I have done a fair amount of research into the topic of cycling shoes for Escape Collective, and in my quest to better understand why wide-fit shoes are becoming more commonplace, and whether barefoot-style shoes are the next thing in shoe design, I have come to understand that a lot of cycling shoes fail to properly consider the needs of the foot.
Alex Hunt
Overly narrow lasts, with profiles that are far from foot-shaped, can, for some, lead to discomfort, issues with bike fit and potentially even long-lasting medical problems such as Morton’s Neuroma.
When I first heard about Fizik’s latest performance road shoe, the Vega, I was interested to get a pair to try out, because on the surface, Fizik looks to have changed up its approach to shoes, making them more anatomical and better suited to the needs of most everyday feet.
After a few thousand kilometres in them, here is my full review of Fizik’s top-tier performance road shoe.
The good stuff: A genuinely comfortable shoe. The sock-like design prevented any hotspots and made for a secure feeling, even when running the Boa closure system at a relatively low tension.
The bad stuff: Limited colour options, the sock design can make getting the shoes on and off difficult, and the pricetag is prohibitive.
Sizes available: 36-48, with half sizes apart from 36.5 and 47.5
Pricing: £390 / €390 / US$470 / AU$560
What has Fizik done differently with the Vega?
The Vega is the successor to the Vento Stabilita, however, there is very little of the old shoe that has been carried over. This is no bad thing, and you can tell by the design inclusions that Fizik has focused on the anatomic demands of the foot when cycling with the Vega. This doesn’t mean the shoe is perfect for everyone, but it moves in the direction of general shoe trends, which could benefit a large portion of the cycling population.
Looking at the sole of the shoe, it's immediately clear that the longitudinal axis of the last is far straighter. Fizik shoes typically have a banana-shaped sole, curving inwards from the heel to the forefoot. This shape works well for a small subset of riders, but the overwhelming majority are better suited to a straighter last that mirrors the natural shape of their foot.
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