If you haven’t tried a pair of shoes with BOA Technology (dial adjustment, in place of velcro) enclosures, you’re missing out. These shoes from Louis Garneau offer the best of what a BOA dial can do to the fit of a shoe, in a super supple and close-fitting shoe.
The fit of these shoes is their best asset, primarily due to the supple material used in the shoe’s upper, and the BOA dial. They are quite soft to touch and it reflects when not fitted to a pair of feet, they lose their shape. But when on, they conform to said feet with upmost comfort. The fit is quite narrow around the toes, which suited us well.
They are not the stiffest shoes out there at all though, which is a bit odd as they are positioned quite high in the range of Louis Garneau shoes. The carbon sole may be made from the stiff material, but the whole shoe bends around the pedals quite a lot when riding. Mated to a trail style pedal, like the Shimano Trail or Crank Bros Candy, helps to keep a solid connection between the foot and pedal a sold one.
These are the type of shoes that at the end of the day when you take them off, it feels like you haven’t been wearing rental ice skates all day.
The removable carbon blade thing on the outside of the sole does next to nothing, and we were perplexed by it’s intention to increase stiffness of fitted, or increase ventilation if removed.
We’ve been using this shoes for many months now, and really love the slipper like fit, when compared to some of the rock hard shoes available. All day rides and standing around in these puppies is a pleasure, and when riding the give in the sole allows you to feel the pedals underneath you rather than isolating yourself from the bike.
The T-Flex shoes will suit a rider looking for a softer and supple fitting shoe that you can walk about it and wear all day, but perhaps not stiffest shoe for hard nosed racing.