DMT Kyoma shoes
@##=#<2,R>@##=#After the last episode of Hate where we sent a $300 saddle down in flames, we seem a little light on products laying around to review at the old NYVC headquarters. In our defense, no one really cared for the saddle, but let’s let bygones be restraining orders shall we?
I just purchased a pair of DMT Kyoma shoes in an effort to change every contact point on my bike over this winter. At Interbike, I suckered the esoles guys into telling me for free what kind of shoes would be best for my feet. They replied that the DMTs would be good – and that they cost about $300 – advantage esoles guys.
I was able to obtain a pair after finally getting the Westside Nursery School admissions department off of my back. These are not cheap shoes, but I figured that I’m worth it, as I wear my cycling shoes almost every day. I don’t wear any other pair of shoes everyday – working at home it’s a good day when I get it together enough to wear pants. My previous shoes were a set of 9 year old Carnacs (which were literally falling apart around my feet); so I expect to get at least 5-7 years out of these shoes, too.
First off, these shoes are very light – 209 grams per shoe. They are one of the lightest sets of production shoes out there, and are nearly as light as custom shoes which weigh in at around 180 grams per shoe. Light shoes seem to coming into vogue, personally, light weight isn’t at the top of my shoe hit parade; but a weight savings is a weight savings. So I’ll just consider that an added bonus.
The fit of the shoes is where the real bonus comes in. They have a very nice, wide toe box – that fit my my Lil’ Abner-style hocks just fine. My Carnacs had that peculiar “French” style pointed toe that should be reserved for red patent leather pumps, not any sort of athletic shoe. How did that ever start by the way? Who exactly thought that pointed toes would be a good idea for cycling shoes? Is that some sort of inside French joke? Like croissants or berets or stinky cheeses.
On the bike, the shoes transfer power very effectively. They have a carbon sole that I’m sure has all manners of marketing haiku to describe it. Let me just get down to it – it’s carbon – it’s light, stiff and it’s plastic. Now we can move on.
The upper part of the shoe is built in a sock-like fashion, so to leave as few seams as possible. This is for comfort, and while I’m writing the obvious, let me add that puppies are cute and I enjoy beer. I found the shoes very comfortable. They have a large shape at the top of the tongue that took a little getting used to, but I never ended up with any friction problems in that area.
The straps are 3 strips of velcro, which is plenty to keep my mighty power harnessed to the pedals.
Time for hate
Well, they are $300 shoes. Why does it seem that everything is 300 bucks now? Handlebars, shoes, saddles, bar tape, inner tubes, where does it end?
So where does this leave us?
These shoes fit my ever widening feet. They might not fit yours. For God’s sake, try them on first!
But it seems that one very nice thing about them is that they dry very fast after being wet.
i have been on these for two years now, the are the best i have had,
By far the stiffest shoes, I’ve ever worn. I have the white ones; I call them my ‘stormtrooper boots.’
Thats hot
(all three posts below)
Yeah, I was actually wondering recently about the rather dainty appearance of the racing shoes out there with almost pointy-looking toes. I assume they are made to fit dainty little Italian men with tiny toes like Bettini et al. (mind you, I def wish I had their strength…). My feet – not so dainty – need real mens shoes!
Oh, and I DO like the light weight – I think its bizzare to focus on taking 50 grams out of a bike, but then don giant 400 gram kicks to ride it with. Doesnt make sense.
The downside though is my super light carbon shoes (Specialized) have this mesh material on the frontal top portion and tongue etc, which is light weight and nice to let the feet breath, but also get all the sweat and grime collected, which is starting to make them look nasty, and I assume eventually smell nasty and BE nasty, all well before the turn of 7-9 years (try maybe 2+ years if Im lucky…). This means I dont want to spend $300 on shoes that last 2 years…
Since one is shelling out 3 big ones for this shoe, how do you keep them clean after getting caught in the rain. We all know that riding in the rain is much more than just a wet shoe. We’re talking dirt, debris and whatever else.
No ratcheting mech. for locking in? I guess this is the 400.00 version.
Ratchets add weight and may cause friction spots according to esoles.
Nice review schmalz.
I see a lot of riders (Boonen, Basso, etc.) going with velcro straps instead of a buckle. I tried on a pair of these last year and they felt great but I couldn’t bring myself to spend $300 so stuck with my old Carnacs. Maybe next year.
dan…how wide are these shoes? i have a really hard time finding shoes that are wide enough to be comfortable
Not sure about actual width, I do know that I need a wide toe box based on my foot shape, so that should tell you absolutely nothing…
How do you keep anything clean? Wash it. Soap and water are commonly used.
