The Italian new-comer UDOG has entered the cycling shoe segment with a new lace-up model called the Tensione, boasting a “flatter” lace than conventional options, making it less prone to loosening or shifting during rigorous pedaling
The new Padova, Italy-based brand is helmed by Alberto Fonte, an industry veteran with years of experience with companies such as Kask, Pinarello and fi’zi:k.
The company’s first model features its “Tension Wrap System”, which Fonte says is “the first ever cycling shoe that wraps the rider’s feet from bottom to top, improving both comfort and support.”
UDOG is short for ‘Underdog’ and the brand’s ethos is that we have all been underdogs at some point and so the product “is for all of us”.
The new 245 gram Tensione incorporates a patented dynamic system that hugs the metatarsal area of your feet from the instep to the bridge for an optimum fit. It features a dynamic system of TPU laminated straps that wrap the insole from one side of the shoe to the other, while the hybrid lace-up closure system provides 18 points of contact between the foot and the shoe upper holding your foot for complete support during the entire pedal stroke.
Tensione is shaped to offer a generous toe box and a deep heel cup. The design is also intentionally minimalist, eliminating all plastic and metal hardware which typically create pressure points. A hybrid lace-up closure system allows UDOG to use upper materials that are softer and more comfortable when compared to standard cycling shoes while minimizing stitching. In addition, the upper is made of innovative 3D technical mesh, that produces a material that is light, soft and breathable.
UDOG opted for a lace-up closure system for three reasons. Fonte suggests that laces create more even distribution of pressure, they offer a more understated and stripped aesthetic, plus they are critically more comfortable and lighter. The brand’s laces have been carefully selected and tested to identify the ideal material for a high-performance cycling shoe. The Tensione uses proprietary laces that have a flatter construction, which the brand says creates a better knot and guarantees the best fitting shoe from the most demanding crit races to the longest endurance rides.
Tensione comes with a composite carbon-nylon outsole developed with a directional ventilation channel, integrated rubber heel and toe caps, while the outsole features a large metatarsal platform for easy cleat engagement, and generous fore/aft bolts adjustments for precise fitting
According to Fonte, the first shoe will become available in March, spanning 15 sizes that will sell for €150.
UDOG
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