Recon 1.0 Gravel & Mountain Bike Shoe
4.7
108 Reviews
With the Recon 1.0 our goal was simple—put S-Works Recon-inspired performance in…
We deliver! Just say when and how.
With the Recon 1.0 our goal was simple—put S-Works Recon-inspired performance in a very accessible package. Easier said than done, but we’ve created a shoe with Body Geometry comfort and efficiency in a durable, dirt-focused shoe. So yeah, mission accomplished.
Using our exclusive STRIDE toe-flex technology, the nylon outsole uses a TPU injected forefoot for natural movement off-bike, while still providing a stiffness index of 6.0 for in-the-saddle performance. The Recon 1.0 is a double threat—efficiency at the pedals with comfort and confidence off bike.
To create traction off the bike in wet or dry, gravel or dirt, we’ve covered the nylon outsole with our SlipNot compound. We’ve also lifted the heel for an even more natural feeling while walking.
Three Velcro closures make slipping into the Recon 1.0 easy, and creates a fit designed for all day comfort and performance, whether your ride calls for open gravel, twisting single track, and even more than your fair share of hike-a-bike.
4.7
108 Reviews
These remind me of what mountain bike shoes used to be like before the bro-brah culture took over. I usually don't like this style of shoe because the toe lift makes it feel like you have your foot in this weird plantar flexion position (like a lot of road shoes). These don't feel like that and have a fairly relaxed fit and volume without being wide and sloppy. Even if they only last a year, a great deal for the sale price. Good ventilation too.
I like the shoe and after replacing the Boa system on 2 shoes I was ready to give Velcro a try. I would give this 5 stars but the sole at the toe split after 5 rides. Likely a rock strike but it should handle light impacts in my opinion. Also half sizes weren’t available, that would have been better.
Yep. It fits true to size and has a nice amount of room upfront to move my toes
Very comfortable. "Just as good" as my other more expensive shoes with BOA, etc. Great deal, just no half sizes, but you can accommodate by using thicker or thinner sicks. Recommended.
Really comfortable
Good shoes. I like the all velcro closures. The only problem I had is that I had to bend the tongue back because it rubbed against my ankle and hurt.
Great product just like any other specialized. I used to hate clipped in shoes because of several factors, but my knee pain forced me to start using one. To my surprise, the SPZ cycling shoes have none of the downsides that I hate: This is my second spz cycling shoe, and it Fits my EE wide feet perfectly, and still looks like a narrow show from distance. The cleats will not hit the floor when you walk with this shoe, and the toe flex makes a difference when pushing the bike uphill on difficult sections. There is also plenty of grip when walking over rocks and slippery stuff. It ticks all the boxes.
Very comfortable for long days in the saddle and gravel.
I had a pair of Shimano cycling shoes of a very similar design that I purchased in 2000. A piece of the hard rubber sole chipped off, and I was heading to Spain for a cycling trip. I visited local cycling stores and REI here in greater Seattle, no joy. I found these online, ordered them, and they arrived the day before my flight to Spain! I was able to install the cleats to mirror my old Shimano shoes, and these worked like a champ on the bicycle as well as walking around town. I ordered the bright orange color to increase my visibility tor drivers. Garish but effective!
After years of mtb racing using higher level shoes, I found these Recon 1.0 shoes to be very comfortable, yet still performance oriented. Having three separate velcro straps really helps me get a proper fit that I usually don't need to readjust during my rides. And walking on them is so much easier than my previous performance shoes. At this point, I have two active pairs of these puppies with another new set always in reserve. Pricing was right!
very comfortable & light-weight
At the sale price plus 15% off Specialized is practically giving these away so I got a set. Run exactly true to size, what I ordered fit correctly. Cleats mounted up easy although I did have to rotate them slightly to feel centered. Usually I run cleats dead centered and that feels fine fyi. Power transfer felt fine, Velcro closures worked well, nothing to complain about here at all.
These are narrow for my wide feet, but will work OK. Better fit than other brands, so I bought them. Worth the price on sale!
