’s so supple. The tongue especially feels really good on the upper part of my foot where I have a bone pops up a little. The upper of this shoe is soft enough not to agitate that.”

But it’s not just the comfort on offer that has impressed Powless. After working in the service of others throughout his career at Dutch squad Jumbo-Visma, the American is looking to make his mark whenever the roads turns uphill in 2020, and he needs a shoe with performance credentials to match his ambition.

Since she’s relaxed about her choice of shoe, Hannah has been able to turn her attention to aesthetic choices: “I’m normally a sucker for white shoes but this pair has convinced me that there is a place for a black shoes too, especially during Classics season,” she added with a smile.

Hannah and Neilson have been the Pro Team Shoe’s earliest adopters but news spreads fast in the peloton. “They’re definitely getting a lot of looks,” Neilson explained. “In fact, I’ve managed to convince a couple of teammates to try them out. Anyone else who wants a pair should move fast.”