Specialized Torch 1.0 shoes

The Specialized Torch 1.0 is an affordable, practical shoe from a company with an excellent footwear pedigree. The ability to choose your cleat design makes them a decent investment.

• Pros: Work with 2 and 3-bolt cleats, rubberised heel and toe bumpers
• Cons: Not the stiffest soles, Velcro not Boa-style dials

Last month Dave reviewed the top-end Torch 3.0, a £200 borderline-super-shoe with tech to match. The Torch 1.0 here is its knockabout cousin: heavier, rougher at the edges with fewer refinements, but still plenty capable of keeping up.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The obvious difference between the Torch 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 models is the use of Boa dial closures over Velcro – making micro-adjustments on the fly a simple act on the pricier models. If you aren't one to be tightening your shoes in anticipation of a bunch sprint, this is likely not a reason to sink a ton of extra cash into your footwear.

Less obvious but much more likely to affect your decision process is the fact that only the Torch 1.0 reviewed here can take two-bolt cleats – beloved of touring cyclists and increasingly anyone not wanting to fall over in a cafe or driveway. road.cc co-founder Big Dave finds two-bolt cleats perfectly adequate – so unless you're capable of a sustained 500 watts or have a team car following you on daily rides, you might like to consider them an option.

Fit-wise, I've always got on with Specialized shoes. I have a pair of suede mountain bike ones from 2000 that just refuse to die, and can be worn all day. The Torch 1.0s are a tad narrow for my borderline-Hobbitish appendages, but that's with the most excellent Defeet Woolie Boolie socks onboard. I didn't feel any actual discomfort though, even on four-hour-plus rides.

The front strap offers little-to-no width adjustment across the forefoot, so if they feel tight or loose at the outset I doubt you'll remain friends without also adjusting sock thickness. The insoles are pretty thin, and not of the mouldable type so you may find more support with an aftermarket pair if needed. The heelcup isn't tight, but I didn't feel my foot lifting under heavy loads.

The Torch 1.0 nylon sole has a 'stiffness index' of 6.0, as compared to the 8.5 of the £200 carbon 3.0s. Could a mere mortal with an FTP of 250-ish watts notice the 1.5-worth of difference? I'd suggest not.

Likewise, could you spot the extra 50g per shoe over the 3.0? Once on your feet and clipped in, I wager anyone to tell.

> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best performance road cycling shoes

The design is inoffensive if a bit golf shoeish, what with all the holes; this is a shoe leaning towards warmer weather, and I definitely plumped for toecovers in anything less than about 12°C, but then I do run cold. The subtle grey strip around the heel is reflective, aiding low-light visibility from the rear and side. Available in black, 'Team Yellow' or the tested white, that's your sartorial bases covered.

Out on the bike, the Torch 1.0 kept my feet happy through middling autumnal rides of up to four hours' duration, paired with toe covers. Off the bike, my body remained vertical despite using three-bolt cleats, thanks to the rubberised heel and toe bumpers. I never felt the need to adjust the Velcro mid-ride, probably aided by the synthetic upper which – as synthetics tend – doesn't stretch.

All in all, for £80 the Torch 1.0 is a solid option for a shoe you can use with different cleat designs, for faster or slower rides. They're comparable in price with Northwave's similar Sonic 2s, but £10 more than Shimano's RP1s – though you only get two straps with those.

Verdict

A good choice to consider, offering multi-cleat bolt patterns, a no-nonsense fit and acceptable features