I highly recommend getting a pair for your shoes. I have flat feet and during long rides my toes would go numb. E soles fixed that problem.
ratchets make it easy to tighten up
where can you get esoles since Altheus NY is no more. Is their shop in CT the closest place?
Ratchets are a little heavier and perhaps not as comfortable. But ratchets are easier to adjust *through* booties, while riding. I have seen but am remain surprised Boonen and guys like Van Petegem, who do key races in bad weather, don’t use ratcheted shoes due to the bootie/adjustablity issue.
Doesn’t the velcro lose its stick after a couple years?
you can buy new velcro at your local hardware store
I was told that if you wet the velcro, than use the hair dryer to dry it (no heat), that it revives the velcro. Haven’t tried it myself, so can’t say it actually works. Worth a shot since it’s free.
I’ve never done it, but you can cut a small hole out of your booties over the the ratchet if you like to tighen on the fly.
My point is that it’s EASIER to adjust the shoes through booties with a ratchet. If the booties have some stretch, you can get a little play in the bootie material to get enough room to click the ratchet tighter. And loosening the ratchet (at least on Sidis) is even easier than that.
No hole needed in the booties.
These two operations (loosening or tightening through booties) would seem much harder with a velcro strap.
After a long hard wet ride, theres nothing like a nice cleansing bubble bath with your booties and shosies. Especially nice if you have cut the "easy access" hole in the booties.
Paris, you’d better be a woman. Otherwise I’ll very, very disappointed (and confused).
"how do you keep them clean after getting caught in the rain?"
Charlie to the rescue:
http://stores.ebay.com/Spa-Sport-Professional-Cyclewear_Lycra-Shoe-Covers_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm
I love my DMT’s — I have the Ultimax RSX, though. My understanding is the Kyomas and Flash will either fit you great or just plain hate you. I tried these on but wasn’t going to risk $300 on the latter coming true so went with the RSX which don’t have the solid upper body. Unfortunately my cat peed on one of them a week after I got them, but at $279 I was going to have to live with it.
Ain’t so bad. Think of the horse shit that gets splashed up on your shoes every time you ride in the park in the rain.
I’ve heard the Finish nordic skiers force cats to take vitamins and then drink the cat piss.
That’s hot
Note the speeliing Peepel
I am pretty anal about my shoes(I juggle 3 pairs b/c I liked them all for different reasons unfortunately not perfect enough to stick with one). How long do folks usually wear the same shoes? Depending on the shoes I end up downgrading them as training or a bad weather shoes after 1-2 season(except my Sidis b/c I can replace the heel piece, and other little things…I have had a pair of Sidi’s for almost 4 years) Or do you save your fav pair for race only?
After 1-2 years of regular wear(including quick walks to the bathroom at Runcible), even the heels of the carbon starts to wear.
They do have the same shoes with Ratchet…more $$ and more weight.
Hey, NYVelocity people– any chance you could delete the "phyx" posts when they come up? (And I know, I’m reinforcing his "fix" by mentioning him/it.) It annoys me in the same way as a slowly-leaking faucet during a quiet summer night– "drip…..drip…."
phyx
I’m getting my gun.
anyone know where you can get these pairs cheaper than retail? havent seen them on ebay or probike…i have seen them in the shops, they look and feel sweeet.
They maybe light, they maybe stiff in the sole, they maybe hot, but the material is so thin in the leather/plastic upper that I doubt you’ll get more than 2 years from them before they fall apart on you. If you’re unlucky one of those many vent holes will either start a tear or you’ll get something caught in one to cause it to tear. I own DMT’s and they’re 4 years old, the hot shoe from 2002 when they first came out, but I’ve worn the heal out and am now eating away at the carbon.
cheaper than retail? your mindset is all wrong. are they worth $400 to you? then $300 is a good price. are they worth $200 to you? then $300 is too expensive. or are you a sponsored rider that cant pay retail?…
No, I am like the majority, wannabie amateur, who always want a good deal!!!
