Fizik Tempo Decos - New high-end road shoes by Italian brand

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Fizik Tempo Decos - New high-end road shoes by Italian brand

While not as traditional as its compatriot Sidi, Fizik has in recent years solidified its position as the Italian brand of choice for footwear fans by combining high performance, clean aesthetics, and high-profile sponsorship.

The Decos is the top-of-the-line model with a single Boa option, with cleat bolts positioned further back for better biomechanics.

Browse Fizik's entire series of road shoes, some of which are already on our list of best cycling shoes. In this regard, the new Decos are unconventional and very much in line with the brand's classic aesthetic, but bring some new design features.

Fizik's previous products have featured a dual closure system for the upper and lower foot, either by means of a Boa dial or Velcro strap; the Decos breaks away from this prototype and instead employs a single, thinner Boa Li2 dial to close the entire shoe. The new Li2 dial is flatter and smaller in diameter, which may make some difference in aerodynamics, but nothing is claimed in this regard.

To no one's surprise, given that this is a high-end road shoe, the Decos use a stiff unidirectional carbon sole (stiffness rating: 10), combined with a large vent at the toe end and internal grooves to keep it cool as temperatures rise. The upper is a supple laminated PU mesh, which is also used in other Fizik models, and is designed to conform to the foot. This conformability becomes more important with the single-dial closure to ensure hot spots are avoided.

For most of us, fitting new cleats has always been a case of putting the ball of the foot down. Recently, most notably pioneered by serial innovator Adam Hansen, the method of slamming cleats backwards to improve performance is becoming more mainstream. Fizik has mounted the cleat bolts further back than other models to reduce knee strain, especially in the aero position.

While this change is not significant, especially on a visual level, it is another step in the erosion of the norm.

Fizik Deco is available in four colors: all black, all white, iridescent light blue and black, and purple and black. Priced at $299.99 / 290 euros / 279 pounds, they weigh 496 grams per pair.

For riders who struggle to find the perfect fit, Fizik also offers half sizes between the most commonly purchased options (37-47). We were lucky enough to get a set for some of our tests.

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