Top-level shoe that was tested and developed by the likes of Daniel Martin
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A pair of Mavic Comete Ultimate cycling shoes on eBay(Image credit: planetzorg / eBay)
The shoes are made up of a carbon 'exoskeleton' and an inner 'bootie'(Image credit: planetzorg / eBay)
The full carbon outer shell, with Mavic’s own retention dials – make for a technical shoe. The seller has had to modify theirs, however, to relieve some pressure(Image credit: planetzorg / eBay)
Daniel Martin – then with Etixx-QuickStep – in some prototype Mavic Comete Ultimate shoes on stage 20 of the 2016 Tour de France(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
These Mavic Comete Ultimates are one of the best cycling shoes money can buy. When they were released in 2017 the premium price tag dropped many a jaw, and the asking price for this second-hand pair we found on eBay isn't exactly low, either.
Ireland's Daniel Martin – then with Etixx-QuickStep and now with Israel Start-Up Nation – was spotted wearing a prototype pair of these at the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France, and he finished third and ninth overall, respectively, in his pair, which perhaps justified the effort put into their development by the great minds at Mavic.
In fact, very little appeared to have changed between then and the eventual production model released the following year.
What justified the original £900 asking price? A full-carbon 'exoskeleton' shell and an interchangeable 'bootie' that fitted inside – changed out to suit the weather conditions – made for a very lightweight set-up, while a low-stack carbon sole provided maximum power transfer.
Daniel Martin – then with Etixx-QuickStep – in some prototype Mavic Comete Ultimate shoes on stage 20 of the 2016 Tour de France (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
The model was aimed at professional riders, and developed with their assistance, and the high asking price certainly reflected that. French company Mavic – best known for its wheels – began its foray into shoes in the mid-2000s, and would later move on to developing helmets and tyres, too.
Their recent financial woes – but subsequent saving – has led the company to apparently now be planning to concentrate on its wheel line once more, which will perhaps serve to make past Mavic shoes all-the-more desirable to cycling-history aficionados if their production ceases.
The US-based seller is asking $525 (£400) for the US-size 8.5 shoes – around half their retail price – which they admit they've made a couple of modifications to, including removing some of the carbon around the exoskeleton-shell windows that was rubbing, while one of the decals on one shoe has also started to lift.
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