4.4
78 Reviews
The S-Works Torch is the latest evolution of the winningest footwear in cycling.âŠ
As Specialized celebrates its 50th Anniversary of innovating to improve ridersâ lives, we have our sites set on the next half century and creating the future of cycling. Join us as we look back at five decades of innovation so we can continue to Pedal the Planet Forward together.
The riders have spoken. We are proud to announce that Specialized took top honors for best brand in road and gravel shoes at the 2022 Gran Fondo Best Brand Awards. When we focus on what our riders want the most, it makes sense that our shoes are loved year after year. Featuring our proven Body Geometry technology, we continue to lead the way in comfort and performance.
The S-Works Torch is the latest evolution of the winningest footwear in cycling. Using Body Geometry together with biomimicry, data science, and obsessive craftsmanship, we engineered a shoe so thoughtfully constructed that youâll forget youâre wearing it.
Leveraging data science, we refined every detail of the S-Works Torchâs upper for improved fit and performance. The BOAÂź cable is shifted down and angled, preventing lift on the ball of the foot and delivering power-enhancing structure while eliminating unwanted pressure or pinching. Adaptive materials allow natural movement of the foot where needed for comfort, while data-driven zonal reinforcement keeps the foot secured for crisp power delivery and optimal efficiency.
Guided by more than 100,000 foot scans from our RETĂL fit data, we recognized that both a standard and a wide carbon base plate would best serve the spectrum of human foot shapes. An internal I-Beam adds stiffness and strength, eliminating the need for additional bracing. The result is a 20-gram weight reduction, enhanced efficiency, and immediate power transfer.
Following RETĂL biomechanical data, we created an asymmetric heel cup that supports natural knee alignment and delivers the positive hold riders love while enhancing comfort by accommodating more room for the Achilles heel.
The S-Works Torch is scientifically crafted to disappear on your feet and off the front.
New upper features reinforcement in key zones while also offering adaptie fit zones to create a disappearing fit on the foot.
Based on data gathered from RetĂŒl foot scans, the new base plate is 4mm wider at the ball than the previous generation of S-Works 7 shoe.
By optimizing its constructiuon, the new carbon plate is 20g lighter than the S-Works 7. An internal "I-Beam" ensures it maintains the same stiffness as the previous generation.
An updated last makes use of RetĂŒl data to better match the shape of riders' feet, sloping more towards the lateral side to give a snug, close-to-foot fit.
Asymmetrical heel counter supports the medial side while removing material from the lateral side, allowing for a lower collar.
Updated BOAÂź cable routing improves lockdown while reducing pressure across anterior ankle ligaments.
Independent alloy BOAÂź S3-Snap Fit System for on-the-fly micro-adjustment, backed by the BOAÂź Guarantee.
Titanium alloy cleat nuts can rotate to position pedal/cleats 5mm rearward. Three-bolt cleat pattern fits all major road pedals.
Non-slip, replaceable heel tread with internally recessed screws for security.
*** IMPORTANT FOR WIDE FIT*** the new base plate is 4mm wider than the standard width (8mm wider than S-Works 7).
4.4
78 Reviews
I have been riding these shoes for a few years now (my first had a defect and specialized replaced them with. basically no hassle) and they still look and feel great - and i beat the hell out of my gear. I wear mine on the "looser" side, and they dont move on my feet at all. the fit is true to size. they are pricey, but you get what you pay for.
Great shoes - comfortable, lightweight and fit like a glove. Sidi shoes rider for many years but these Specialized shoes made me a Specialized fan. Excellent product!
I bought these shoes in March, tried them in May. It is very uncomfortable, painful even, only of the right feet, in the area of navicular bone. I suspect this is defect due to excessive glue on padding in this area (itâs even leaked!) which makes it harder, and delamination of the tongue on this side. Both of these issues result in painful hotspot. And thatâs a new pair of top ranges shoes! I asked the shop for a warranty replacement in July, instead they said that specialized did not see it as a defect and offered me 35% off for the same(!) pair of shoes as a "gesture of a good will"! This is ridiculous! I have been using specialized products for years, but I have to say that this quality of service and products are just straight insulting.