Amazing shoe, especially for the price point. Solid support on the pedals and pliable enough for a comfortable walk with little to no clip contact with ground. Currently using on my road bike with shimano egg-beater style pedals, no hotspots so far. Tempted to switch over on my MTB as well.
Good all around she for the price. Not as comfortable as most but then again these aren’t hiking shoes.
I purchased this shoe from my LBS. Using the size conversion chart I determined that I would need a 42 to equal my normal US size of 10.5. The clerk brought out a 42 and 43. Both were way too small. I ended up with a 45 for a comfortable fit.
Other cycling shoe brands run small (in my opinion). So, I ordered the same size as usual (45). Pleasantly surprised these run true to size and 44 fit perfectly. As noted in the description, this shoe is a 6 on stiffness. If you’re coming from road or fitness cleats, these are more pliable. Much more comfortable off the bike for hikes (or jaunts into the grocery). My last pair of MTB shoes had laces that were a pain to adjust. Velcro is definitely my preferred method for quick adjustments and wardrobe changes (quick on/off for knee pads or peeling off outerwear). These are a great option at this price point too. I don’t replace gear every season (or 2) and still kinda sketch on the BOA system for shoes due to expense and durability issues. These will last a few, I’m guessing. 👍
My road bike shoes I received are too small. A 44.5 is equal to an 11 u.s. but are too small. Informed bike shop where they were delivered but no response yet.
Purchase these for my son, he loves them and not only because the color is awesome. Size 5.5 seems like a true 5.5 fit ✌
They are very comfortable and lighter than expected. Look good too in black. Haven’t ridden in them long enough to test for ventilation.
Awesome value. This is a great shoe for the price! Love the articulation at the toes. Hikes much better than normal XC shoe.
very nice
Good fit and comfort
Shoe fits well and seems well made for the price. I like the toe box room of Specialized shoes. However, the sole isn't as stiff/solid as I would like. I easily feel pressure from the SPD cleat pushing back into my foot. I have an old Specialized comp MTB shoe with a plastic sole that is much stiffer.
I followed the measurement instructions meticulously and was told to buy a 41.5. Skeptical but wanting to give the benefit of the doubt because the tool promoted precision, I ordered a 42. It arrived and was way too small. Should have ordered a 43 and a 44 and just sent back the non-fitting ones. Sizing issues aside, the shoes present nicely - good grippy bottoms and handsome uppers. Hopefully I can find my size.
I will tell you about my experience with my new pair of shoes after their first use with more than 20 miles traveled, it was very good, good grip, comfortable, the foot stays cool, the air can circulate without any problem, it is rigid enough not to lose power When pedaling, it is beautiful and with a lot of style, a little retro, its price-value ratio is perfect. If what you want is a very good pair of shoes at a correct price with excellent quality and performance, this is the shoe. 100% RECOMMENDED
These shoes are awesome! The fit is perfect. Specialized knows how to make a foot bed. I've tried many brands from five ten to fizik and Specialized is the best. My first clipless shoes were Specialized BG bought back in 2000. They were amazing for years until I got the itch to try something new. Well here we are back where I started. And I just bought a second pair of these bc the deal is just too good. And boa os cool and all but I don'tmind the velcro as it is still very adjustable and basically bomb proof. Go get ya some! ✌️
I only used it 3 times and up to now, my opinion is that for a base model it is not bad. It´s not very comfortable, the velcro is made of a though material which will probably last long but makes it hard to wear the shoes. The sole has a good grip. I have 2 other shoes from different brands that have way better fitting so I would suggest to try them before buying.
True to size but a touch slim in the toe box. I like the cream color and the velcro straps but it was hard to get in touch with Specialized (long wait times for chat and via phone) and after ordering they took longer to process and ship. Not the usual service from Specialized and not sure what has changed?
For the price point these are a quality value shoe. Unisex size so nice ample toe box with plenty room. Very adjustable with velcro straps allow customization.
I love the style and design of these shoes, and I find the tread nice and grippy, but after about 6 rides, the outer started peeling away from the shoe around the toe and the heel. How is this supposed to be a mountain biking or gravel shoe if it can’t take a few road rides and CX practices? Very disappointed.
These are well-designed shoes. I didn't want to deal with the wire closure style and these are excellent shoes with old fashioned velcro. The straps also seem robust, which was the point of failure on my previous shoe. Very happy with these shoes.
Bought these to swap over from a Look pedal/clear setup to an SPD (I’ve recently forsaken road biking for gravel and MTB). These are comfy, are 2000% easier to walk around with than road shoes with cleats dangling off the bottom, and the funky maroon/ruby color is slightly ridiculous and I love it.
Great shoes, good fit, great grip on and off the bike, good quality, easy to walk in off the bike.
First pair of clipless shoes and couldn’t be happier. Comfy from day 1 and feel stiff and secure for pedalling. Nice fit and finish!
I am not an Italian super model cyclist with thin beautiful feet!! I've been wearing Specialized mountain biking shoes for over 25 years. The toe box is wide enough in the shoes to make riding all day comfortable, the stock foot bed is awesome. All of my running shoes get the Super Feet treatment, these cycling shoes don't need it! Boa systems for lacing are nice, but I hate fussing with them anymore and have gone back to good old velcro- it works, doesn't break out in the middle of no-where. I'll keep buying em', no nonsense shoe, stiff enough for racing, comfortable enough for long trail rides.
My last pair of Specialized cycling shoes were "Tahoes" and they've unfortunately worn out. They're no longer produced so I've been looking for something to take their place. After trying other shoes which didn't fit well, I found these which also claim to use "Body Geometry." Though the workmanship is uninspiring the shoes have ample toe box room and don't cause foot pain.
I have been in pair every time I wear these shoes. The tongue is so stiff that it cuts into my foot,even after several months. I have had to cut off the tops of tongues and shoes to be able to wear them. No problem with other shoes.
Nice toebox room and arch support. Great value for the price on discount.
Good. Size has plenty of room compared to flat shoes which I like.
These shoes are as comfortable a bike shoe as I’ve had. It does reduce knee pain by aligning the feet, heel and knees or maybe that’s a mental thing but nonetheless my knees don’t hurt after my 20 milers. Easy on and off. I personally prefer the Velcro over the boa for easy in and out. Maybe I’m just old school but fiddling with the boa knob has been frustrating for me in the past. I basically leave the lowest strap on all the time and tighten the 2 upper ones. They hold strong. I’m thinking of buying another pair at the sale price to have and extent the life of both. I can’t tell you about durability yet as I’ve only had them for about a month. The soles seem to be grippy and somewhat soft and flexible so no slipping off the rocks and roots.
For me I have only owned a couple pairs of cleats. For these I love my looks I bought the bright orange if you can’t see them you are blind. The ventilation is good feet don’t get overheated
Comfortable solid shoe. I like the Velcro, it is thin and provides plenty of support. Great traction from the tread design.
Plenty of room in the shoes and great comfort, easy to walk with the cleats.
Great all around shoe.
Good
Great Shoe
Just got the shoes in the post, and they look to be high quality. Looking forward to testing them out. Unfortunately, the Oak green / dark moss color scheme is much less green than the website pictures show, with the green and gray portions mostly both looking pretty gray. The shoes still are nice, but it's a little disappointing to just get boring gray shoes when we were specifically looking to get some color. For comparison, we had also ordered the cactus bloom color and they match the website pics very closely.
I searched for a very long time for a great shoe and ended up coming back to the same brand I've always used. I tried three other brands and returned them all because none were as comfortable and functional as these! I will surely stick with Specialized shoes from here on out!
Excellent fit and comfort for extended riding.
Easy to walk in
Great first bike shoes, super comfy and easy to clip in
Very nice shoe and good fit.
I needed a shoe for my cycle class that I do seasonally. This shoe met my need for limited use and budget.
To set the scene, this is my first experience of clip shoes. Bought before going bike packing on a mix of gravel, dirt and sealed roads and trails with some real steep bits. I did my research and these came up as one of two top contenders. I was looking for fit, comfort, and a good sole with enough grip in case I had to push the bike. Also preferred no laces These shoes met every expectation and hope I had for them. I honestly can't fathom a shoe being any better. The easy Velcro means they go straight on and I don't have to fiddle around. There is also a small amount of variation for snugness. Walking is surprisingly comfortable and the grip can be brought into play without being too weird with foot angle. On no day was I gagging to get them off my feet, even after a good 7.5 hrs. They are very sturdy and are waterproof to rain. I got black and they look neat and tidy.
Great shoe! Stable, true to size, durable! Highly recommend.
Hi, I have had several pairs over the years and the key benifit is the fit. A comfortable all day ride shoe that provides good toe protection
Simple, works, straps are smooth (no lumps to bruise from impact).
It fits great and I haven’t had any problems with the velcro loosening
I had my first ride with these shoes today. I could have written this review years ago though, because I've been wearing the black version of these shoes for years. I love them, great fit, and well made. I needed shoes in tan to match my desert riding outfit, and had no idea Specialized would come to my aid once again. I've been riding Specialized bikes and gear for 40 years!
Nice fit for wide feet..
Comfy shoes from the first wear. No rubbing etc... Quick delivery too.
good shoe. the Velcro straps could be a little tighter
I've gone through alot of 👟 and Specialize.com has formulated a fit that is way, way, ahead of the competition! Do like I did buy and be Surprised @ the Feel & Performance..
I’m a size 48 Birkenstock, 14 Altra and Keen and the size 14 in this shoe fits very well. The cleats state there’s 4degrees of gloat but they appear to have no float … maybe it’s when you’re riding but I can’t feel it. Anyway, Ivey only ridden 5 days in them and I don’t think about them when riding, so that’s what one should expect right?
Three strap version screams value. Great shoe at great price
Working out really well for me.
Had another pair of shoes size 46, ordered these one size smaller based on other reviews and they fit perfectly. All in all, so far the shoe has been great.
Bought this show because I have had a previous Spesh MTB show which lasted many years but finally died, and this is not hugely expensive. I like this because it is a comfy fit, maybe a bit large with thin socks but you can cinch it down with the velcro, and there is room for my Wollie Boolie winter socks. (Shimano ones tend to a narrower fit and my feet are wider). These ones are improved on previous ones with better grip on the bottom: softer and more tread, good for rocky hike-a-bike sections. Although I found it was a bit 'gravel compatible', picking up the occasional very small piece of gravel from my garden path!
Very good quality at a great price. Size runs a bit big, but otherwise very happy!
Much better than the old specialized shoes they replaced.
Even this is a MTB shoe, I prefer it for my road bike. This one is my third shoe over the last 16 years of regular use with about 5000 miles annually.
My feet feels so much better, and they don’t hurt anymore
I purchased these shoes because they run slightly big. Because of recent toe surgery I now have more room at the toe.
Comfy shoes, simple straps (no complicated plastic things to go wrong / break), straightforward look.
Very good shoe, comfortable.
Same fit as the higher end shoes but more comfortable and old school simple set and forget velcro for those who aren’t fans of BOA. Very grippy outsole if you end up off the bike. Perfect for marathon MTB, easy to walk in with good grip, a little more “give” for comfort but not so much you feel like you are losing power. Even lighter than some of the fancier versions out there. I found I had to run a size smaller on these than Shimano.
Very comfortable shoe with a wide toe box. Easy to adjust.
Great shoes, they clean up easy and provide the stability needed both on platforms and clicked in.
These are great shoe for the price. Not only well made but they fit true to size and are comfortable and good looking.
This is a fantastic shoe. This is my second pair of specialized cycling shoe. I doubt that I will ever buy another brand. This evening on my ride I was able to reach down and adjust my shoe while cycling (big plus), they are very comfortable to ride or walk in for long periods of time. A great shoe
This is my 4th pair of Specialized cycling shoes. Before I tried 2 different brands, none as comfortable as Specialized. LOVE THEM!
My last pair of mtb shoes were specialized and I raced and recreationally wore and road them for 15 years. I expect the same out of my new pair. Fit great and are comfortable for entire long rides. Another special shoe from specialized!
