Yes, I know. I’ve already given away the review’s conclusion in the headline. But truth is: I don’t love this shoe, and I’m relieved. Could you imagine if I’d fallen in love with a pair of $700 cycling shoes? I’d be doomed. A new bar would be set, I’d start rationalising the price, convincing myself it was “an investment,” and my bank account would suffer.
Instead, I can appreciate the Specialized S-Works Torch Remco for what it is: a pair of super shoes with an undeniable pedigree and impressive bit of tech, but also a few quirks that keep me firmly on the “admire from a distance” side of the fence.
Meet the Specialized S-Works Remco
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
Topping the Torch line, the S-Works Torch Remco is a featherlight race shoe co-developed with the Belgian phenom Remco Evenepoel.
At 148.2g per shoe (size 41), Specialized says it’s the lightest shoe currently being used in the WorldTour peloton and, to our knowledge, only Giro’s Prolight Techlace comes close at roughly 150g.
The shoe’s creation came at Evenepoel’s request. In October 2023, Evenepoel WhatsApp’d his Specialized contacts asking for a lighter, faster shoe for his Tour de France debut the following summer. In past races, Evenepoel appeared to be favouring the S-Works Torch Lace, presumably because it’s lighter than the BOA-equipped version, indicating that weight was top-of-mind for the young star.
With just eight months to deliver, Specialized pulled from its product history, 100,000+ 3D foot scans and Remco’s specific demands to build something special for the fastest man against the clock. He was hands-on throughout, testing prototypes in and out of races (not without our notice!) and sending notes back to the team.
To meet the brief, the Torch went on a ruthless diet. Off came the second BOA dial, out went the heel liner, and even the glue was trimmed. The result is a race-day shoe 65g per pair lighter than the standard S-Works Torch. And one that barely resembles it.
The upper is now a thin, Dyneema-reinforced mesh with minimal reinforcements; a single BOA handles tension up top, with a velcro strap…