Trek joins the march towards comfort first with a better fit for more people
(Image credit: Trek)
Today Trek is announcing three new pairs of shoes. The Trek RSL Knit, Trek RSL Road shoe, and Trek Velocis shoe offer three price points but also a unified vision. The new shoes both follow trends and set new ones.
Over the last few years, cycling as a whole has been changing. It's hard to say where it started, maybe frames or maybe wider tyres and wheels, but more and more there's been a focus on the importance of comfort. The new offerings from Trek follow this trend while definitely introducing some new ideas to cycling shoes. As this shift to comfort continues, brands will generally frame it around racing. In reality, it might also be a recognition that not everyone races.
Whatever the reasons, more and more people are demanding comfortable gear and brands are responding. As we look at continued evolution in our list of the best cycling shoes there are going to be more options focused on comfort. Today's announcement means there are three options from Waterloo that have an eye on fitting more people more comfortably. A big question is going to be how wild do you want to go?
MetNet adds stretch and forgiveness to unforgiving materials (Image credit: Trek)
MetNet is the unifying technology
High performance cycling shoes represent a collection of contradictions. Historically, the best performance came from a tight fit and limiting any movement between the shoe and the foot. The best way to handle those demands was to create a shoe that's as solid as possible with materials that don't stretch or shift over time.
The challenge with addressing that need is that humans are squishy and a collection of unusual shapes. Hard shoes with a tight fit with no stretch aren't comfortable. For years the approach across cycling, and other sports, was to ask athletes to sacrifice comfort at the altar of performance. Cycling gear was either uncomfortable and fast or comfortable and slow.
Over the last few years, there's been a whole new approach. Brands making all kinds of gear for cycling have started to realise that comfortable athletes are also faster. Trek is following that trend with this latest round of shoes and MetNet is the technology tasked with bridging the divide.
What Trek reports is that the pain points on shoes occur primarily in three places. The head of the first and fifth metatarsal and in the centre outside of the foot at the 5th metatarsal tuberosity. These are the spots the brand says become pressure points and lead to numbness, tingling, and pain. To address these points, Trek is integrating MetNet into all three new shoes but each one is a little different.
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At the most basic level, what MetNet does is solve the stretch vs no stretch conundrum. It's not the first, or only, solution to this. It's also not the most high-tech. Instead, MetNet is a simple collection of triad shaped perforations. In short, it's a fancy name for cutting little holes into the non-stretchy material so that it can stretch and conform. The holes also have the advantage of allowing better airflow.
Where you'll see differences between the various models in the amount, and style, of the MetNet cuts. The least expensive shoe is the Velocis and in that shoe, MetNet perforations are small and uniform covering only the necessary spots. As you move up to the RSL road shoe the perforations get more complex and include nuance depending on location.
At the top level, the RSL Knit shoe changes MetNet into a concept in name only. In the RSL Knit, the shape isn't recognizable. Instead of relying on cutouts, the knit itself provides the same strategic stretch characteristics and pressure relief.
The Trek Velocis is slightly more forgiving in the outsole and the wallet (Image credit: Trek)
Trek Velocis
The Trek Velocis is the most affordable of the new shoes with a retail price of $249.99 / £229.99 / €249.99 and synthetic PU upper. Decorating that PU upper is a choice of white, black or red as well as both extensive venting and MetNet perforations in the three, already mentioned, high pressure areas. Handling closure is the job of the premium BOA Li2 dial in a dual dial configuration.
The base of the Velocis is the most flexible of the three options due to the OCLV Carbon composite plate with a stiffness index of 10/14. At the rear you'll find a replaceable heel pad and at the front there's 4mm of cleat mount adjustment. There's also venting through the base fore and aft of the cleat mounts.
The RSL Road is the clear successor to the outgoing XXX road shoe (Image credit: Trek)
Trek RSL Road
The RSL is being marketed as the choice for an "Elevated Classic" and it's the closest replacement for the outgoing Bontrager XXX road shoe. Like that shoe, the RSL is a pro level shoe developed alongside input from Lidl-Trek athletes but it's got an all new 'Pro Last.' That means a new fit with a drastically wider toe box and more volume throughout the upper.
