The Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon gravel and mountain bike shoe from the Italian manufacturer is already a classy shoe by its very nature. A cooperation with the Danish cycling brand Pas Normal Studios has now resulted in a special model in which the shoemaking art of the Italians meets the design aspirations of the Danes, whose cycling clothing stands for modern, clear and functional aesthetics. The result in elegant creamy white and blue emphasises the claim with a - literally - strong appearance.
The Vento Ferox Carbon can be finely customised
Technically, the Vento Ferox Carbon is unchanged compared to the original: Comfort and functionality are characterised by the double fastening, consisting of a Velcro strap on the instep and the Boa button on the forefoot. This allows the shoe to be adjusted precisely and precisely to the foot; narrow to normal width feet feel most comfortable in the Vento Ferox. Both fasteners can also be operated while riding to readjust the fit. The Li2 Boa button tightens the rope in the direction of rotation and releases it completely when pulled out. In our experience, the relatively stiff and thin, barely padded tongue has to be positioned carefully when putting it on, but afterwards it does not slip significantly.
A shoe for sports and racing
In combination with the board-stiff carbon sole, pedalling in the Fizik Vento Ferox results in a very direct pedalling feel; the thought of wasting valuable leg power by bending the sole of the shoe does not arise. This predestines the shoe for more athletic use and racing. The disadvantage of the stiff sole is that the heel slips quite a lot when walking. We wouldn't recommend this shoe for gravel and bike tours with longer carrying and running passages, although the comparatively soft rubber sole with pronounced lugs provides good grip on both stony and muddy surfaces.
For all "roads to nowhere"
The super-precious look is another reason why you want to leave the shoes on the pedals if possible; the upper material is very robust and hard-wearing, but you can see every stain on the light-coloured surface, and in our practical experience you have to scrub quite vigorously and use cleaning agents to remove dirt again. This also suggests that the Vento Ferox Carbon in the PNS edition is more of a shoe for fast tours on good roads - in keeping with the motto "road to nowhere" printed on the inside. Incidentally, the special edition model is already sold out in the PNS webshop, but is still available from Fizik.
+++ UPDATE +++ Long-term experience
The fear expressed above that the shoe with the light-coloured upper material would be susceptible to dirt has now come true. After a good two years and a number of gravel rides in all imaginable weather conditions, the material has embedded fine dirt particles like a tattoo and hardly releases them even after intensive brushing with various cleaners. A pity, because technically the shoe is as fit as on the first day in every respect.
The Fizik Vento Ferox Carbon x Pas Normal Studios at a glance
- Sizes: 36 to 48 (37 to 46 also in half sizes)
- Price: 330 Euro
- Colour: Off white (cream white)
- PLUS: lightweight, narrow fit, very stiff sole, easy to customise
- MINUS: Dirt-sensitive, relatively expensive (standard version 299 euros)