Great quality bike shoes, I use them for road cycling because of gravel-type pavements.
Here’s how much I love these cycling shoes: I’ve bought 3 pair. One year I bought a pair that was royal blue, the next year teal and black, and this year the navy color. Since all my bikes are teal or blue I can always match my kit to my bike. These shoes fit perfectly, they don’t wear out, they clean up nice after being out in the rain and mud or snow, they’re just bombproof. Hey Specialized, please keep making this shoe in a range of different colors, but don’t forget about blue and teal.
These are quality shoes. The Velcro hook fasteners are a bit short and barely reach the loop on the other side. Comfort and quality are good though.
It didnt disappoint me. I've been using this badass MTB shoes for 9 months. very comfy and light (looks heavy but its not), if im going for a new pair, definitely ill go again on this but different colorway.
Use this for XC riding. Feel great and are very light. The velcro makes adjusting them very quick. I purchased these shoes at a local bike shop in black and they fit great. I wanted to get these shoes in red, but now I am happy I went with black. They are very easy to keep clean with a damp cloth. After 3 months and 600 miles they still look new. My only complaint is that walking in these shoes for extended periods of time (races, social rides, etc.) makes my feet kind of numb. this might only be a problem I have because I have weird feet. But overall, great shoes!
Nice look and style. Comfortable for wearing and walking. Purchased .5 to 1 size larger than my usual dress shoes and they are a perfect fit. I wear them on a recumbent trike. I like that the cleats can be set closer to the arch than some other brands. Great value, and I am very happy with my purchase.
I had to call customer service regarding the sizing. I have a pair of these already but they are an older model, size 41. I was told to order the same size which I did. They are a fun bright yellow, can't miss them so helps with safety and being seen.. comfortable right out of the box. The only comment I would make is the size is much bigger than my other pair, mostly length. This is not a deal breaker because they are more solid in material and I think will be better for cooler/cold biking seeing not so much ventilation. I will be able to wear a heavy pair of socks then put my boot covers over and have warmer feet this winter. But be aware if you are looking for summer shoes, size down seeing will be wearing thin socks. I am happy with these! :o)
I bought these shoes to use with a new set of clip-platform pedals and I have to say that they are definitely comfortable, stylish, I like the color for safety and well manufactured.
Started using this shoes as my first bike shoes experience. It's comfortable and the sizing chart matches exactly as major sports shoes brands. Built with high quality material and perfect finishing. Totally satisfied
Replaced an older pair (15 years old) Specialized shoe. Same size, same fit! This shoe is really comfortable, softer rubber sole than the past, CB cleats don't touch floor.
These are my first cycling shoes. I use them on flat pedals on a Levo HT and a Creo Evo. All I can say is 'Highly recommended'. I confess I did use my newsletter sign up discount to buy them which made them even better value! If you are contemplating a first buy. I find these excellent in every respect.
I have wide feet and these shoes fit great. Most cycling shoes seem to run on the narrow side, but these suit me fine.
I am a size 8.5 US and I ordered the 40 EURO and they fit great and not too tight. The cleats were easy to install but do not come with the shoes, I replaced my old shoes with these and just installed my old cleats. They are comfortable to walk around on. I will use them on my road bike as I prefer mountain bike shoes to road bike shoes just for the comfort.
I've had plenty of shoes, these have really stiff soles like I like, the cleats are sunk in so good they don't even make noise walking, real comfortable, I like the KISS principle so the velcro straps are great, I've only go one ride on them, but its winter in Michigan, can't wait, to get on a trail with these shoes, and my new EPIC EVO.. 5/10's have been good, but these shoes are great..
...but not great for those with high top of foot. I'm average foot width, height, arches, etc. , and the top-most velcro strap barely closes properly across top of my foot. Good value and very comfortable when walking around off the bike.
For a entry level shoe at a great price it's solid. In fact they maybe the most comfortable pair of shoes I have. The fit is true and soles grab.
Excellent shoe especially for the price. Comfortable and works well.