Specialized has unveiled two new road shoes, the S-Works EXOS and the S-Works EXOS 99, claiming the limited-edition 99 is the lightest production shoe ever made. The 150g EXOS model has a single Boa dial and were first spotted on the feet of Bora-Hansgrohe and Deceuninck-QuickStep riders' feet at the Tour Down Under, Vuelta a San Juan and, most recently, the UAE Tour.
Constructed predominantly from a Dyneema Mesh material, the shoes can achieve low weight while retaining hold and support for greater power transfer.
The S-Works EXOS 99 weighs just 99g per foot for a size 42. Opting for lighter weight laces over a Boa dial, the shoes also feature titanium cleat bolts in the search for the ultimate lightweight shoe. Despite these weight saving measures, the carbon sole retains high levels of stiffness and also features a replaceable heel pad.
The 99g S-Works EXOS 99 claims to be the lightest production road shoe ever made
Limited to just 500 pairs (ever, according to Specialized), the S-Works EXOS 99 costs £600 / $700 for the pair.
The EXOS' cleat nuts are titanium
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Alongside the EXOS 99, Specialized have also launched the slightly less expensive and slightly heavier Boa dial-equipped S-Works EXOS. These cost £450 / $600 and weigh an equally impressive claimed 150g per shoe for a 42.
These shoes are expected to be used widely in the pro peloton, especially in mountains and Grand Tours, when weight is a bigger factor.
Construction of the S-Works EXOS is similar to the EXOS 99 but there’s less of the Dyneema upper and a Boa dial should make for easier adjustment especially while riding.
The standard S-Works EXOS gets a BOA dial and slightly less Dyneema