Supporting the new fit is a completely updated upper available in black or white. Although the TPU material is non-stretch, there's both vent perforations covering most of the upper and MetNet perforations of varying sizes that provide high flexibility. Like the Velocis, a pair of BOA Li2 dials handle precise closure and the only recognizable carry over from the XXX is the external heel cup support.
Owing to the positioning as a pro level shoe, the RSL is the first of the three new shoes to use a full carbon base plate and a 14 out of 14 stiffness rating. There's the same 4mm of cleat mount adjustability from the Velocis base but otherwise the two are quite different. The heel and toe pads are non-replaceable and there are large mesh covered vents at the toe and midfoot.
The Trek RSL Knit is a wild shoe unlike anything else on the market (Image credit: Trek)
Trek RSL Knit Road
The Trek RSL Knit is a dramatic departure from anything Trek has previously offered as well as the Velocis and RSL. That's despite the fact that the base and toe of both the RSL and the RSL Knit are the same. You do have to look beyond the high gloss silver or gold paint but when you do, you'll notice the heel and toe pads, the venting, the shape, and the 14/14 stiffness rating are all unchanged. The upper is unlike anything else on the market though.
Owing to its name, the entirety of the RSL Knit upper uses a Knit construction. Colour options are black or white and the fore and midfoot get a sock-like covering with varying densities and patterns to tailor the stretch. Metal BOA dials, again in either gold or silver, pull against what Trek is calling a MetNet Exoskeleton design.
Although MetNet continues to be the unifying technology in the RSL Knit, it's not the same as in the other shoes. In fact, it's had the technology flipped around. Instead of a non-stretch upper with perforations to provide stretch, the entire upper of the RSL Knit is soft, breathable, and flexible. In this case, the MetNet name applies to portions of synthetic suede that provide structure around the same pressure points as MetNet provides relief for in the other shoes. The material is also attached directly to the outsole and gives the BOA dials a place anchor and tighten against.
As you head to the rear of the shoe, the Knit structure disappears. In place of the sock-like forefoot there's more of the same synthetic suede that provides structure for the MetNet system upfront. Instead of an external heel cup, the support is internal with less stiffness. On the inside you'll find a shark skin like texture to help keep your heel in place during hard efforts.
Although the RSL Knit is comfortable, expect to spend some time browsing our list of the best cycling overshoes. These will be nearly impossible to keep clean and if there's any chance of rain, cover up.
Available insoles get the Trek name and added green credentials (Image credit: Trek)
All-new insoles
Trek already offers BioDynamic insoles to customise the fit of Trek and Bontrager cycling shoes. The system uses Superfeet, "global leader in insole design," as a partner to build options with three levels of arch height depending on your need. This hasn't changed but now the products include 70% recycled material.
In addition to the updated insole options, both the RSL Knit and RSL come with a new insole design using Rise by Bloom instead of traditional foam. While typically an insole would use petroleum based foam, the Rise system instead harvests freshwater algae overgrowth. The harvested biomass is then combined with bio-based additives to create a bio-based foam replacement. The process removes an unwanted material from lake shores, thereby sequestering CO2, and returns filtered water.
Pricing and availability
All three new Trek shoes and aftermarket insoles are available online at trekbikes.com and through Trek’s global network of retail partners in select markets.
Trek Velocis is available in black, white, and red with unisex sizes 36-48 and half sizes 38.5 – 45.5 available at a price of $249.99 / £229.99 / €249.99
Trek RSL Road is available in black and white with unisex sizing: 36-48 and half sizes 38.5 – 45.5 at a price of $449.99 / £349.99 / €399.99
Trek RSL Knit Road is available in black/gold and white/silver with unisex sizing 36-48 and half sizes 38.5 – 45.5 at a price of $499.99 / £399.99 / €449.99
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Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lb.
Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx
