The Spring Classics got postponed, but Fizik’s latest R4 Les Classiques road shoes haven’t forgotten the joys of riding fast road bikes over rough cobbles and through the mud, ready for any conditions. They’ve also issued an art poster for those longing for The Call of the Cobbles, and a limited retro edition pair of Tempo Overcurve R5 Paris 1969 road shoes for those looking for more classically styled modern kicks…
Fizik Tempo Overcurve R4 Les Classiques road shoes
Celebrating those Monuments of road racing – the cobbled Spring Classics – Fizik figures that if the pros aren’t able to race right now, we can at least thing longingly of those efforts where the tarmac devolves into pavé, and the mud between the cobblestones leaves your black cold & wet weather kit flecked with small brown dots. So these special edition Tempo Les Classiques road shoes hope to help you in your quest for classic riding this spring and summer.
Tempo Overcurve R4 – Tech details
First introduced a year and a half ago, the Tempo Overcurve road shoes offered a much more affordable alternative to Fizik’s top-level Infinito family, while retaining Boa IP1-B dial fit adjustment. They also feature the same asymmetrical Overcurve shaping of top Fizik shoes, better conforming to the real shape of your foot, from offset heel & ankle bones to your toes.
The uppers of the special edition Classiques road shoes use a tougher synthetic polyurethane-laminate bonded over mesh construction to protect your feet from the elements while retaining breathability. The toes & outsides get the greatest protection, while the open up more ventilation as they move away from typical road spray.
While the previous Tempo Overcurve shoes featured a lesser R5-level nylon composite sole, these step up to a more advanced & stiffer R4 composite sole for improved pedaling efficiency. Their 15% carbon to 85% nylon R4 sole is meant to be medium stiff – Fizik stiffness index 7/10 – to balance pedaling efficiency with all-day comfort, even over the cobbles. The reinforced nylon sole is injection molded, with forefoot ventilation and a rubber heel & toe blocks.
The shoes are available in half sizes from 37-47, plus 36 & 48, and weigh 230g per shoe (size 42.5). Available only in this special edition black with mud spots, the Fizik Tempo Overcurve R4 Les Classiques shoes retail for $200 / 200€ direct from Fizik (up $50€ from the R5, but still less than half the price of the Infinitos!)
Les Classiques limited & numbered print art posters
If mud splattered road shoes aren’t enough for you to remember the Classics, or you don’t need another pair of shoes, there’s always a simple poster available, too. Printed in Italy and hand numbered, The Call of the Cobbles is a 50x70cm wood block printed letterpress poster on 180g paper with black and gold ink. Suitable for framing or just being pinned up on the wall in your workshop, the classics poster sells for $29 / 29€ shipped in a custom printed black tube.
Fizik Tempo Overcurve R5 Paris 1969 limited edition retro modern shoes
For those looking for a more retro look in modern road shoes there’s also a new special edition of those original & quite popular Tempo Overcurve R5s. The Tempo R5 Paris 1969 is meant to call back to a simpler time of road racing with its retro looks, while keeping modern fit & performance.
The classic looking black suede upper with large perforated vents is still Fizik’s signature synthetic microtex, with sawtooth-edged smooth microtex detailing over the toe, heel & laces mimicking a classic road shoe. Then, graphics are kept to a minimum, with simple gold Fizik logotypes.
All the new tech is still there in the 247g shoes (size 42.5). The 180€ Tempo R5 Paris 1969 shoes feature the Overcurve asymmetric tongue & collar for a comfy fit, with a single Boa IP1-B dial & a velcro strap over the forefoot to dial in secure fit. The R5 sole is Fizik’s basic carbon reinforced nylon, presumably with stiffness just below the more advanced R4 sole.
