2FO 2.0, Shoes, Specialized - December 11, 2017

Specialized 2FO 2.0 shoe review

The 2FO offers a comfortable and controlled contact point in v2.0 of Specialized’s flat shoe effort.

Update: Dec 10, 2017

We’ve been using this shoe now for a good 6 months and have more experience with it to provide an updated review. The big revelation is the review holds for a 4.5 star rated shoe that provides good grip, great protection, and excellent comfort. It doesn’t have the stickiest rubber sole but a good layer of foam materials and knob heights gives it good traction on the pedals and climbing or descending on foot.

On a recent trip to Lisbon, Portugal, we saved luggage room by only bringing one pair of shoes for three days of bike riding and another three days of sightseeing. They were comfortable enough to take this risk with and it paid off in spades. On the bike, they exhibited great control on big, wide Race Face pedals. Landing many jumps and descending rocky chutes, the shoes absorbed shock and vibrations to aid bike control.

Around town, we hiked miles and miles of rocky trails and these performed flawlessly even on wet rocks. Wearing this shoe many hours, shoe comfort really excelled more than any bike shoe we’ve used before. Kicking rocks inadvertently, toes stayed well protected.

Only downside is the laces kept getting loose when not cinched down extremely tight. Also pedaling, these didn’t feel like the most efficient shoes for pedaling transfer since the sole was not very stiff.

Posted: Aug 2, 2017

What is it

The 2FO is version 2.0 of Specialized‘s flat shoe effort. The first one, introduced in 2014 was pretty darn good as Mtbr reviewed here. It was quick drying and had good power transfer. But sizing was a little odd and the feel and control was not quite there with the somewhat hard shoe and sole.

Specialized worked hard to improve the fit and feel of the latest 2FO, working on the toebox to make sure it has room but is not too cavernous that one loses the feeling of control. They also focused both on the rubber of the sole and all the layers of rubber between the sole and the foot. This Mtbr test pair weighed 760 grams size 43. Price is $150.

Jumping with the 2FO is a pleasure even if you don’t have the smoothest landings.

Pros

Excellent impact cushioning and improved control during rough descents
Good fit without being too roomy
Improved protection, especially on the outer side of shoe
40 grams lighter than outgoing model
Comfortable off the bike

Cons

Could use a little more grip
Not the most pedal efficient
Because it’s not very stiff, it doesn’t work well with small platform surfaces

The 2FO’s are fairly light yet offer good protection.

Mtbr’s Take

First off, these shoes are remarkably easy to put on and take off. The tongue is solid but seems to tuck out of the way when putting the shoe on. The heel cup stays in place without deforming. Thus, we actually found a good lace setting where we just slipped our foot off and slipped it on without redoing the laces.

The second thing we noticed is how comfortable the shoes are off the bike. When driving or hiking, they felt like a nice tennis shoe with good grip and stability on rocks. We wore it for a 5-mile hike in Tahoe and it felt good while hopping around on rocks and uneven surfaces.

This photo may be disturbing but it shows the pliability and cushioning of the shoe in the middle of the sole.

On the bike it’s comfortable and controlled. Indeed, it was pretty uncanny how our foot stayed on the pedals with little discomfort or vibration. But the best part is when doing jumps and descending rocky trail. Even when casing a jump and landing flat, the shoe seemed to help us out. The middle part of the sole has shock absorbing qualities unlike what we’ve seen in other flat shoes. Near the tip of the shoe, it’s fairly stiff. But in the middle and the bottom of the sole, it’s softer. This improves the contact point, as it damped vibrations and impacts.

Since this shoe doesn’t have the stickiest rubber, the shoe worked better with higher pin/traction pedals like the OneUp and Canfield Bros. Non-high traction pedals like the Xpedo Magnesium and Race Face Chester didn’t stay mated with the shoes quite as well.

All day comfort is the strength of the new 2FO.

Looking at the sole further, it was fascinating that Specialized used a very soft rubber in the middle of the shoe, almost like a running shoe. This delivered the comfort and control that made this shoe stand out for us.

As far as pedaling efficiency is concerned, the power transfer didn’t seem as efficient as stiffer shoes like the Five Ten Freerider Pro. And since the sole is not very firm, using small platform pedals would not be ideal and could develop hot spots.