S-Works Torch Road Shoes

The sole is where the S-Works Torch separates from the shoes below it. A carbon plate with an internal I-Beam running along its length resists bending without adding material to the edges, and Specialized quotes the result as 20 g lighter than the previous S-Works sole while being wider under the forefoot. A wider sole puts more of the metatarsals over structure instead of over air.

The last is asymmetric and follows the Body Geometry argument: the foot is not symmetrical, the first metatarsal sits lower than the fifth, and a symmetric sole forces the knee to track inward under load. A varus wedge built into the sole and a metatarsal button under the first metatarsal head address the two most common sources of knee pain in riders who otherwise fit their bicycles correctly.

Closure is two BOA S3-Snap dials in aluminium, one over the instep and one over the forefoot, which allows the two zones to be tensioned separately. The upper is a welded synthetic with a perforated forefoot. Reference mass is 448 g for the pair in size 42.