SHOES: along with toe box, heal cup, upper stability, which can be only judged with your feet in the shoes you have on your feet…even better when actually riding, so a test ride if at all possible so when you jump out of the saddle your foot will stay put…trackies have been known to use strap ons (Dan?), I mean double straps (Alex?)…
But the biggest ? before buying/fitting a shoe is cleat placement. Make sure that you can get the cleat in the correct fore/aft position before buying. Get your arch length relative to foot length measured so you can get over the pedal spindle correctly. Also, give enough room for your toes to wiggle a bit, just a little bit (acid groove), so all your balance, muscle recruitment and feedback mechanisms function correctly…when shoes were no more than cobbled wood, leather and nails, getting a good fit meant very tight with a breaking in period, today’s shoes need no breaking in…comfort before buying is the rule, it ain’t gonna get any better than in the store.
On a related tip, stuff newspaper in your shoes to get them to dry faster after wet rides, clean your cleats and maintain the hardware, wear cafe covers if possible, dry lube the contact areas to prevent the dreaded squeak when pedaling, wear socks, lube or locktite the nuts and bolts depending on brand specs…also, on the Belgian Tip (BT), if you make a small slice on your bootie right over the buckle or top strap you can get an adjustment without trashing the warmth or snug aero fit…
My shoes: Nike Poggio (silver/black) three velcro straps, with an extra pair still in the box (46) and Sidi Genius 5.5 (46) waiting in the wings…
Who’s riding today?
DS JORDAN
A strong seconding for the newspaper trick, which I learned as a kid back in the 1970s for drying ski boots. Do it! You can wear them the next day, and it avoids any potential for mold buildup and general smelly nastiness.
Rinse or wash shoes depending on how dirty they are, then wipe dry
Stuff with newspaper
Remove that newspaper after an hour or so — it’ll be wet and not doing anything after the first hour
Re-stuff with newspaper
Remove 2nd bunch of newspaper some time later — an hour or more or even overnight if you forget
Then let dry empty
(Possibly) Lube ratchet with silicon
Make sure to lean the shoes against something in an angle, toes pointed upwards. Stuff as much paper a you can at the entrance of the boot(bottom side) so that the good chunk of the watre will eventually get sucked in at the bottom.
My dad recommended mink oil, but those were during Eddy’s days when boots were made of leather.
or is that the same thing?
just asking
After trying Sidi’s and Carnac’s and experiencing the toe squeeze problems, I then caught sight of the Kyoma’s (In white) this summer up @ Piermont and new I had to try them on. Well they slipped on my feet like they was budduh! Yeah white is not practical, but since when has lust at first sight ever been practical? And she feel so good. SOLD!!!
Got the Specialized for the training rides now and the Kyoma’s for racing!
I wear a size 15 running shoe and am looking for my first pair of cycling shoes. The DMT Kyoma is one of the only shoes that come in a size 50 (15 english) so I am wondering how true they run. Do they typically run smaller or larger? I hope that some of you who have these shoes could help me out because they won’t let me return them if I buy them.
Find another dealer. Most (such as Colorodo Cyclist) advise you not to mount a cleat and try them on on a rug so as not to scratch the carbon soles. Then if they don’t fit they can be returned in new condition.
By the way, most dealers won’t take back a saddle that’s been mounted unless you have a very good relationship with them (read have spent alot of money at their shop). Most online places will allow a return if it appears to not have been mounted. I have with a few saddles put electrical tape on the rails, mounted the saddle, and gone for a ride to find the saddle doesn’t work for me. Dismount the saddle, remove the tape, and voila, return in new condition.
Newsflash!!
Colorodo Cyclist has the navy color Kyoma’s on sale for 220. Sizes available currently on the website are 40, 40.5, 41, 41.5, 42, 43.5, 44, 45, and 48. Sorry, Big John.
Also, they have the weight listed as 235 not 205.
large john–dude, welcome to cycling and i hope your shoe search works out and all that, but you need to choose a new handle. someone else can explain.
large john–dude, welcome to cycling and i hope your shoe search works out and all that, but you need to choose a new handle. someone else can explain.
Newsflash!!
Colorodo Cyclist has the navy color Kyoma’s on sale for 220. Sizes available currently on the website are 40, 40.5, 41, 41.5, 42, 43.5, 44, 45, and 48. Sorry, Big John.
Also, they have the weight listed as 235 not 205.
By the way, most dealers won’t take back a saddle that’s been mounted unless you have a very good relationship with them (read have spent alot of money at their shop). Most online places will allow a return if it appears to not have been mounted. I have with a few saddles put electrical tape on the rails, mounted the saddle, and gone for a ride to find the saddle doesn’t work for me. Dismount the saddle, remove the tape, and voila, return in new condition.
Find another dealer. Most (such as Colorodo Cyclist) advise you not to mount a cleat and try them on on a rug so as not to scratch the carbon soles. Then if they don’t fit they can be returned in new condition.
