Wearing the Unique road cycling shoes from Q36.5 feels like wearing an Italian leather loafer and the only tradeoff for comfort is money.
Pros
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Power Wrap Upper holds the midfoot in position
+
Elastic Interface insole is like a memory foam mattress for your feet
+
Synthetic leather upper is ultra-thin
+
BOA Li2 dials are precise
+
Carbon outsole balances stiffness with comfort
+
No hotspots around the ankle
Cons
-
Needs better toe protection to prevent tyre rub
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Expensive
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There are seemingly endless choices when it comes to finding the right road cycling shoes. Our team has put together a list of the best cycling shoes available and there is more than one of my choices in that list. Each shoe included is an excellent choice that is comfortable and perfect for a specific use. There's still always room for improvement though. I spend long days in the saddle on a regular basis and when a ride stretches to the point where light becomes an issue, every little defect tends to surface. I continue to search for the perfect equipment to ride over long distances.
The Unique shoe from Q36.5 landed on my doorstep late in the summer and completely changed what I thought I understood about cycling shoes. I've put them through the most gruelling rides I could think of and each time I came away impressed with the performance they offered. With the testing done, I'm ready to share what makes them so good but also the places where they could use some finesse. If you are looking for a new pair of road cycling shoes, keep reading to see if the Unique shoes from Q36.5 are the right choice for you.
At first glance they don't look drastically different but these shoes from Q36.5 are definitely unique (Image credit: Josh Ross)
Design and aesthetics
The Q36.5 shoes are, well, Unique. Not from a distance though. From a distance they actually cut a somewhat familiar outline. I have the white version but there's also an option for a black, orange, green fluro, and silver. At the rear of each colour is a spot of silver as well as a highly reflective, vertical logo tag. As you move closer you'll start to see a pattern of venting with slits cut in the upper in small groupings of three. There's a pair of the BOA Li2 dials which represent the best BOA offers and there's also a bit more branding.
The overall shape comes from a quest for the perfect last. Q36.5 analysed rider data, interviewed athletes and conducted a study on foot dynamics before settling on a proprietary design. The vision is a snug heel, instep, and waist that opens into a wider toe box and it happens to align with trends happening throughout performance shoes of all sports. The details are where it starts to stand out.
To translate the studies and theory into a real-life product Q36.5 started with a 1mm microfibre upper. It's breathable and it balances stretch with mouldability. It's also where things start to look a little more unique. You can't tell with the shoes closed but the upper is a single piece of microfibre and there's no tongue.
Instead of the traditional split upper and tongue design, the Unique shoes have a slit that favours the outside of the upper. As it heads towards the toe the slit curves towards the big toe but it never fully opens and the outer microfibre never overlaps. Sitting below the slit is a sock like material that features a vertical stitch pattern causing it to collapse like an accordion as the shoe tightens.
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The upper spread apart but doesn't fully open (Image credit: Josh Ross)
There's a bit of foam at the top of the opening that protects the top of the foot under the opening(Image credit: Josh Ross)
This design is what accounts for the "fits you like a sock" fit but it doesn't work alone. This material covers the underside of the slit in the microfibre as well as a bit of space on either side and it wraps the top of the foot before stopping about halfway to the heel. The last part of the rear of the shoe has a textured inner to help lock the heel in. There is also a bit of padding to help tighten the fit at the heel but there's no padding at the ankle. Instead of a typical padded opening, the Unique shoe uses a highly elastic band that wraps all the way around the circle of the opening. There's an included shoe horn to help with getting your foot into the Unique shoes.
The one visual giveaway that these shoes are unique has to do with the carbon outsole. In the back of the shoe, you can spot thin "fingers" of carbon that wrap out from the base up and over the edges of the upper. If you flip the shoe over the glossy carbon looks familiar in the front with a large toe vent and an expected shape.
Things change just behind the sliding cleat mounts. The traditional shape curves and tapers until it's only a thin "vertebra" through the centre of the midfoot. The "fingers" wrap from the centre to help support the outer part of the sole while the centre handles the primary power generated. Q36.5 says the design helps minimise weight but at 272g per shoe (as measured in size 43.5) these are not ultra-light road shoes. More importantly, the purpose is to create "a rebound effect that helps to reduce muscle fatigue" and enhance performance during the pedal stroke.
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The central spine carries the bulk of the load while the fingers just add a bit of support(Image credit: Josh Ross)
The front of the carbon outsole is more conventional but needs better toe protection(Image credit: Josh Ross)
Performance
As I mentioned at the beginning, the riding I do is long distance endurance based and I have struggled with finding the right shoes. Rides that last 1-2 hours aren’t hard to find a solution for. There are great options for short race pace rides or relaxed rides of all distances. Getting a shoe that works as your foot expands and swells over long distances is where the challenge lies. On top of that, I want a shoe that looks as good as it performs.
