Udog cycling shoes unleash new tension tech
Padua-based cycling gear brand Udog, the name of which was inspired by the word “underdog”, recently opened pre-orders for its first ever cycling shoe, the Tensione.
Co-founder and chief executive of the direct-to-consumer brand, Alberto Fonte, has significant industry experience, having previously worked for Italian cycling firms Kask, Fizik and Pinarello.
Mr Fonte described the shoes (which come in two colourways) as the “first” to wrap the length of the cyclist’s foot, thanks to Udog’s patented “tension wrap system”, which effectively “hugs” the metatarsals and allows for two tensioners below the insoles to envelope the foot from top to bottom.
According to the brand’s website, “hundreds” of hours’ worth of testing went into the shoes’ lasts alone, resulting in a roomy toe box and deep, narrow heel cup, specially designed with the pushing and pulling of pedals in mind.
A ventilated rigid nylon and carbon outsole, with a rubber heel and toe caps for increased durability, has been engineered for optimum power, Udog added. Meanwhile, the technical mesh upper “actively reacts” to the rider’s foot and the brand’s proprietary flat, pressed 100% recycled polyester laces (containing no stretch or air inside) apparently come together to create a rope knot effect.
Tensione shoes have been designed to establish 18 points of contact between the upper and the cyclist’s foot.
Image: Udog.