I wear a size 15 running shoe and am looking for my first pair of cycling shoes. The DMT Kyoma is one of the only shoes that come in a size 50 (15 english) so I am wondering how true they run. Do they typically run smaller or larger? I hope that some of you who have these shoes could help me out because they won’t let me return them if I buy them.
or is that the same thing?
just asking
After trying Sidi’s and Carnac’s and experiencing the toe squeeze problems, I then caught sight of the Kyoma’s (In white) this summer up @ Piermont and new I had to try them on. Well they slipped on my feet like they was budduh! Yeah white is not practical, but since when has lust at first sight ever been practical? And she feel so good. SOLD!!!
Got the Specialized for the training rides now and the Kyoma’s for racing!
Make sure to lean the shoes against something in an angle, toes pointed upwards. Stuff as much paper a you can at the entrance of the boot(bottom side) so that the good chunk of the watre will eventually get sucked in at the bottom.
My dad recommended mink oil, but those were during Eddy’s days when boots were made of leather.
Rinse or wash shoes depending on how dirty they are, then wipe dry
Stuff with newspaper
Remove that newspaper after an hour or so — it’ll be wet and not doing anything after the first hour
Re-stuff with newspaper
Remove 2nd bunch of newspaper some time later — an hour or more or even overnight if you forget
Then let dry empty
(Possibly) Lube ratchet with silicon
A strong seconding for the newspaper trick, which I learned as a kid back in the 1970s for drying ski boots. Do it! You can wear them the next day, and it avoids any potential for mold buildup and general smelly nastiness.
SHOES: along with toe box, heal cup, upper stability, which can be only judged with your feet in the shoes you have on your feet…even better when actually riding, so a test ride if at all possible so when you jump out of the saddle your foot will stay put…trackies have been known to use strap ons (Dan?), I mean double straps (Alex?)…
But the biggest ? before buying/fitting a shoe is cleat placement. Make sure that you can get the cleat in the correct fore/aft position before buying. Get your arch length relative to foot length measured so you can get over the pedal spindle correctly. Also, give enough room for your toes to wiggle a bit, just a little bit (acid groove), so all your balance, muscle recruitment and feedback mechanisms function correctly…when shoes were no more than cobbled wood, leather and nails, getting a good fit meant very tight with a breaking in period, today’s shoes need no breaking in…comfort before buying is the rule, it ain’t gonna get any better than in the store.
On a related tip, stuff newspaper in your shoes to get them to dry faster after wet rides, clean your cleats and maintain the hardware, wear cafe covers if possible, dry lube the contact areas to prevent the dreaded squeak when pedaling, wear socks, lube or locktite the nuts and bolts depending on brand specs…also, on the Belgian Tip (BT), if you make a small slice on your bootie right over the buckle or top strap you can get an adjustment without trashing the warmth or snug aero fit…
My shoes: Nike Poggio (silver/black) three velcro straps, with an extra pair still in the box (46) and Sidi Genius 5.5 (46) waiting in the wings…
Who’s riding today?
DS JORDAN
No, I am like the majority, wannabie amateur, who always want a good deal!!!
cheaper than retail? your mindset is all wrong. are they worth $400 to you? then $300 is a good price. are they worth $200 to you? then $300 is too expensive. or are you a sponsored rider that cant pay retail?…
They maybe light, they maybe stiff in the sole, they maybe hot, but the material is so thin in the leather/plastic upper that I doubt you’ll get more than 2 years from them before they fall apart on you. If you’re unlucky one of those many vent holes will either start a tear or you’ll get something caught in one to cause it to tear. I own DMT’s and they’re 4 years old, the hot shoe from 2002 when they first came out, but I’ve worn the heal out and am now eating away at the carbon.
I’m getting my gun.
anyone know where you can get these pairs cheaper than retail? havent seen them on ebay or probike…i have seen them in the shops, they look and feel sweeet.
phyx
Hey, NYVelocity people– any chance you could delete the "phyx" posts when they come up? (And I know, I’m reinforcing his "fix" by mentioning him/it.) It annoys me in the same way as a slowly-leaking faucet during a quiet summer night– "drip…..drip…."
That’s hot
Note the speeliing Peepel
I am pretty anal about my shoes(I juggle 3 pairs b/c I liked them all for different reasons unfortunately not perfect enough to stick with one). How long do folks usually wear the same shoes? Depending on the shoes I end up downgrading them as training or a bad weather shoes after 1-2 season(except my Sidis b/c I can replace the heel piece, and other little things…I have had a pair of Sidi’s for almost 4 years) Or do you save your fav pair for race only?
