Review for Sidi T3.6 Speedplay Air Carbon Tri Shoe – 2015
The Vent Carbon Sole is an engineering marvel-stiffer and lighter than SIDI’s all-conquering Carbon Lite Sole, with integrated vents and air channels for heat dissipation and improved comfort. The 2013 Vent Carbon Sole now features a NEW ultra-light heelpad and a NEW replaceable integrated toe pad/vent cover. It is specifically engineered for high-performance, high-mileage cyclists.Like all of SIDI’s hand-lay-up carbon soles, the Vent Carbon Sole is constructed in an Italian contract facility that specializes in carbon fiber fabrication, and includes speed merchants Ferrari and Ducati on its client list. It is handmade exclusively of T700 carbon fiber in a 3k weave pattern (competitors’ carbon soles have little carbon fiber content, or use cheaper, lower-modulus T300 carbon fiber), oriented at opposing angles that maximize stiffness while allowing for a small degree of controlled flex in the toe area that biomechanically relieves stress on the plantar tendon and helps promote circulation. The sole is heat- and compression-molded with longitudinal corrugations that improve mechanical stiffness without added material or weight.The Vent Carbon Sole is not only light but remarkably stiff, deflecting only 1.4 mm in SIDI’s rigidity test, in which a 50 kg (110 lb) weight is suspended from one end of the sole. The vent features a sliding cover for four-season comfort, and leads to two longitudinal airflow channels molded into the carbon sole that direct air underneath the forefoot area’s perforated footbed (SIDI’s Comfort-Fit insoles have matching perforations for unimpeded airflow).For triathlon, the vent also serves as a water drain, dramatically improving foot comfort after a wet transition.The SIDI Heel Cup is an external, reinforced cup that stabilizes and supports the heel, with an anatomically shaped plastic design holds its form and doesn’t break down over time, helping reduce heel slip and increase power transfer.Technomicro is a composite microfiber material created from strands that are so fine that each one is less than one thousandth the thickness of silk. These fibers act like natural leather skin, but with the advantage of better strength, softer texture and lighter weight. Technomicro is also water-repellent, quick-drying, breathable and permeable to water vapor, making it an ideal material for shoe uppers. It is abrasion- and mildew-resistant, easier to clean than leather and resists stretching and deterioration from atmospheric agents. SP Carbon Sole / SPEEDPLAY APPROVED for superior power transfer. 4-mm reduced stack height. 6mm of additional aft adjustment and simplified set-up. Triathlon-specific upper with plush, brushed interior and minimal seams for sock-free comfort. Notched top strap opens away from drive train. Large heel loop for fast transitions. External, reinforced heel cup for superior fit / power transfer; won’t break down over time. Replaceable heel pad.
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