A pair of bespoke cycling shoes, while not inexpensive, can actually solve problems and create a better cycling experience.

Enter Rocket 7, a company that’s been in the game since 1999. We caught up with Colin Jaskiewicz at NAHBS 2016. Rocket 7 has several levels of custom products. You can order a “semi-custom” shoe in specific lengths and widths. For example, you can get a 44 length with anything from AA to EEE width and even different sizes right and left. You can add one of their custom molded footbeds as another level. Or, you can go full custom which involves molding the entire foot and having a shoe built based entirely on your foot. 

The process is not as simple as using a casting sock and creating a mold of your foot. This requires an expert. Understanding the anatomy of the foot and how foot alignment relates to the dynamics of cycling is paramount. So a fair amount of what you’re paying for is the expertise and training of the individuals you’re working with. The folks at Rocket 7 have to take that mold and make a shoe with it. Communication is critical as it is with any custom made product. How you’re using the shoe, why you’ve chosen to get a custom shoe and your preference for fit are all part of the path to the perfect shoe.  Materials engineering and fabrication is yet another link in the chain.

The materials used are of the absolute highest quality. These shoes are among the lightest in the world and they are repairable should they need it. They offer extremely low stack height, multiple drilling options and even different levels of stiffness since they make the carbon soles by hand. These are also true carbon soles, no injection molded plastic or nylon here.

Once you’ve nailed all that down, the fun part starts…custom colors and designs! They have a variety of color options, material options, and you can quite literally get anything you can think of. The shoes pictured here are only a small taste of what’s possible.

These shoes are no stranger to the pro ranks either. Tom Boonen and Greg Van Avermaet are currently riding Rocket7 custom shoes. A stroll through the room that houses all the old molds serves as a museum of sorts: there are some big names in there. There are speed skaters, triathletes and all sorts of people taking advantage of the expertise of Rocket7.

Rocket7 is a small crew based in Erie, Colorado. They make about 150 custom shoes a year and offer repairs for older models as well. Check them out www.rocket7.com