Love the shoes because of the toe room and comfort on long rides. Problem is obtaining heel lugs. The lugs are not interchangable and difficult to obtain.
The shoes are very comfortable, light weight and stylish. The Boa open and closing mechanism is awesome. But, the heel cup is quiet narrow (in comparison to other Specialised shoes such as Torch 3.0) and it came off after wearing the shoes less than 10 times and walking in it less than 200m. Of course, the heel cup is a replaceable part, but for a shoe of this price it should not come off in the first month. Hopefully, only a manufacturing fault and not a design flaw.
First of all, keep in mind shoe fit is a very personal thing. There are some things I really like about this shoe, but some that come up a short. It's worth noting that I'm riding the 46 Narrow, and it's definitely the correct size for me. What I love is the fit of the heel cup and the ease of use of the Boa. My heel feels locked in to the shoe. Being able to micro adjust the Boa in both directions is really nice. Now for the underwhelming part- the front end of the shoe. For a narrow fit the forefoot is a bit wide. The shoes I'm considering replacing with these are Sidi Shots, which have the opposite problem. The forefoot fits like a glove without being constricting, and it feels nailed to the pedals, but my heel isn't as secure. If the forefoot on the S Works fit more like the Sidi it would be a homerun. I haven't made up my mind if I'll keep these or return them and keep riding my Sidis. They're definitely high quality shoes, and if they work for you, then awesome.
Super comfortable and stylish!
I have been riding the s-works road shoes for over 15 years. My last pair lasted over 12 years and fit fantastically. I have ridden them at least 40k miles all over the world. Alas, the carbon has started to wear out on the toe as the little toe cap broke off somewhere along the way. SO, I picked up some new ones at Kinetic Cycling Sacramento WOW. They are just awesome. They fit very well right out of the box and accommodated my custom insole without any problems. Fit is perfect. toe box is roomier. The upper is super soft and does not cut into my feet anywhere. The new boa system is really nice and allows easy microadjustments in both direction. I used them on a recent group interval ride in the bay area called the EGAN ride. Power transfer was amazing. I do this ride every week. my normalized power was up 10watts over the entire ride and was just smashing the intervals. 28 PR's on Strava. These shoes are just great.
The shoes has a wide and perfect fit for my feet. Nice body geometry fit. However, the shoes has a big flaw. My left shoes giving a loud clicking noise. And the right shoes seems to be starting with a quieter clicking noise. The angled sole (in the middle) seems to have a bulge that giving the noise.
For some background, I've almost exclusively worn S-Works shoes for the last 11-12 years and have tried every version they've come out with over that time. The S-Works Torch are great, but the new last and wider design is a pretty big departure in fit from previous models. They're very comfortable but I think the S-Works 7 is a superior shoe for racing and hard riding and would love it if Specialized would keep them in the product line as parallel options. Or come out with an S-Works 8 model that uses the prior generation last/shape as an alternative to the Torch. I'll still wear them as they're better than most anything else on the market, but I'll be hanging on to my old and worn out S-Works 7s as my main shoes as long as I can.
Great fit Super lightweight and stiff and they look great. What more would you want!
Great fit Lightweight Transfers power well On the pricey side, but touch points are crucially important
The first shoes that actually fit comfortable and form to my feet. They are absolutely beautiful as well. Love them!
Selecting the right cycling often is a hit or miss proposition. For me over the years it has been a miss. Multiple shoes and product manufacturers and still no luck. Not to mention the $ tossed down the can with shoes that cannot be worn. While I have a unique foot to fit.....as I would assume many do, the Torch is the first shoe out of the box that has not given me one iota of problem. The comfort is unmatched and the fit is amazing - even with a wide forefoot (with bunion) and narrow heel). This shoe is worth every penny and has ended my search for a shoe that works. Works climbing, works fast, works on long rides. Do yourself a favor - buy these shoes.
