• Specialized S-Works BG Mountain Shoe
• £169.99

For 2006 Specialized have really put their best foot forward with their latest range-topping and undoubtedly race ready high performance shoe. It may have a high price tag, but they do come crammed with the latest technology.

Weight and stiffness are important in a race shoe, but comfort is essential. Specialized’s Body Geometry technology is well talked about so we won’t go into detail about it here. Nevertheless to say, it’s impressive stuff and our feet have never been so comfortable before.

And comfortable despite have a full FACT carbon sole which manages to transfer power more than satisfactorily. Attached to the underside of the sole is an Umma Gumma tread, intended to be sticky for when you’re clambering over rocks and roots, but durable enough to not fall apart at the first sight of said obstacles. Turning the shoe over reveals a water-resistant Micromatrix upper, with mesh panels for cooling while reinforced sections on the heel, toe and along the sides help to shrug of abuse.

They’re light shoes, signifantly lighter than the Pro Carbons reviewed last year, and on a par with the competition. The feature we’ve been most impressed with though is the Boa retention system. A length of Spectralace (a single monofilament line) is threaded several times across the shoe and tensioned via a side mounted dial. Twist the dial clockwise and the lace tightens. Press the red tab and the lace uncoils in an instant. There’s a single small Velcro strap as a ‘set once and forget’ to dial in the fit of the toe box.

We’ve been using them for the past 12 months and they’ve surpassed all our expectations. They’re comfortable and have withstood all our best attempts to destroy them – even the sole is still in good nick. The Boa system is far quicker to apply than other Velcro/ratchet systems, and spreads the load across the top of the shoe more evenly while allowing easy on the fly adjustment.

Positives: Impossibly comfortable, Boa makes for quick and easy fitting/adjusting, very tough and durable

Negatives: Scary price tag! Boa likely to be vulnerable if you have an unlucky crash

Verdict

Early comments about the Boa system were aimed at its vulnerability of the lace system to impacts with rocks, but after nearly 12 months of constant use we’ve had no problems. Without a doubt, these are the most comfortable shoes we’ve ever had our feet in, and the performance is unbeatable. This all comes with a high price tag though, and while it’s easy to immediately think they’re way overpriced, they pack a lot of features, and are the most comfortable shoes we’ve had our feet in.

Performance: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Overall: 4/5