Quoc has an all-new top pair of carbon road race shoes with their M3 Air. They developed the new shoes to be Quoc’s lightest and stiffest yet, with an eye towards slipping into the pro peloton. Which incidentally they’ve already actually done on the feet of Geraint Thomas. The new M3 Air sets a new performance standard for Quoc, focused on a more precise and comfortable fit to support elite-level road cycling efforts…
Quoc M3 Air lightweight, airy carbon road bike shoes
Building on the success of two generations of their Mono road shoes, Quoc says the new M3 Air is the culmination of “over a decade of research and discovery in performance and innovation“. The new M3 Air is only incrementally lighter than the previous Mono II, but the big improvement is in fit and support.
Quoc says this new design was based on back-and-forth feedback and requests from “some of the most competitive cyclists in the field”. They don’t elaborate too much on who all that might be. But after unveiling their collaboration a few weeks back, previous Tour-winner and Gold-medalist Geraint Thomas just announced today that he’s been racing with the new shoes this season for Ineos.
What’s new?
The most obvious change on the outside is a new asymmetric design. That then, ditches the conventional tongue of their prior on- and off-road shoes. The simplified solution overlaps the two sides of the new 2-piece synthetic TPU upper, effectively eliminating a separate tongue. The new upper is a laminate with cutouts & larger perforations revealing a mesh underlayer for maximum ventilation.
The result is claimed to be more form-fitting to the foot. And closed with 2 of Quoc’s proprietary dials cinching a single direct wire loop for each dial.
Inside, the M3 Air’s reshaped last refines the shoe’s fit. It now offers increased support around the ball of the foot, an improved insole with adjustable arch inserts, and extra space in the toe box. Finely adjustable, foot-molding fit, with better support and fewer opportunities for pressure points.
Tech details
The new Quoc M3 Air is made of a light, scratch-resistant TPU upper with mesh vent panels. Plus, 2 Quoc dials per shoe. Its sole is the same stiff full-carbon hand-laid UD sole as the Mono II, with 3-bolt road cleat compatibility. That means a vented toe, fixed rubber toe tread & replaceable heel tread block.
Claimed weight is 232g per shoe (size 42), just 17g lighter than the Mono II.
Quoc M3 Air – Pricing, options & availability
These all-new Quoc M3 Air kicks come in the only suitable color for a pro road racing shoe – all white. That means you have to keep them clean to keep going fast.
Geraint Thomas’ own M3 Airs suggest that mesh won’t necessarily stay super white with road grime over time, though.
The new shoes sell for £320 / $430 / 380€. And are available direct from Quoc now in whole EU sizes from 38-47.