The BOA's in silver are imposible to replace and the BOA warranty only sends black. If you manage to find silver BOA's S3 available, you have to purchase 4 because the lace colour of the replacements is different than the original, so it's âŹ100 in replacements. Stay away from the model using silver BOA's unless you want a frankenstein shoe if something happens.
How can pair of shoes make such a difference! I was faster, much less tired and my bike felt like totally different bike. Canât understand. My Vittoria Shoes are the same price and have carbon soles. Sworks is only 30g lighter.
I tried the SWORKS Vent in a size 42 with the Specialized inserts . Always ridden in 42s , a bit 2 narrow 4 me . Unfortunately in the Heat my feet swell . Gr8 on the indoor bike trainer So went & purchased a New Pair of size 43 SWORKS Torch . Haven't used them as yet going 2 try them on later in the day when my feet are slightly larger @ the end of the day on the Carpet . The Width seems fine, the length might be an issue. Pity there's not 42. 5's When it comes 2 every thing Cycling Specialized lead the Way in 99.9% of all Area's. Perhaps there tail lights could be sorted better especially 4 a SL7 S-WORKS & SL8 SWORKS . Keep u posted đ« on the Torch SWORKS Shoes
Recently purchased a pair in wide fit - they are hands down the most comfortable cycling shoe I have used. I am very wide in my forefoot and have standard width heel, along with flat arches. Getting comfortable shoes has been a real problem, tried Bont, Shimano etc. and finally these are near perfect, stiff, light weight, super comfortable - my only wish is that Specialized made the wide fit in white colour - Please - then I would rate 5 star!!!
I had an endless search for shoes... started with an extremely high arch and includes a slightly wider than normal forefoot. My foot is not "wide" (would feel like i was swimming in traditional wide shoes) and normal width would squeeze down on my forefoot, rubbing the outside by my little piggy. These shoes feel like they were cut for my foot, and I can dial them in for nice snug fit without my foot falling asleep or hotspots. Highly recommended, and I hope that Specialized puts out some new colorways for next season (hint hint!!).
The shoes have a form fit with plenty of toe room. The only issue I have is there are no heel lugs available at this time a the lugs are on the thin side and wear easy. Also, they are not reversible.
They run a bit narrow in the foot bed. Ordered the wide. Much better feel.
Excellent shoes right out of the box! Light, stiff and comfortable. Be sure to use the retul size finder in the size guide to get the right fit. So far so good
Uppers are extremely comfortable. Toe box definitely more supportive than the expert rd shoes that I had previously. I was having a weird pain in the ball of my foot, which went away with these new S-Works Torch. I just finished a 100 mile ride in TX with these shoes, this was the third ride I had with them and they performed exceptionally. đŻ recommend 10/10 would buy again, might get another color.
Geat!
Very roomy toe box. In hot days and on longer rides, the feet tend to expand. These roomier toe boxes allow the feet to expand and eliminate numbness in your toes.
Good quality
The BOA dial design has a major flaw. If need to replace your BOA dial, you cannot rethread the lace into the loops sewn in to the tongue of the shoe. This results in the BOA lace resting on the *unpadded* part of the tongue, which digs into the top of your foot. After 2 weeks' use, the lace pulled out of the BOA dial. For these BOA S3s, you simply pop out the whole dial (lace and all), discard it, and snap it back in. BOA is very responsive about sending replacements. However, because you replace the whole dial, you cannot (by design) "open up" the loop to access one end of the lace. The upper (i.e., proximal / closest to ankle) dial's lace runs through two sewn-in loops. This is just a terrible design oversight. The BOAs are replaceable, but you cannot configure the replacement in a way that leaves the shoe in its original configuration. The bottom line is I paid 450 dollars for two-weeks' use of a great shoe, and a lifetime of a shoe where the lace digs into my foot.
Beautiful high quality construction and craftsmanship. High level of stiffness provides slight but noticeable uphill power increase. Comfortable for shorter distance, but after 30 miles uncomfortable pressure on bottom of toes and lateral forefoot. Extremely uncomfortable for walking even very short distance to coffee shop or porta- lav. Bottom line: great performance, but not so great comfort. More comfortable than previous iterations of S-Works shoe, but still lacking, especially considering very high price.
