Specialized

Recon 3.0 Mountain Bike Shoe

Great shoe, terrible BOA placement

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

45

Weight:

185

My previous pair of shoes was the S Works, perfect shoe, but I got those on a deal, and I didn't want to spend $400 on new S Works. These are great except for one terrible flaw--the upper BOA lace goes through a plastic triangle guide on top of the tongue, and if you tighten the upper BOA at all, that plastic guide digs into the top of your foot, at the ankle. I now have permanent red marks. I'm going to try to cut that piece out, but not sure if it will work. Fingers crossed.

Not good shoes

I purchased a pair of these shoes, not from backcountry (they were out of stock in my size). They are oddly narrow and I don’t have wide feet at all. Also, everything people say about the shoes digging into your ankle and the boa dial digging in on the side of the shoe is true. I tried to post a review on specialized’s website and they wouldn’t post it on there’d

Can't go wrong..

Size Bought:

46

Height:

6' 4"

Weight:

210

It was time to climb the ladder... I upgraded from a Recon 2.0 which was a great shoe. This shoe provides much better power transfer and has a much better closure system due to the dual boas. On a side note, if you do have to hike-a-bike these may not be that great due to the stiff carbon outsole but the Stride Toe Flex area does provide some flexibility and does make the shoe hikeable. Great shoe if you are looking for Sworks features at a lower price point. Note on sizing, I wear a us12 / 30cm, size purchased was a eu46 with no fit issues.

Nicely constructed shoe.....but

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

43

Height:

5' 11"

Weight:

180

I have been using a pair of Recon 1.0 shoes for about a year now with great results. Due to a Morton's Nueroma, I prefer a moderately wide footbox (even if the fit is sightly sloppy) and the Recon 1.0's have worked quite well for me. The 1.0s are really comfortable (for my foot shape), are reasonably stiff when pedaling, and the hiking comfort and traction has been impressive on Tahoe granite. I purchased the Recon 3.0s because they were on sale and looked like a nice upgrade. The fit and finish of the 3.0s look great and they retain all of the 1.0's comfort with one notable exception (for me). As soon as I took my first step on carpet, I felt a pretty unpleasant pressure point on the inner side of the upper tongue --right under the BOA strap. It may be the exact same fit issue that others have noted but I knew immediately that the upper BOA strap on the 3.0s would not work for my foot shape. Just an fyi, other than my need for a slightly wider toe box, I have a completely average foot (i.e. normal arch, no bunions, etc). I will be adding another pair of Recon 1.0s to my closet. I guess the velcro straps simply work better for my feet.

Very good, but very flawed

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

44

Height:

5' 10"

Weight:

142

I've put a couple thousand miles on my pair of Recon 3's, used for road riding, gravel, and mountain biking. Pros: - Stiff soles, great power transfer - Boa works well, upper dial may be a tad too high and put painful pressure when dropping heels - Very good traction - Decently roomy toe box (way better than Giro, in my opinion) - Drains impressively quickly - Comfy to stand around in Cons: - Tongue is way too long, digs into my ankles, now I have actual scars there. In hindsight I wish I'd cut the tongue shorter on day 1. - Sizing runs large, my normal size is too big and now I need to downsize, but Backcountry doesn't seem to carry the in-between sizes

Roomy toe and overall shoe

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

41

Unlike other reviewers who say these are running small, I definitely found I need to size down in these. That?s why I am returning them. Otherwise they?re very comfortable. Toebox also seems spacious.

Don?t waste your money like I did

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Size Bought:

39

Height:

5' 7"

Weight:

130

I have been racing bikes for over 30 years and have owned multiple pairs of cycling shoes. These are the worst cycling shoes I have ever owned. They do run small. I have always loved Sidi MTB shoes but figured I would try these because they have the BOA adjustment that I love on my snowboard boots. Bad call-Horrible to walk in and they are not just uncomfortable, they are really miserable, especially if you have any minor foot issues. I tried everything as far as inserts & adjustments. I don?t write many reviews but I regret buying these and I don?t want someone else to make the same costly mistake. Wish I could return these. Don?t make the same mistake I did-buy a different pair of shoes!!!