DZR Strasse Shoes

I first encountered DZR shoes this past fall at Interbike. The owners, Shane and Fabio, are two of the nicest people I’ve met in the bike industry, and they invited me to try a pair of their clipless cycling shoes out. The Strasse shoes are designed to be comfortable and stylish while providing the pedaling benefits associated with clipless pedals.

Right out of the box, these shoes were comfortable enough to wear all day. I spent more than eight hours on my feet the first day, and was no worse for wear. The soles, while slightly stiffer than most casual shoes, are flexible enough for walking and grippy enough for use with platform pedals.

As far as pedaling performance goes, these shoes aren’t in the same league as carbon fiber soled racing shoes. They do work quite well, however. The real benefit is that they look and feel much like a casual shoe when you step off your bike. The cleat is recessed enough that you shouldn’t sound like you’re wearing tap shoes—at least while they’re new.

As for durability, I’ve had absolutely no problems with mine—no stitches popped, no glued rubber parts pulling apart, etc. Your mileage may vary, however, as some of my friends from the bike polo scene have reported some damage. This is no surprise, though, as I’ve seen just about every manner of bike, clothing and accessory chewed up and spit out on the polo court.

A few nice touches are the recessed reflectors on the back, and the elastic loop on the tongue for keeping the laces out of your drivetrain.

The Strasse shoes retail for $110 and come in US men’s sizes 8-13. A similar model, the Tosca, is available in US women’s sizes 6-10.

Check out www.dzrshoes.com

Milwaukee Bicycle Co.