Pros & Cons. Pros: beautifully crafted and quality constructed; very stiff with slight but noticeable increased uphill power; comfortable for first 30 miles of pedaling. Cons: so stiff that any walking at all extremely uncomfortable; pressure on balls of feet and lateral foot on long rides beyond 30 miles. Each succeeding iteration of the very costly S-Works shoe is a bit more comfortable. Maybe next year they will finally get the right combo of performance AND comfort.
Absolutely in love with this shoe. By far the best fitting road shoe i've ever had. That being said, I personally miss the heel cup of the 7, but I'm pretty sure i'm in the minority on that one.
I have giant feet, and I have previously used another smaller brand's shoes (B--t) and I was displeased with some of their design choices. Well, Specialized knocked this thing out of the park. You can tell, they just have a lot more money and time into R&D and Material choice. 1st ride and the leather is so supple it's unreal. I hope to edit after a few more rides, but the bottom line, is if you have wide feet, try these out. I normally wear 4E or X-Wide and these were fine. Basically, the other shoes were stiff AF, but had very limited range over the leather to move with the boa's. These specialized seem stiff and have incredible shaping and design techniques that allow the shoe to cup and mold around your foot from the topside.
Arrived well packaged, fit was very comfortable and rode for the first time with them this weekend. My feet did not get sore and love the dial for tightening.
Specialized torch road shoes
Great power transfer. Readily adjusted. Impressive difference after switch from non-carbon soled shoes. Just feel fast. Toes with plenty of room. No hot sports after initial rides.
Great!
Another review mentioned the boas on the right shoe had extra material and bulged into the foot. I had the same experience w/ a pair of the pure white and exchanged them for the team colors (black/white) and theyâre perfect. Preferred the pure white, but didnât want to deal with trying to find a pure white w/o the bulge
Very comfortable shoes on your feet, excellent quality and the bow system is pretty strong and secure your feet in it
I had a hard time finding a wide show that was comfortable for me in my size. The S Works Torch are very comfortable and a great ride!
Not a fan of the 1.5mm varus wedge that Specialized have included in the forefoot and arch, effectively rolling the foot to the outside and taking pressure off of the ball of the foot. I've ridden these for a few months now and they just feel "off" and have caused some outer knee pain where the IT band meets the knee. The upper also tends to bite into the ankle which cinched down all the way, but this seems to be solved when using a lighter tension on the upper BOA. However, I do like the minimalist and clean styling of the all-white shoe. They are very lightweight and seem to breathe well.
Most comfortable bike shoe I have ever worn.
I LOVE these shoes. If you have a foot that's on the wider side, and found the S-Works S7 to be slightly narrow, (but still made it work through many days on the bike to stretch them out) the SW Torch are for you. I had read somewhere they were 20mm wider than its predicessor, which makes all the difference when you have a flipper for a foot. Still all the same power deliver from the stiff sole. They also clean up nicely when it's bath time, especially without the toe strap which seemed unnecessary with a wider foot and also collected the dirt on the toe box. I really love mine and would highly recommend them!
Has the potential to be a great shoe. Unfortunately, my right shoe has a problem with the internal side wall at the midfoot, with a pouch of excessive material bulging out. Tightening boas does not help. The whole area is a bit loose. Took me a couple of rides to figure out why my right foot was unstable. Check carefully before using.
The quality of the product surpassed the price tag . fits like a slipper with loads of grip on the sole. Cracking shoe
Great shoes
Very expensive for what they are. Nice shoes but at this price they shouldnât cut corners but you can see where they have. Durability may be an issue, as it was with my previous pair of S-Works 7.For half the price you can get shoes made by Specialized and others that are 98 percent as good as these. Itâs up to you to decide if the extra is worth it.
