Specialized S-Works Exos Shoes Review

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: 3bikes.fr

Highly technical shoes, but with a very high price tag.

Within a range of seven road or triathlon models, Specialized offers two pairs of exceptionally lightweight shoes, the Exos 99 and Exos. This is a demonstration of the brand’s technical expertise without compromising the concept of rider positioning (Body Geometry) or the performance level associated with the S-Works range.

At the pinnacle of lightness, the Exos 99 are announced, as their name suggests, at less than 100 g per shoe (in size 42) and produced in a limited edition of only 500 pairs worldwide. The price matches their exclusivity: €649! For comparison, they are lighter than a pair of track spikes for athletics (around 120 g), while the demands in terms of support and stiffness are much higher. A lace closure and the removal of all elements that could be considered superfluous distinguish them from the Exos that we are testing here. These shoes are only slightly less light and are sold for €499.

The S-Works Exos are available in two colors.

For the latter, Specialized claims a weight of less than 150 g in size 42, but we weighed our sample at 136 g in size 39. That’s 96 g less than a Shimano S-Phyre (i.e., 192 g less per pair), and the lightest shoes we have ever tested. Compared to the Exos 99, they gain a rigid tongue and a Boa closure, as well as a small tab on the heel that can make them very practical to put on (especially for triathlon).

Despite maximum weight reduction, the soles remain very stiff.

For the rest, they incorporate many of the Exos 99’s extraordinary features. Starting with the carbon outsole, developed using pressure mapping to make it as light as possible. The result: four openings along the entire length of the outer side of the sole, revealing a kind of sole skeleton, without compromising stiffness too much.

As we know, the outsole of the S-Works 7 (the shoes used by pros, and Julian Alaphilippe and Peter Sagan in particular) is one of the stiffest on the market. Specialized gives it a stiffness index of 15/15, whereas in the case of the Exos, the ventilation of the structure brings it down to 13/15, an index that remains well above the brand’s mid-range shoes (Torch 3.0).

This sole retains the Body Geometry features already seen on other models of the brand to optimize power transfer and reduce the risk of injury.

This sole retains the Body Geometry features, already seen on other models of the brand, to optimize power transfer and reduce the risk of injury. We find the longitudinal arch support, the Varus forefoot wedge (hence a slight outward tilt of the foot when pedaling for better foot-knee-hip alignment) and the metatarsal button, when combined with the brand new specific insole, which weighs only 12 g.