If you’re been to cross race in the past few years, you’ve seen them. Stickers with a small little orange heart emblazoned with a lightning bolt and the letters Amy D. While it’s been three years since Amy was killed on a training ride in Belgium, she is definitely not forgotten and left a strong legacy largely through the Amy D. Foundation led by her brother Dan Dombroski. The foundation’s mission statement is all about helping to get young women involved in cycling and to follow their dream and along with a lot of other companies, Pearl Izumi is stepping up to the plate in support.
This year, there will be a limited number of special edition Amy D. X-Project shoes and apparel, with a large chunk of the proceeds going right back to the Amy D. Foundation…
Only 200 of the special X-Project shoes will be made which happen to be a great model for CX racing. On each pair of shoes sold, $100 of the $275 retail price will be donated to the Amy D. foundation. There will also be a range of clothing in both men’s and women’s with Elite Pursuit bibs, shorts, and jerseys with 50% of the proceeds sales going to the foundation. The kit won’t be as limited as the shoes, so if you want a pair of those X-Projects you’d better get on it.
There were also plenty of non-limited edition shoes to talk about like the new version of the X-Project 1.0. Dual Boa IP-1 dials on the tongue continue with a newly designed seamless upper, EVA rubber in the heel from the run line, and a 3/4 carbon plate for some engineered flex. In a lot of ways it’s similar to the previous version but a number of tweaks have been made to give it a better fit.
The X-Alp Enduro gets updated with a new, sleeker buckle. and a revised tread pattern but keeps its place as their most walkable shoe in the line at $125.
On the road side, the Elite Road 5 shoe now offers a lower stack height thanks to the lack of a lasting board and the upper wrapping abound the sole for a unibody construction. PI claims this lowers the shoe’s stack height by 1.5mm. Retail is set for $240 and they’ll be available this spring.
One of the biggest parts of their display was devoted to their new Escape shorts collection with the 1:1 chamois. Now fitted with a floating top sheet over the multi density foam chamois pad, the concept is similar to other brands that want the top sheet to float slightly for improved comfort.
Offered in both men’s and women’s bibs, the compression has been tuned to eliminate “sausage leg” and a high level of focus was placed on the bib straps for comfort. For men that means a wide, flat, and super soft supportive band, while women’ get a more interesting system. As it was explained, the idea is that women can wear the straps in or out based on what is more comfortable for their body shape. Women will also have the option for non-bib shorts with a high waistband for improved comfort.
Back to mountain bikes, Pearl Izumi was highlighting the new Divide top and Launch MTB short. The shirt is a simple pocket T design with a longer tail and modern tailored fit and a hidden back pocket. The shorts feature a 15″ inseam, detachable liner, DWR coating, internal waist adjuster, and a side pocket that has an elastic keeper for your phone.
The look can be finished off with their new Summit glove for a minimalist protective glove with neoprene knuckles at $35.