After 1-2 years of regular wear(including quick walks to the bathroom at Runcible), even the heels of the carbon starts to wear.
They do have the same shoes with Ratchet…more $$ and more weight.
I’ve heard the Finish nordic skiers force cats to take vitamins and then drink the cat piss.
Ain’t so bad. Think of the horse shit that gets splashed up on your shoes every time you ride in the park in the rain.
I love my DMT’s — I have the Ultimax RSX, though. My understanding is the Kyomas and Flash will either fit you great or just plain hate you. I tried these on but wasn’t going to risk $300 on the latter coming true so went with the RSX which don’t have the solid upper body. Unfortunately my cat peed on one of them a week after I got them, but at $279 I was going to have to live with it.
Neoprene!
"how do you keep them clean after getting caught in the rain?"
Charlie to the rescue:
http://stores.ebay.com/Spa-Sport-Professional-Cyclewear_Lycra-Shoe-Covers_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Paris, you’d better be a woman. Otherwise I’ll very, very disappointed (and confused).
After a long hard wet ride, theres nothing like a nice cleansing bubble bath with your booties and shosies. Especially nice if you have cut the "easy access" hole in the booties.
I’ve never done it, but you can cut a small hole out of your booties over the the ratchet if you like to tighen on the fly.
My point is that it’s EASIER to adjust the shoes through booties with a ratchet. If the booties have some stretch, you can get a little play in the bootie material to get enough room to click the ratchet tighter. And loosening the ratchet (at least on Sidis) is even easier than that.
No hole needed in the booties.
These two operations (loosening or tightening through booties) would seem much harder with a velcro strap.
I was told that if you wet the velcro, than use the hair dryer to dry it (no heat), that it revives the velcro. Haven’t tried it myself, so can’t say it actually works. Worth a shot since it’s free.
you can buy new velcro at your local hardware store
Doesn’t the velcro lose its stick after a couple years?
Ratchets are a little heavier and perhaps not as comfortable. But ratchets are easier to adjust *through* booties, while riding. I have seen but am remain surprised Boonen and guys like Van Petegem, who do key races in bad weather, don’t use ratcheted shoes due to the bootie/adjustablity issue.
where can you get esoles since Altheus NY is no more. Is their shop in CT the closest place?
ratchets make it easy to tighten up
How do you keep anything clean? Wash it. Soap and water are commonly used.
I highly recommend getting a pair for your shoes. I have flat feet and during long rides my toes would go numb. E soles fixed that problem.
dan…how wide are these shoes? i have a really hard time finding shoes that are wide enough to be comfortable
Not sure about actual width, I do know that I need a wide toe box based on my foot shape, so that should tell you absolutely nothing…
Ratchets add weight and may cause friction spots according to esoles.
Nice review schmalz.
I see a lot of riders (Boonen, Basso, etc.) going with velcro straps instead of a buckle. I tried on a pair of these last year and they felt great but I couldn’t bring myself to spend $300 so stuck with my old Carnacs. Maybe next year.
i have been on these for two years now, the are the best i have had,
By far the stiffest shoes, I’ve ever worn. I have the white ones; I call them my ‘stormtrooper boots.’
Thats hot
(all three posts below)
Yeah, I was actually wondering recently about the rather dainty appearance of the racing shoes out there with almost pointy-looking toes. I assume they are made to fit dainty little Italian men with tiny toes like Bettini et al. (mind you, I def wish I had their strength…). My feet – not so dainty – need real mens shoes!
Oh, and I DO like the light weight – I think its bizzare to focus on taking 50 grams out of a bike, but then don giant 400 gram kicks to ride it with. Doesnt make sense.
The downside though is my super light carbon shoes (Specialized) have this mesh material on the frontal top portion and tongue etc, which is light weight and nice to let the feet breath, but also get all the sweat and grime collected, which is starting to make them look nasty, and I assume eventually smell nasty and BE nasty, all well before the turn of 7-9 years (try maybe 2+ years if Im lucky…). This means I dont want to spend $300 on shoes that last 2 years…
Since one is shelling out 3 big ones for this shoe, how do you keep them clean after getting caught in the rain. We all know that riding in the rain is much more than just a wet shoe. We’re talking dirt, debris and whatever else.
No ratcheting mech. for locking in? I guess this is the 400.00 version.
But it seems that one very nice thing about them is that they dry very fast after being wet.