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 replacing the mid-foot dial. Most of the remaining structure comes from the pared-back carbon sole. Any real structure comes from the carbon sole, which has also been trimmed down.
Despite the aggressive gram-shaving, Specialized says the Remco stays true to its Body Geometry principles of alignment, fit and long-haul comfort.
Evenepoel’s verdict? “Super light, great foothold, comfortable — it’s everything I need for races and stages with a lot of climbing. It felt good to race and the weight of the shoe enabled me to carry more water without weight penalties, helping me attack in the mountains like never before.”
For Evenepoel, these shoes might be a marginal-gains necessity; for everyone else, they sit firmly in “you don’t need them, but you want them anyway” territory.
Specs
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
- Brand: Specialized
- Model: S-Works Torch Remco
- Claimed weight: 148.2g in a size 41 per shoe (296.4g for the pair)
- Actual weight: 287g for a pair in size 39
- Sizes on offer: 39through 46 with half sizes
- Colourway: white/peloton orange
- Price: $700 / £549 / €599 / $800 AUD
The Ride
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
I’ll preface this review by stating the obvious: I’m neither a lightweight nor do I push Remco-esque watts. And it didn’t take long for me to realise that whatever advantage these featherlight shoes offer the world’s elite is quickly overshadowed by their shortcomings for us mere mortals.
Marginal gains are, after all, precisely that: marginal. Noticeable only to those who’ve already turned over every other leaf in pursuit of speed and performance. The Torch Remco exists because a top-tier racer demanded it, because the UCI requires all gear to be commercially available, and because, let’s be honest, a shoe like this will sell on hype alone.
That’s not to say it isn’t worthy of hype. It is, but only for a very specific audience. This is an unapologetic, purpose-built race shoe. More specifically: a climber’s shoe. (As opposed to the S-Works Ares 2, which is targeted at sprinters). It serves the rider who, like Evenepoel, is having to make the choice between a few grams of footwear weight or an ounce of hydration. If that’s not your reality, then the Torch Remco feels less like a performance tool and more like a beautiful statement piece. And that’s totally fine, if you have the means.
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
From the moment I pulled them out of the box to several hundred miles later, the same impressions kept resurfacing.
These are so light.
My size 39 pair weighed in at just 287 grams for the pair, which is impressive by any measure. And that lack of weight is noticeable the instant you start pedalling. It genuinely feels as if the rigid carbon sole is the only substantial part of the shoe left. In that sense, the Remco model behaves almost like a sandal or water shoe: the contact platform is solid and efficient, and everything else is designed to disappear around your foot.
They look like triathlon shoes — and slip on like them, too
In general, I quite like the aesthetics of the shoe. It’s an exercise in minimalist design with a sleek silhouette. I personally like the pop of colour in the orange velcro strap, though I appear to be in the minority, judging by how many people asked me about the ‘orange safety tab.’ The shoes do have a bit of a triathlon vibe due to the lack of a tongue. Similar to the Ares, you pull the shoes on like a sock. It makes them very easy to slip in and out of.
No break-in period, no hotspots
Despite the pared-down construction, Specialized’s hallmark Body Geometry Fit still comes through loud and clear. Specialized has refined this system over years, and the latest generation of its Body Geometry last, first introduced on the S-Works Ares 2, is shaped using data from more than 100,000 RETÜL 3D foot scans. The result is a natural-feeling fit with a wider toe box and more anatomical support through the arch and forefoot. Even if the Remco model doesn’t provide the same support as its siblings do, the fit felt familiar and comfortable. Even on longer, hotter rides, I didn’t experience hotspots or pinch points.
And as an added benefit of the thin yet supple upper, there was no break-in period. The upper wraps the foot like fabric, not footwear, and with no tongue or overlays to contend with, nothing rubs, digs, or needs “settling in.”
The shoes barely hold their shape
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
The trade-off: structure
Of course, all that gram-shaving had to come from somewhere, and in the Remco’s case, the compromise is structural integrity. There’s barely any of it.
The upper is so thin and unstructured that it borders on flimsy. The carbon outsole provides all the real support; everything above it behaves more like cloth than a cycling shoe. Off the bike, the shoe barely holds its shape. On the bike, the upper tends to rest on top of my toes, a sensation I never fully got used to, no matter how many miles I logged.
Unlike the standard S-Works Torch’s rigid heel cup, the Remco model forgoes the plastic exterior, leaving just the reinforced fabric, almost like a running shoe. To get a semi–locked-in feel, I have to really crank down on the upper BOA dial. The BOA closure does all the work here as the velcro strap contributes more to aesthetics than security. Luckily, the BOA has been tried and tested on other Torch models and works well.
Even then, I still experienced some movement and never achieved the sprint-ready confidence I get from the standard Torch.
Inside, the shoes are as bare-bones as it gets. Just the backside of the outer fabric, with some lightly brushed fabric backing at potential abrasion points. Minimal, but effective, as I haven’t experienced any sore spots.
The real bummer, though, is the insole. It’s barely more than a textured piece of stiff styrofoam. At $700, one would expect more, especially from a company that makes some excellent Body Geometry insoles. Of course, this would have added weight, and people tend to be particular about their insoles, but still.
Value & conclusion: A race-day-only slipper
(Image credit: Anne-Marije Rook)
I’ve logged thousands of miles in the regular S-Works Torch shoes and expected the Remco model to feel like a lighter, more breathable version of a shoe I already love. Instead, it feels like an entirely different product.
The overall sensation is that the Remco is a race-day-only slipper. The pair you save for long, mountainous days where sprinting is limited and every gram matters. For everything else, and for the vast majority of riders, I’d be more inclined to steer you toward the regular S-Works Torch, or the laced version if you’re chasing weight savings (200g in a size 42 and $250 less expensive).
Yes, the Remco is undeniably light. Decently airy, too. And the weight trimming didn’t cost any power as the new, hybrid sole appears as efficient as any S-Works plate. But where are the gains to justify the compromises or the $700 price tag?
Once the low-weight novelty wore off, I found the compromises distracting. I missed the locked-in confidence or the ability to wiggle my toes without the constant contact with the shoe’s upper.
If anything, I felt less powerful and less comfortable, which, for a rider not making equipment choices based on every single gram, is a steep trade-off.
For the gear-obsessed climber who counts every gram, the Torch Remco may feel like forbidden candy. But for most riders, a slightly heavier, more supportive shoe delivers more: more comfort, more confidence, more durability, and arguably more real-world speed.
