By Andy Clark
Not too long ago, I found myself in a café in Pisa on a perfectly sunny Sunday in late May. There was a fresh doppio in a ceramic cup on the table, and the riders from the last stage TT were zipping by one…by one…by one. I’d spent the week following the Giro’s route stage-by-stage, and as I leaned back to enjoy a sip of a perfectly-pulled ristretto, I crossed my embro’d up legs and looked down at my shoes – The Sidi Wire Vent Carbons - in all of their hi-viz-yellow glory – and smiled. After a week of climbing in the Dolomites, I was beaming with pride over how smart an investment I’d made – they were a replacement for my beloved White Vernice Ergo 2’s – which I’d used and abused for about 3 years, and the increase in stiffness and loss in weight…well, more on that in a bit.
Anyway, the stage was almost over, so I decided to pick up the check and grab an icy-cold Pelligrino before heading off toward the podium for the closing ceremony. After that, it’d be back to the hotel for a well-earned feast followed by about as much sleep as I could fit in before my early flight the next morning. Just as I turned to clip-clop out the door (head down and stuffing a credit card back into my wallet) I found myself awash in a sea of white, blue, and yellow, and as I looked up I saw familiar faces: Ted King…Ivan Basso…Vincenzo Nibali…and, oh man – “You’re Peter Sagan!”
“Yes.” He said. “Nice shoes, honey.”
(OK, why did Peter Sagan, in perfect English, just call me honey?? That was weird.)
As I looked with confusion at the other guys, he kept saying it: “Honey. Honey. Hoooonnn-eeeeyyyy. It’s time to wake up…Andy! HEY! ANDY, WAKE UP!!”
As my eyes slowly opened, I saw my very pregnant wife holding our 1-year old in her arms. “Andy, Honey…it’s time to get up and feed the baby!” It was definitely a Saturday in May, but I was nowhere near Italy, and I sure as heck wouldn’t be sipping espresso at a leisurely pace today – much less riding my bike or ratcheting down the buckles of my just-broken in Wires.
Thankfully, I’d managed to accumulate some serious Northern California mileage before getting locked into baby jail, most of which were logged in these shoes.
The Sidi Wire Vent Carbon is an all-new shoe that was first spotted at the 2012 Tour (badged as Ergo 3’s) on none other than the Green Jersey himself, Peter Sagan.
Personally, I skipped over the Ergo 3’s to arrive at the Wire. And, from what I can tell these are the differences between the three, in a nutshell:
· The Ergo 2 and Ergo 3 share the same upper, with a different carbon sole.
· The Ergo 3 and Wire share the same sole, but the Wire has an all-new upper.
The most important difference is the vented carbon fiber sole, which shaves an astonishing 60 grams off the shoes, and from what I can tell – adds a small handful of watts to your pedal stroke. The sole is completely laid by hand in the same factory that manufactures carbon fiber bits for the likes of Ducati and Ferrari, and in addition to a small vent near the toe that you can literally open and close mid-ride if it gets too hot or cold, there are also fully replaceable toe and heel pads. It uses T700 carbon in a 3k weave (most competitors use T300 carbon, which isn’t nearly as rigid) at opposing angles which maximizes stiffness, but still allows for a ‘just-right’ degree of controlled flex in areas where blood circulation and stress relief are important (under the toe and plantar tendon).
But, the soles are still so rigid that they only deflect 1.4mm when a 110lb weight is suspended from one end. And, of course – the Sidi Wire Vent Carbon is available in a 3 or 4 hole drilling to accommodate a wide array of pedal choices. There’s also a Look Memory Eyelet, and in wet weather, the vent serves its second purpose - as a drain for water and perspiration – which can dramatically improve comfort in a triathlon, especially after a wet transition.