I've been riding for 15+ years and always wear Specialized Shoes. They just feel better than the rest. I've always found the Experts or higher with the stiffer carbon soles just make a better connection to the bike and out perform the others. My wife and I also ride Peloton. These new S-Works Torch are AMAZING! Wider toe box. So so comfortable! After she got a pair and raved about them I had to try them out. The new toe box space is such a welcomed gift! $400+ might seem like a lot, but you want to invest in something that will keep your feet happy and will allow you to ride the next time. These are so damn comfortable! If I could give 6 stars I would!
I bought the S-Works 7 and out of the box they DESTROYED my lateral malleolus (the small bone under your lateral ankle bone). I tried those for a few hundred miles and winced through the pain. The left shoe broke in, the right shoe continued to give me pain. I ended up contacting my LBS and tried on the Torch's. IMMEDIATELY felt relief. The lateral heel cup is cut shorter so it does not put pressure on my malleolus. I am bummed because these costed $200 more than the discounted 7's I got, but riding pain free out of the box is a blessing. No pain out of box, and SUPER COMFY. I see people online who have the pain with the 7's and wonder if they should leap and get the Torch. I say DO IT, don't ride in pain.
Quality of shoe is outstanding. However, there is hard flat rib on the inside about half an inch below and roughly parallel to the ankle cuff. This cuts across the navicular bone at the top of the arch. Unfortunately for me this creates a pressure point that makes the shoe unwearable. This isn't the first time Specialized has so radically changed its top of the line shoe in a way that resulted in fit issues. I don't have unusually shaped feet, so I won't be the only one who has this problem. Time to hunt for some more s works 7s.
Excellent shoes.
These shoes are really nice. I needed width (normally 9.5 E) and the 9.5 wide were perfect. The slope of the sole means no more shims needed and a noticeable transfer of power vs my old noticeable.
If you have wide feet just buy these; they are great. Donât wear with thick socks.
Got the standard sized Torch in EU36, which is the same sizing as my Vent, which I really love. I really want to love this pair of shoes, but unfortunately its âwider than Sworks 7â claim doesnât seem to hold up. As I have bunions on the sides of my feet, this Torch immediately feels too tight while I donât have an issue with my Vent. (That said, the cut between my EU36 black and white Vent differ slightly, oneâs a tad narrower than the other and I attribute to manufacturing quality control issue - but both Vents are considerably roomier at the sides than Torch. Quite disappointed; Iâll probably still give it an another shot and try the wide fit - but why isnât that option available in white? :(
In every sport I've done, I've always preferred the lighter shoe option. Since I no longer ride in the city, I switched to these types of shoes since I am not unclipping every other block now that I ride in a dedicated paved trail. I've gotten used to them now, but the first ride felt like I was riding with socks in comparison to my Specialized MTB shoes. Design wise, it is nice that these don't scream SWORKS in comparison to some of their previous models which looked a bit garish in all honesty. Some subtle design choices in this shoe look much better. For reference, I got all black model with the small sworks on the heel. The white model was tempting but I was concerned about it looking too worn too fast.
All of my Specialized products have been amazing! I have two pairs of Torch road cycling shoes, a base layer, a road jersey and bib shorts, and an awesome mountain bike (Rock Hopper Expert 29-er). Quality, performance, durability...and fast shipping!
I did try these but in the end opted for an end of line pair of S Works 7âs. I really wanted to like them but found the fit just a bit sloppy and despite the softer uppers a painful pressure point quickly developed on the bone above my medial arch even with the blue BG footbeds in. They are clearly gorgeous shoes and a high quality product so if they fit and you have money burning a hole in your pocket you wonât be disappointed. The 7âs though are just a much better fit for my low volume narrow feet which makes me wonder what the future holds for the likes of me now that even Specialized have jumped on the wide fit bandwagon. The 7âs are built to last despite their light weight so hopefully not a problem I will have to face for a few years and perhaps by then the fashion will swing back to a more old style fit.
