Whatever your off road purpose, the Specialized Recon has been a worthy option. Previously, the lace up shoes were sort of aimed at the gravel/dirt road crowd, though they certainly could also be used for XC or even CX riding. Now, the shoes have gotten even more performance oriented with a new S-Works version, though they’re still as versatile as ever.
Starting with the obvious, the new Recon S-Works ditches the laces in favor of two Boa S3 snap dials for quick and easy adjustment. Boa is still among the best in terms of quickly getting your shoes on or off, and as always, the dials are backed up by the Boa lifetime guarantee.
While the shoes have an aggressive SlipNot rubber tread pattern with removable toe studs, the Recons gain road-bike like efficiency thanks to the stiffest FACT mixed-terrain carbon plate with a stiffness index of 13.
The upper combines Dyneema mesh, four way stretch mesh, and TPU to create a shoe that conforms to the foot without stretching in key areas. Built on their Form Fit last, the shoe should have a decent amount of room in the toe box and the PadLock heel construction should keep your ankle from moving. Weighing in at 301g per shoe, the shoes are available in 36-49 with half sizes in all but the most extreme sizes, and in regular or wide widths.. Price is set at $425 in black only.
