DMT shoes

[Tom Kellogg]

After the Specialized Roubaix fiasco I got it into my head that i should at least look around for non-Specialized cycling stuff. My local Specialized bike shop is run by a good guy and I've always wanted to support his business so I have been riding Specialized shoes and helmets for a number of years. They've been mostly good enough for me but not quite perfect. Then came the Roubaix thing. Like I said.

So contacting another friend of mine, this time at Gita Sporting Goods the importers of Pinarello, Pegoretti, Campy, Giordana, DMT. etc, I ordered a set of DMT Vega shoes since my Specialized ones were causing issues and their Boa system is less than ideal. After messing around with what seemed to be some confusion with sizing, I have to tell you that the DMTs are really pretty impressive. Light enough. Super stiff soles. Boa closures that work perfectly and a better fit than the Specialized, at least for me. The materials and construction are absolutely first rate. Noticeably better than my previous shoes. Last year's Specialized shoes had a narrower last than the '11 version did and I had all sorts of issues. The DMT last fits me much better. The only drawback so far is that the Vega (their top-of-the-line) is only available with the three bolt sole. I use Speedplays and their speedplay sole can be ordered with the Hydra and a couple of others, but not the Vega. No big deal, but setting them up requires the normal extra cleat adaptor plate. With the Speedplay specific soles you can toss that first cleat plate.

So, my feet are happy again and I am supporting a small guy. I'm told that DMT is not some sort of big seller like SIDI or Specialized, but from the perspective of my feet, they ought to be. Worth a look.

[Brandon White]

I loved my DMT Radials. I still hunt for NOS models.

[Paul]

I've got a pair of DMT radial (and sidi, fizik & specialized!) great shoes and noticeably stiffer than pretty much everything else I've had - if you've tried Bonts it's a similar sort of feeling, but without the drawbacks Bonts seem to have for a lot of folks.
I think DMT used to make the Nike shoes a while back.

hey Tom - you've changed the shoes, how about changing over to some proper pedals too, no need for 4 bolts then!;)

[Paul]

I loved my DMT Radials. I still hunt for NOS models.

what size do you need?
Might be able to point you the right direction

[j44ke]

They look nice.



Could you describe your feet - low volume, high volume, narrow, wide. That will us in virtual land help gauge the reality of the DMT shoe form perhaps. If I understand correctly, you are saying Specialized (S-Works?) shoes from 2013 were too narrow for your foot?

[Matthew Strongin]

Perfect example of how individual shoe fit is. Specialized fit me great, the new '13 s-works the best yet. I've tried two pair of DMT. The Radials were so painful I had to take them off and ride home in my socks. With the Prismas I never even made it to mounting cleats. The construction quality did feel top notch, so I was a bit bummed they didn't work for me. I'm also no longer supporting Specialized these days and may have found a new match in Shimano.

[Tom Kellogg]

They look nice.



Could you describe your feet - low volume, high volume, narrow, wide. That will us in virtual land help gauge the reality of the DMT shoe form perhaps. If I understand correctly, you are saying Specialized (S-Works?) shoes from 2013 were too narrow for your foot?

Yeah, The Specialized shoes got a narrower last in '13. It has caused me to suffer through what feels a bit like really bad hot-foot, but is not, on rides longer than about eighty miles.

As I've aged, my for-foot has gotten wider. As some who know me might recall, I wear non-cycling shoes that do not confine my feet at all; Crocks and clogs are typical when I have anything on my feet at all.

A couple of things on DMT sizing - Gita is very careful about sizing and checks the sizing of all shipments that come in from DMT. However apparently a number of other importers aren't so careful. Because of this, DMT's sizing might seem kind of odd to some. I've been a 41.5 for ever, or I thought I was. In DMT, I'm a 42.5. The odd part is that if I look at my Specialized box, the label says Euro 41.5, US 9.0. On the DMT box, the label says Euro 42.5, US 9.0. So your best bet is to order by your US size. I had a look at the official Brannock chart and DMT is correct. The official conversion of a Euro 41.5 is a tad under a US 8.5. And I haven't been near a 8.5 since middle school.

Oh, and of course I got the white ones. Stylin'.

[j44ke]

Perfect example of how individual shoe fit is. Specialized fit me great, the new '13 s-works the best yet. I've tried two pair of DMT. The Radials were so painful I had to take them off and ride home in my socks. With the Prismas I never even made it to mounting cleats. The construction quality did feel top notch, so I was a bit bummed they didn't work for me. I'm also no longer supporting Specialized these days and may have found a new match in Shimano.

So they were narrower than Specialized or painful in other ways?

Never mind - just saw TK's post (thanks!) above. I'm actually looking at Specialized S-Works 2014 shoes in narrow width. That's how narrow my feet are. Any other shoe I would be adding something underneath the forefoot to try to take up some volume so I wasn't rolling around inside the front part of the shoe. Different than having too much toe room - more like wearing toe clips without cinching the straps 100% snug.

Doesn't sound like the DMT's would answer that issue.

[Matthew Strongin]

So they were narrower than Specialized or painful in other ways?

Never mind - just saw TK's post (thanks!) above. I'm actually looking at Specialized S-Works 2014 shoes in narrow width. That's how narrow my feet are. Any other shoe I would be adding something underneath the forefoot to try to take up some volume so I wasn't rolling around inside the front part of the shoe. Different than having too much toe room - more like wearing toe clips without cinching the straps 100% snug.

Doesn't sound like the DMT's would answer that issue.

All about the arch with me. Specs are flat. I use the Shimanos with no arch insert; pretty flat. The DMTs I tried felt like I was standing on a golfball, even when I put other insoles in.