After the Specialized Roubaix fiasco I got it into my head that i should at least look around for non-Specialized cycling stuff. My local Specialized bike shop is run by a good guy and I've always wanted to support his business so I have been riding Specialized shoes and helmets for a number of years. They've been mostly good enough for me but not quite perfect. Then came the Roubaix thing. Like I said.

So contacting another friend of mine, this time at Gita Sporting Goods the importers of Pinarello, Pegoretti, Campy, Giordana, DMT. etc, I ordered a set of DMT Vega shoes since my Specialized ones were causing issues and their Boa system is less than ideal. After messing around with what seemed to be some confusion with sizing, I have to tell you that the DMTs are really pretty impressive. Light enough. Super stiff soles. Boa closures that work perfectly and a better fit than the Specialized, at least for me. The materials and construction are absolutely first rate. Noticeably better than my previous shoes. Last year's Specialized shoes had a narrower last than the '11 version did and I had all sorts of issues. The DMT last fits me much better. The only drawback so far is that the Vega (their top-of-the-line) is only available with the three bolt sole. I use Speedplays and their speedplay sole can be ordered with the Hydra and a couple of others, but not the Vega. No big deal, but setting them up requires the normal extra cleat adaptor plate. With the Speedplay specific soles you can toss that first cleat plate.

So, my feet are happy again and I am supporting a small guy. I'm told that DMT is not some sort of big seller like SIDI or Specialized, but from the perspective of my feet, they ought to be. Worth a look.