Long Term Review: Specialized 2FO flat shoes
The Lowdown: 2FO flat shoes
I’ve used this Specialized shoe now for a good five months and it’s time for an update and a verdict. The short of it is, it’s an awesome shoe that covers all the bases that a flat shoe should deliver. It descends well, jumps good, climbs decent and is comfortable on and off the bike.
The shoe seems to have the right amount of grip, as it’s not quite Five Ten shoe sticky, but it is grippier than the Tevas. We’ve used it with an assortment of flat pedals and it performed well with all of them. Durability is good too, as a quick glance at the sole shows some marks, but not any significant damage.
In summary, this is one of the best flat shoes we’ve tried and it deserves the coveted 5-star rating.
| Weight: 395 grams | Material: Lightweight and doesn’t retain water |
| Compatibility: Flats or Clipless | MSRP: $130 |
| Lace guard: Stores laces safely |
Rating:  5 Chilies-out-of-5 |
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Full Review: Jan. 6, 2015
Climbing, this shoe performed well. It seems stiff enough and we never felt the shoe held us back on big climbs. The key as well is, this shoe is incredibly comfortable so the absence of pain and hot spots helped us out on the long days in the saddle.
The pedal is roomy indeed and we just had to cinch up the laces each time to get that snug control needed on the big, rocky descents. One of the advantages of the roomy cavity is that we were able to select the high arch sole that we needed for proper support, and this did not compromise fit.
One of the minor inconveniences is, the heel support had a foam insert that could be displaced if we shoved our foot in the shoe without properly loosening them. Care had to be taken to loosen the shoe properly before inserting the foot. Beyond that, that cushy heel support held the heel in place without calling attention to itself.
The elastic lace holder was not the easiest to use, as one had to lift the elastic and insert the tied shoelace through to prevent any movement of the shoelaces. But it was well worth the effort each time, as the laces never loosened or got caught in the chainrings.
Off the bike, the shoes were a champ. Climbing granite rocks, slippery logs or walking to the cafe were all handled with ease by the Specialized 2FO. A great testimonial to this shoe’s comfort is that we keep it on sometimes after a ride. Going to the brewpub, driving home, the shoes feel comfortable all day. Unlike bulky or harsh shoes that you can’t wait to get out of, these shoes provide all day comfort.
We’ve nailed some rocks and stumps with this shoe and although the foot hurts a few seconds/minutes after a big impact, we’ve suffered no injuries. By the end of the ride, it’s all good and the shoe shows marks but no damage from the beating.
The shoe is fairly light as well at 395 grams each. At that weight, the shoe offers good protection on the toe box area. The rest of the foot is well protected as well. When the shoe gets wet, it doesn’t get waterlogged too much and it dries faster than other flat shoes.
Let’s give the 2FO (Foot Out, Flat Out) five flamin’ chilies for a well executed flat shoe.
Continue to page 2 for first ride impressions and full photo gallery »
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