Quoc is taking their clipless city cycling shoes in a new, more eco-friendly direction headed by the new Weekend bike sneaker – an all synthetic shoe using plant-based foam. Bike maker BH is also expanding their accessory line-up with a classically inspired, but fully modern performance EVO Vintage lace up road shoes. And Italian affordable shoe producer FLR has added a new Rexston trail & touring shoe, plus an affordable F-70 XC shoe as well.
Quoc Weekend eco-friendly urban riding sneaker
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1927867561/weekend-the-ultimate-performance-cycling-sneaker-b
The new Quoc Weekend looks less like a cycling shoe that pretty much anything else we’ve seen come out of the shoemaker’s British design studio. While pretty much all of their previous shoes have used classic designs to smoothly transition on & off the bike, the new Weekend sneaker takes more casual trainer inspiration.
The Weekend still features plenty of cycling tech, and is just as pedal-able as their previous urban commuter shoes. It features a mid-board reinforcement just under the front of the foot at the SPD cleat interface so you get a stable pedaling platform, while retaining toe & heel flex for comfortable walkability away from the bike. It also features reflective detailing for added visibility, and stretchy laces (tie them once with a loop to secure the laces) to slip the shoes on an off with ease.
Like first seen on their Hardcourt shoes & then the Gran Tourer, the new Weekend continues Quoc’s shift towards vegan-friendly cycling shoes. The Weekend features a synthetic upper, and takes eco-friendliness one step further using algae-based Bloom foam for the sole cushioning that is produced while “transforming green water into clean water”. Founder Quoc Pham says for each Weekend shoe they make, Mississippi company Bloom’s process means “395 half litre bottles of clean water will have been returned to the environment.”
Quoc again has taken to Kickstarter to fund the final development of the full size run of Weekend shoes. They’ll ultimately sell for £149/$185 when the hit the market late next summer, but preorder now through Kickstarter for as low as £82 with delivery slated for July 2019.
On a side & speculative note, Quoc’s older leather shoes are currently being closed out on their website, as they move in the more modern, synthetic direction. But those classic designs may get a refresh in the coming year, as Quoc has moved to bring hand-made leather shoes like the Fixed England back to being made in the UK.
BH EVO Vintage classic, modern lace up road shoes
BH continues to grow their Sport line of clothing & accessories, with a new premium classic road shoe. Mixing retro style & modern construction, the BH EVO Vintage road shoe is an exercise in trimming the fat.
Returning to a classic lace up design, the Vintage pairs a light, perforated synthetic upper to a stiff carbon road sole. The result is an incredibly light 450g pair of cycling shoes at the surprisingly low price of 120€.
The BH EVO Vintage road shoe features a vented sole, an internal anti-slip heel cup, and embossed graphics. The shoes comes in a 39-46 size range, and just this single matte black color with red laces & detailing. Get them direct from BH in some countries, or through BH bike dealers globally.
FLR Rexston affordable trail mountain bike & touring shoes
FLR are known for low-cost, high performance cycling shoes, designed in Italy and produced (like most in the industry) in Asia. Their top road shoes are ridden some of the best pro athletes at the World Tour level, but we are most interested in their low-priced shoes.
At just $70 the new Rexston trail & touring shoe is as affordable as cycling shoes come. For that you get a rugged synthetic lace & velcro strap upper with mech vent windows & laser perforations. A reinforced nylon sole offers mid-level stiffness, and aggressive lugged sole, and a cleat cutout with a circular loop of tread around it that claims to protect the cleat when walking.
FLR F-70 affordable XC mountain bike shoes
Another new for 2019 & super affordable mountain bike shoe is the $110 F-70. Essentially a de-tuned version of the F-75II performance all-around XC shoe, the new F-70 swaps in a stiff reinforced nylon sole (vs. the F-75’s carbon). It still features a performance, seamless microfiber upper, toe reinforcement & a dial closure, but now with a lower cut ankle & slimmer fit for more comfort.
