VITTORIA LA TECNICA

£300 › Handcrafted Italian endurance shoes

VITTORIA IS RIGHTFULLY PROUD OF making shoes in its family’s hometown of Biella in Piedmont, northern Italy. That in itself would likely come with a premium over its massproduced rivals, but the price associated with the La Tecnica comes more from the materials. The upper is constructed from incredibly soft kangaroo leather, which is lined with a nylon mesh to help provide structural support, making them some of the most comfortable shoes we’ve ever tried.

The natural compliance in the leather forms a brilliant fit. While the twin SSP micro-adjust ratchets may not be as minimal as a Boa, they offer every inch as much fine adjustment to further support the fit.

The sole is Vittoria’s top-of-theline full unidirectional carbon unit that combines a 3.4mm height with impressive unmoving stiffness and generous mesh lined air vents. Good cleat measure markings, slotted cleat bolt holes and a textured finish for grip make setting up your cleats really easy.

The all-up 630g a pair (size 45) weight isn’t the lightest, but we’d gladly take the extra few grams for the way these feel on our feet. The impressive sole stiffness does make for efficient pedalling, though the upper suppleness means a bit of movement. If you’re the sort of rider who likes to hammer out big power efforts, shoes with stiffer uppers might be more your thing. For those more inclined to long days out, and looking for that bit of extra cosseting when you ride long distances, then the La Tecnicas may well be the ideal endurance shoes.

HIGHS Stiff, low stack sole, super-plush uppers, beautifully made LOWS Pricey, some may want a more rigid upper DR MARTENS DUBBIN £4 Just like we used to use on our school football boots, this natural wax-based formula is rubbed into natural leather to condition it, and add a waterresistant coating, making it ideal for leather cycling shoes.