Vittoria has long been a shoe of choice for the discerning cyclist. In the year he rode to victory in the Tour de France, Marco Pantani wore a pair of Vittoria Blitz shoes, a simple shoe that was reportedly the lightest available at the time, a key requirement for arguably the most famous of all grimpeurs.
History lesson over, the latest example from the Italian company is the Hora, which I’ve been testing for some time. It’s clear Vittoria have always aimed high, delivering the best possible product to the market, and this trend shoes no sign of abating in its current flagship model.
The shoe uses a new Air System carbon sole for phenomenal stiffness as well as reducing the weight, which is a claimed 307g a pair (for a size 8). This puts it right up there with the best offerings from rival companies, making it a great start for the Hora. The sole is drilled for any three-screw cleat and there are the requisite vents dotted around the front and rear – how much effect they have on your foot’s temperature we’re not sure.
Like those shoes Pantani wore to victory, a lightweight Lorica upper is used and in the Hora is punctuated with nylon mesh panels for ventilation. For the closure of the shoe, rather unusually, two mechanical systems are employed.
First, there’s Vittora’s own rotary ratchet mechanism pulling a nylon cord through a series of plastic tunnels, not unlike the popular Boa system. Vittoria’s take on the rotary mechanism is arguably better however, being easier to use thanks to a small lever that flips up and permits easy adjustment in either direction.
Then there’s a more typical ratchet strap. Together, the two provide easy and quick setup of the shoe, with a fine range of adjustment permitting the perfect and desired fitting of the shoe to the foot. On-the-bike adjustment is also better than most of shoes I’ve tested. And, if you’re a sprinter and like to clamp the shoes down tight, these are the best that I’ve tested in that respect.
Top-end road shoes all offer impressive stiffness and the Hora’s are no different, boasting incredible power transfer for even the most powerful cyclists who might slip into them. It’s Vittoria’s approach to keeping the shoe on the foot that sets them apart though, with the combination of the rotary dial and ratchet strap combing to provide a close and secure fit with a fine level of adjustment that means you can many small adjustments to find the perfect fit.
It’s not all high fives around though. The gloss black finish isn’t something I would personally opt for, and I found similar objections asking around out on the road. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking they look OK though? If not, there is a white option that I would urge you to pick instead. Otherwise, the finish of the shoes is top notch and they’re holding up just fine thus far.
Verdict:
Backed up by years of race winning pedigree with a design that is right at the cutting edge of shoe design, the Hora’s are hard to ignore if you’re in the market for a lightweight and stiff road shoe.
Vittoria Hora road race shoes £225.00; sizes 38 – 48, colours white/blue, white/black, white