Moving toward the top of the shoe, the Sidi fan will see some familiar faces. The first buckle (nearest to your leg) is the Soft Instep Closure System, which gently (but firmly and comfortably) holds your upper in place with an iron grip. It’s adjustable on both sides, and fully replaceable. Moving down toward the toe, you’ll find the Techno 3 buckles – an updated version of the Techno 2’s I got used to on my Ergos. You still flip the u-shaped lever up and twist to tighten, but instead of just one button to release tension – there’s two. Pressing just one will loosen the buckle a single click, while pressing both simultaneously will completely unfurl the wire, and loosen the shoe for removal.
Moving back toward the heel, we see two parts that have become mainstays in the Sidi lineup: The HSS (Heel Security System), which allows you to snug things up below your Achilles tendon, and the Sidi Heel Cup, which prevents your heel from rolling around (and it also keeps the shoes from wearing out prematurely). The Heel cup is like an exoskeleton on a bug – it provides support and protection in a very vulnerable area.
So, that’s the tech. Those are the specs. What do I think of them? I have to be honest – it’s tough to find cons on a $500 pro-caliber race shoe. It seems to be all Pro, but there are a few things I don’t dig. First, after 90 days of riding the uppers are still pretty darn stiff. At the moment, they’re lacking the famous Sidi Comfort I got used to with my Ergos, which is probably due to the fact that there’s ZERO mesh in these things – it’s all Vernice, as far as the eye can see. However, it took the Ergos a while to break in, too. So, the jury’s still out on the comfort issue. I’m hoping that’ll change after another 500 miles and a ride or two in the rain. Right now, they still feel a touch like a new pair of dress shoes that need some breaking in.
The insoles – which were redesigned for the Wires, are terrible and awful. They’re nothing more than a thin layer of very firm foam, and it’s not a great match to the extremely stiff carbon sole. If you pick up a set of Wires, be sure to add a set of Pearl Izumi 1:1 insoles to your order.
So, obviously my standard for comparison is the Ergo 2. But, I’ve also got a pair of Giro ProLight SLX’s in the collection, and I typically alternate shoes to match kits (yeah, I’m THAT guy). When I compare the Wires to the Ergos, they’re about 80% as comfortable, but they feel 30% stiffer when I throttle it. If I’m going out for a crit or a ride with a lot of quick, punchy climbs – I ratchet up the Wires. There’s also a noticeable difference in weight, which is surprisingly important for shoes because like your wheels – when you spin, rotational weight matters. The slightly heavier Ergos don’t let me dance on the pedals at a high and lively cadence like the Wires.
When I size them up against the Giros, there’s really no comparison on weight – the Giros are feather-light and spin up amazingly well. The Giro also wins the comfort battle by a toe, and it has a lower stack height (especially if you put a thicker insole into your Wires), but when it comes to stiffness and power transfer – the Wire blows them all away by miles and miles.
The stiffness of the sole makes all the other small sins instantly forgivable because you’re more efficient as a rider. One or two pedal strikes is all it takes to be reminded of why the big guns on the pro tour ride Sidi – there’s just zero compromise – they make the rollers a little flatter, the sprints a little faster, and the climbs a touch easier (I actually find myself in one gear lower than usual when I wear the Wires).
And, well, at least in my case, I’m completely smitten by the color. After 25 years of black shoes and white shoes, it’s nice to stand out a little – even if this whole Hi-Viz thing is just a fad.
One last thing, though – I haven’t confirmed this, but I think Sidi changed their lasts and sizing for this shoe. My 44.5 Ergo 2’s fit like a glove, with no wiggle room for my toes (I like ‘em snug). The Wire in the same size has a bit more overall interior volume, which was a blessing in disguise because the Pearl insoles took up a little more room. Make sure you try on your usual size and a half-size down to ensure the proper fit.
The Sidi Wire Vent Carbon is $499, and has both Look and Speedplay-specific options. The SP version is available in White Vernice only, and the Look/Shimano version is available in White Vernice and Yellow Fluo/Black Vernice.
