Specialized today announced another pair of S-Works shoes, the Vent Evo gravel shoes.

Although marketed as a gravel shoe, deep in the release information there is also mention of cross-country mountain biking, making it clear that Specialized sees gravel shoes as the primary market for all things dusty at this point, but this is definitely Definitely a shoe for fans of both drop-bar and flat-bar on non-paved roads.

S-Works is a name given only to the top-of-the-line models in Specialized's product lineup. However, today's announcement brings the total number of S-Works shoes to 10, including the Seven, Exos, Vent, Ares, and Seven Lace road shoes; the Recon, Exos Evo, and Recon Lace off-road shoes; and the Trident triathlon shoe. In addition, there appears to be one more S-Works road shoe on the way.

Nonetheless, the new S-Works Vent Evo mirrors the new S-Works Vent road shoe in that Specialized has added breathable mesh in as many places as possible to keep feet cool. Great if you live in California, but maybe a little chilly if you live in northern England?

The S-Works Vent Evo is technically a new shoe, but it borrows heavily from the S-Works Recon shoes and the aforementioned Vent road shoes in both design and construction. This is not a bad thing, given that the Recon is featured on our list of best gravel bike shoes.

Both shoes share a fact carbon footplate and a grippy outsole. They also have dual Boa dials and Velcro straps on the toe to fine-tune the fit.

Despite the same fit system, Specialized claims that the S-Works Vent Evo fits more feet due to a combination of a new last shape (the mold the shoe is built around) and added conformability from the use of more mesh They claim.

As is usual with Specialized shoes, body geometry technology is heavily featured in the footbed, including a "metatarsal button" that widens the toes to prevent numbness, arch support, and wedges that resist pronation.

Specialized clearly believes that cooler is faster. For those who live in cooler areas, this shoe might be better used as a summer weather shoe for increased breathability.

Due to the increase in indoor cycling and the fact that summers are undeniably warmer, having more cooling in the tongue, toe and body of the shoe may not be such a bad idea. This shoe sets itself apart from the Rikon by using mesh in almost every possible area.

Given the S-Works moniker, these would be used for racing, or at least riding at high intensity.

It will be interesting to see if the customer base for the Recon and Vent Evo will be largely divided by latitude.