Monday Blues: The New Vittorian

Two weekends past I was clacking around lower GMR, at the SDSR time trial start gate, when I began to notice a dragging sensation each time I moved my left foot forward while taking a step. Had I unwittingly stepped in gum? Had a tree branch become lodged in my cleat? I lifted my foot from the ground to have a look, and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I walked on some more, but the sensation remained. I sat down on a guardrail for a closer inspection and, sure enough, what I saw is what you see above. The sole of the left shoe had almost completely separated from the upper and was stiffly flapping with each awkward step.

The fifteen year old Vittoria's, after being resurrected from some box at the back of the closet mid-point last year, had completely given up the ghost. Except for that sole, they are still in respectable shape. Oh, the velcro doesn't hold like it once did, there is some scuffing, and what was once white plastic at the heel had turned coffee-junkie-yellow with age, but that is all cosmetic. I suppose I could have bought some powerful shoe glue, but in the end I decided it was time for something new.

Luckily my LBS (Coates Cyclery) is now a Vittoria dealer and they stock several different models, from the commemorative lace-ups to the high tech. I opted for something in between - the V-Spirit. They are priced in between the lace-ups and the upper crust Hora models, and very competitive with any other brand out there. They are comfy too, very comparable to my old Specialized ones. Plus they have that hard heel which won't disintegrate like a soft leather heel. Certainly worth checking out if it is time for some new hoof binders.