In a nutshell; Pros: Comfortable, stiff, clean aesthetics, minimal branding, best in class footplate, very solid and useable boa system, easy to clean and keep clean, toe guard an absolute win, good width to the toe box, secure locked down feeling. Cons: Too pricey for what it is, outside heel cup can be felt inside the shoe, top boa can pinch if wrenched down too much (not an issue on the ares), might need âbreaking inâ despite what the marketing says. Summary; If money is no object, grab a pair (or 2), you wonât be disappointed. The fit is exemplary, but may still require a bedding in period to really make it feel like your own shoe. They are lightweight, stiff and good looking, but maybe not enough to justify the price tag, especially as all of these qualities are on offer in the Ares shoe for less money, you get a much more locked in feel from the ares, though they are harder to keep clean and may not look as classic/cool as the Torch.
Very light and comfortable.
With the wider base the best S-works shoes Iâve ever had
Overall a great evolution and update to the 7 and previous S-Works Road shoe versions with much improved fit and comfort where the 7 gave some common fit issues. Only problem with the S-Works Torch is that if the UPPER BOA dial fails/ gets sticky, which can easily happen, the BOA guides that are sewn into the tongue prevent an easy replacement of the S3 dial without cutting the guides... should have developed and have a mini version of the guides similar to those on the Torch 3.0. Kinda a big fail on that...
This is the most comfortable road shoe I've ever put on. I can't even feel it's there, absolute comfort and power transition is second to none. The internal I-Beam is what must make the difference. This shoe is fast and light and comfortable, Specialized needs to make more shoes like this and offer more colors in the Wide version.
Torch S Works shoes are great. Finally a roomy toe box. BOA system is the best!
Only issue is the heel cup on my right foot is bent in more on inside of shoe, which causes a lot of discomfort on longer rides.
This shoe is incredible, especially compared to my 11-year old Specialized Expert shoes. Lighter, faster, and most importantly, a little wider to match most feet, even though will a little varus.
White standard width, which runs wide. I have the S-Works 7 (same size 44.5) in wide and this Torch fits perfectly in the standard width. The shoe looks and feels fantastic. Very light. I've put on about 700 miles and the only complaint is that with really high power (steep climbing) 600-800 watts, I can feel the pedal parts (PD-R8000) through the sole. Specialized claims this sole is the same stiffness index as the predecessor (assuming the S-Works 7) which is rated 15. But I don't get that sensation in the S-Works 7 or the S-Phyre RC-9 which is rated a 12. I do wear a high-arch insert. They're still my go-to shoe!
good shoes but no better than the s-works 7, had hoped these were wider and more comfortable than the 7 but that's not the case.
Very comfortable shoes
Finally a pair of cycling shoes that fit
I bought a new pair of sworks torch and Iâm extremely happy with them, very light, great looking and very comfortable.
After years of riding the S-WORKS 6 shoe and the Ares, I didnât think shoes could get any better? Out of the box the S-WORKS TORCH truly disappeared! So comfortable, light and well ventilated! SANO SHOE!!!
Great shoe! Fits true to size and has ample room in the toe box.very comfortable out of the box. Recommend an insole as the provided ones have zero support.
Wider forefoot area works out perfect for me. The boa system works great
Comfortable
Comfortable, light, stylish.
Torch shoes are amazing
50 grams lighter than Gaerne Stilo. Forefoot way too much vertical volume. Heel cup too low.
What an amazing shoe. They truly are light as a feather. They conformed to my foot like they were custom made. There was no break in period needed. I wore them the first time for an easy 28 mile ride then again the next day for a 52 mile race. Never knew I had shoes on my feet. Even cinched tight they just seemed to form around my feet without a single "hot spot". Thank you to the design team that created these beauties ! ! !
I have a lot of foot problems and usually struggle with pain during and after a ride. No pain with these shoes. I thought the line about disappearing was nonsense but itâs true. I donât feel the boa wires or any constriction on top of the foot. These shoes fit well, wide toe box and narrow heal are perfect for most feet. Iâm ready for the off-road version.
Biggest thing I noticed was the room in the toe box. This combined with the lightweight (20 grams less than previous version) makes for a high performance S works shoe.
