Specialized's S-Works Recon Evo are great shoes, but they come at a great expense

To put it into simple terms, the Specialized S-Works Recon Evo takes the platform of the Ares road shoe and pairs it with an off-road outsole. I'm sure it was a lot more complicated than that in reality, but as a potential buyer, that's the TLDR.

They are Specialized's best gravel shoes, with a premium aesthetic, lofty performance caims, and a pretty lofty price tag to boot.

I have a lot of time for Specialized. I know a good number of their staff both here in the UK and over at its HQ in Morgan Hill; their approach to product design is thorough, and their thinking is often many steps ahead of the competition. But when the Ares launched, I was irrationally angered by the claim that it was seven watts better.

The claim was unsubstantiated, and a small asterisk clarified that it was compared to a non ‘Body Geometry’ shoe (Specialized’s in-house ergonomics technology), which could be inferred as meaning it's not seven watts better than any of its other shoes, since they all use the tech to some degree.

It could also be inferred to mean that it was comparing to another brand’s high end shoe, such as a pair of Giro Empire SLX or Bont Vaypor SL… or it could be in comparison to a pair of Birkenstocks. It didn’t say.

That same claim is being repeated here, and while I’m sure these are better than some other shoes to an equivalent tune of seven watts, don’t be expecting life-changing performance improvements. Especially ones that you can't get for a significantly lower price than the £399.00 / $550.00 these will set you back.

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Design and aesthetics

The S-Works Recon Evo is built on the new Body Geometry Natural Last, which Specialized claims reduces forefoot pressure by "up to 44%" compared to previous iterations. It’s not quite as wide as the last used in many of Lake’s shoes, but I'm told it's 2.5mm wider than the Torch shoe, which itself was 4mm wider than the S-Works 7.

Support features include a Varus Wedge for forefoot stabilization, arch support to maintain foot shape under load, and a Metatarsal Button designed to reduce nerve compression and pressure points.

The upper is largely the same as found on the Ares 2, including the patented 'PowerHug' closure system which wraps across the upper to lock the midfoot and stabilise the heel. Specialized introduced a similar technology on the Ares 1, arguing it improves power transfer by increasing foot-to-upper contact in the back half of the pedal stroke, thus reducing energy loss to material flex.

BOA S3 dials are used for retention, with two dials per shoe for upper and forefoot adjustment, and it must be said, the machined aluminium dials add a real premium look to the shoes.

For its gravelly intentions, the outsole includes rubber toe and heel lugs for traction, along with TPU 'pontoons' – Specialized's word, not mine – on either side of the cleat. Notably, these pontoons are interchangeable via two screws accessed from inside the shoe.

There are two available mounting points for the cleats, and the mounting plate itself can slide back and forth. This means plenty of adjustment in cleat position, although I do find the whole setup is further back than I’m used to. I have mine around 5mm from the furthest-forward adjustment, to get the pedal axle to line up where it usually sits. The sole itself is otherwise smooth, save for a small rubber plate that adds grip at the midfoot.

Overall, these features combine to create a shoe that looks fantastic, and thankfully the white is pretty easy to keep clean. There's no fabric that stains, unlike the Fizik Vento Proxy shoes I reviewed last year.

Performance

I've ridden and raced in the Sub 6 (a long time ago), the S-Works 7, and the original Ares, and these are definitely wider, but on my feet, they don't feel 'better' (or worse) as a result. Just wider.

I’m a pretty textbook case for why this new wider last exists... my average-width feet are technically too wide for the majority of normal cycling shoes (according to a measurement by a Specialized bike fitter), but I have found these to be very comfortable. But then again I’ve never found an issue with the narrower shapes of older S-Works shoes, nor indeed Trek, Giro, Northwave, Fizik, Sidi, and more.

Overall though, these shoes are pretty good across the board. At £399, you won’t be surprised to hear that, but they’re comfy, stiff, secure, breathable, and reasonably lightweight at 764g (with the standard insoles that come with it).

They're also pretty easy to clean, as demonstrated by the gallery below...

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The Boa dials are excellent. They tighten in the opposite direction for each foot, which sounds wrong until you've tried it the other way. They pop open to loosen, or can be backed off if you just want to loosen them a couple of clicks. They can get stiff or gritty if you let muddy shoes dry (or ride on the beach), but rinse them under warm water while dialling them back and forth, and you'll reinstate their butteriness once again (you can thank my colleague Tom for that tip).

The wrap-over strap is nice and secure, but I find the heel cup a little slippier than I’d like, meaning in hard sprint efforts, my heel isn’t as locked in as I’ve felt in other shoes.

I buy into the notion that there are comfort benefits to be found for most people with a wider last, but in all honesty I didn’t find much improvement here. As I mentioned above, though, I never have issues with narrower shoes, even though my feet are too wide for them.

Maybe I’d find a noticeable improvement by going wider again, and maybe someone who is uncomfortable in narrow shoes but not quite as wide as this Recon last, would notice the change more than me.

Still, I didn’t find any extra stability from the extra platform, and instead simply noticed more crank rub.

Elsewhere, the grip when walking is pretty good. And the shoes don’t pinch at the ankles when doing so. The pontoons are deep enough to bury the cleat and prevent it from fouling on the ground when walking. It does still foul on rougher surfaces, but the overall traction is decent on both hard and soft ground, and the lugs at the front are big enough to grip nicely.

Value

So they're very good shoes, but the problem is I don’t really think they’re 25% better than any of the other high-end gravel race shoes that retail in that £300 / $400 ballpark. I certainly don’t believe I'm suddenly seven watts better off when wearing them.

As much as I really do like wearing these shoes, I can’t in good conscience claim they are good value, nor really recommend them. The price is just too high and the performance delta just isn’t high enough to represent the hike.

Their one saving grace in the value stakes is that top-end Specialized shoes will happily take a beating. I've been using the last round of Recon Lace shoes since 2021 and save for being filthy, they're in perfect working order.

But I would still suggest you save some money, buy a £300 shoe – which is still a lot of money, but a fairer reflection of the cost of flagship performance – and buy yourself a new skinsuit if you’re worried about those seven watts.

Verdict

The Recon Evo shoe is good. Great even. But at £399 / $550 I think it needs to even be better than that.

The new last is a definite improvement on paper, but at least for my feet, I don’t feel it offers wholesale change. If you have nominally wide feet, there are plenty of high-end shoes at a much lower price, that either already offer a similarly wide last – Lake being the prominent brand – or that which come in a wide fit option, such as Fizik.

If you're at the pointy end of very big races and you want to squeeze out a modicum of extra performance no matter the cost, these will be the shoes for you, but for everyone else, they're probably a little overkill.