BONTRAGER FLATLINE SHOES

The new Flatline flat pedal shoe from Bontrager offers a great balance between function and style. Our black Flatline shoes look like a traditional street styled shoe using laces (the box includes both red and black laces for you selection) to keep your foot snug and in place. They come with a really nice and normal looking sole with only the small Vibram logo near the heel giving away any hint that this shoe could be more than meets the eye. Support-wise and for general comfort when on your foot they feel very much like a skate shoe and deliver a rather plush feeling once on when compared to a SPD (or clip-in) shoes of the same styling. Even with the slightly tougher external materials and reinforced toe box, the Flatline still does not feel like a cycling shoe until you match it with a set of pedals. We combined our Flatline shoes with a set of Bontrager’s Line Pro flat pedals. These pedals have an adjustable pin height, rather generous platform and nice smooth bearings. When first playing with our Flatline black shoes we thought that for sure we would be opting for the longer pin height on the Line Pro pedal, but in order to not jump to conclusions we opted to set out on our first ride with the standard pin height. This was to be the only option we required as once the shoe and pedal mated, there was ample grip supplied by the Vibram sole. One of the interesting notes about the Flatline shoe was the input from Ryan Howard – one of Trek’s premier Slope Style riders. R Dogg’s signature understated style and look is evident when viewing the Flatline black shoes, with that function over fashion appearance self-evident.