Much of the time my solution has been to size up as much as a full size. One of my all-time favourite shoes is the Giro Imperial SLX and I ran them so large that I had to tie knots in the closure system to shorten it. More recently I’ve spent a lot of time in the Lake CX403 which I also run significantly sized up. Specialized was the first brand that provided a solution to this challenge. Their wider toe box does a great job of staying comfortable but I’m not a huge fan of the styling of the S-Works Ares and I’ve had trouble with the S-Works Torch holding my midfoot steady. Despite my small misgivings, I had mostly settled with using one of a few options that were good enough. Then the Q36.5 Unique shoes changed everything.
The good news started as soon as the box arrived. Cycling shoes range in size so drastically that my size in different brands is anywhere from a 43 up to a 44.5 and anytime I test a new brand I expect I’ll be sending back the first pair I get because the sizing charts are so often wrong. When I got the Unique shoes from Q36.5, I slipped them on and immediately enjoyed a perfect fit as dictated by the sizing chart.
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On the inside of the shoes the hidden Power Wrap connects under this cable guide(Image credit: Josh Ross)
The Li2 dial pops to release and has precise tightening and loosening (Image credit: Josh Ross)
Although it's no longer the hottest part of the year the thin upper feels great and has plenty of venting(Image credit: Josh Ross)
It feels unnecessary but there is a grippy texture in the heel cup(Image credit: Josh Ross)
The elastic at the opening is incredibly comfortable and keeps the foot in place(Image credit: Josh Ross)
I was also greeted with the most comfortable insole I’ve ever experienced. Q36.5 uses an insole developed with Elastic interface and it’s unlike anything else. The range of what to expect with high-end cycling shoe insoles varies a bit and most companies make pretty lofty claims in this department. None of them involve anything that feels like a memory foam mattress though and that’s what you get from Q36.5. It’s soft and cushy and it pairs well with the outsole which is stiffer than an ultralight shoe like the Fizik Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave but doesn’t feel unyielding the way the Rapha Powerweave or Lake CX403 outsole feels. I think it’s fair to say that both the insole and outsole are unique.
The Elastic Interface designed insole is unlike anything else on the market (Image credit: Josh Ross)
What I most appreciate though is the construction of the upper. It’s thin and it moulds to the foot and should also be highly breathable although I wasn’t able to test that extensively. This late in the season the Pacific Northwest of the United States is mostly past the heat of July and August but it feels like a typically well-ventilated design. There are better options for heat management but I wouldn’t describe it as hot. What’s great about it isn’t the ventilation though. Instead, it’s the interplay between the thin material, the hidden Power Wrap support, and the excellent BOA Li2 dials.
The Power Wrap is two pieces of plastic that come up from the carbon and connect it to the BOA system on either side of the shoe. The inside piece connects to the BOA cable guide while the outside surrounds both BOA dials. It gives a solid point for the BOA dials to pull against and Q36.5 describes the system in terms of power transfer. It’s not the power transfer I find important though.
The system is important because it secures your midfoot and keeps your toes from sliding forward into the front of the shoe. The upshot of it is that it preserves your toenails even when covering long distances. Adding the precise adjustment of the Li2 dials and the wider toe box adds to the comfort of the shoe but without the security of the Power Wrap those details wouldn’t work. The design of the ankle, the insole, and the shape of the last are all important additions to the comfort of the Unique shoe but none of it would work without the successful design of the Power Wrap and an ability to keep your foot in place.
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Given that the Unique shoes don't fully open Q36.5 includes a shoe horn(Image credit: Josh Ross)
The included bag is also a nice, premium, touch(Image credit: Josh Ross)
Verdict
The right gear for long-distance, performance oriented, riding can be a challenge to find. It's not the primary focus of many products on the market and particularly with shoes there are some unique needs. Meeting those needs for me are the Unique shoes from Q36.5 and they are my current favourite option on the market. The upper is a synthetic microfibre but each time I grab the included shoe horn and slide into them it feels like sliding into a beautifully crafted Italian leather loafer. As stylish as they are comfortable, they are a joy to wear.
Despite that high praise, they need better toe protection. The Unique shoe is gorgeous, especially in white, but it's only a matter of time before they touch the back of my front tyre enough times to look shabby. There is a soft bumper at the base of the toe but it's not enough. Specialized wraps the toe protection almost over the top of the front and it's the only way to keep them looking nice. If Q36.5 did the same, the only qualm would be deciding if the high price is worth the high performance.
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Testing scorecard and notes
Design and aesthetics
I love the style of the Unique shoes but there are one or two options out there that top it.
9/10
Comfort
Incredibly comfortable and a joy to wear.
10/10
Performance
Stiff but not too stiff carbon outer, precise Li2 adjustment, and excellent midfoot stability.
10/10
Weight
They seem to wear the weight well but are actually on the heavier side.
7/10
Value
Points for the incredible quality but these are expensive shoes.
Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lb.
Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx
