Q36.5 unveils a new shoe-pedal system

Developed in collaboration with SRM, this new system introduces a new pedaling standard: greater efficiency, comfort, aerodynamics, and control thanks to a reduced stack height and an optimized contact surface. This innovative solution combines SRM’s X-Power Direct pedal with Q36.5’s Unique Pro 4.0 shoe, designed to work in perfect synergy.

Source: press release

The objective is to improve pedaling efficiency and power transfer by reducing the stack height by 6 mm compared to traditional systems. The result is a more direct push, a more aerodynamic position, and better bike control, with increased stability, especially with short cranks and on descents. The innovative design also increases the contact surface between the shoe and the pedal, making force transmission more homogeneous and pedaling smoother.

The pedal

The SRM X-Power Direct pedal is made of die-cast and then anodized aluminum. It weighs 311 grams per pair, including cleats and screws. Its major innovation lies in its geometry: the cleat engagement mechanism has been moved back and behind the shoe-pedal contact point. This reduces the distance between the shoe sole and the center of the pedal axle by 6 mm, improving biomechanical efficiency and increasing the contact surface (1653 mm²), with advantages in terms of stability and power transmission.

This system requires a specific cleat that needs an additional hole in the shoe sole, currently only present on Q36.5’s Unique Pro shoes.

The shoe

The Q36.5 Unique Pro 4.0, designed for all-season use, retains the brand’s distinctive features (thermoregulation, superior comfort, and precise fit) while introducing a technological innovation: a handmade carbon fiber sole, the thinnest in the world, currently pending patent. It also features a wider metatarsal area, which optimizes the fit and further enhances comfort. The Unique Pro 4.0 offers optimized power transfer thanks to a reduced stack height of only 4.4 mm, contributing to greater pedaling efficiency.

In combination with the new SRM pedal, for which Q36.5 is the first brand in the world to offer compatibility, the total stack height is lowered to 11.9 mm, thus below the average*, bringing the foot even closer to the pedal axle. The result is a more direct push, more natural pedaling, and a level of efficiency previously impossible to achieve with traditional systems.

*Reference average stack height: 17.8 mm

Advantages of the system

The reduction in stack height brings the foot closer to the pedal’s axis of rotation, thus decreasing the distance between the shoe sole and the center of movement. This adjustment increases biomechanical efficiency, making pedaling smoother and more stable, with advantages in phases of high force application as well as when using short cranks. The integration between the shoe and the pedal also allows for a more homogeneous distribution of pressure, by utilizing the entire contact surface and allowing the entire sole of the foot to push, thereby reducing pedaling dead spots and ensuring continuous power transmission. From a postural perspective, lowering the center of gravity optimizes balance and promotes a more aerodynamic position for the athlete, also improving upper limb alignment and pedaling management even under effort.

The SRM x Q36.5 shoe-pedal system is available online on the brand’s website, q36-5.com, at the Q36.5 Flagship Store in Zurich, and at exclusive retailers.