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Specialized releases S-Works Ares shoe with new closure system

The shoe also features a reinforced tongueless sock designed to reduce pressure on tendons

Photo by: Specialized

Specialized says the newly released S-Works Ares is one per cent faster than any shoe the company has ever made. Designed with a new patent-pending closure, the shoe triangulates retention across the midfoot area and spreads pressure out over a larger surface area. The company says this design eliminates foot roll within the shoe and locks in the foot.

Pressure map of the S-Works Ares’ new closure system

S-Works Ares Features

The S-Works Ares was ergonomically designed to align hips, knees, and feet in order to decrease injuries and deliver more power and comfort. They feature a 1.5mm outward tilt to the outsole, called the ‘Varus Wedge’, to stabilize the forefoot and help align the ankle, knee, and hip. They also come with three arch height insoles, and can be further customized with custom footbeds. Specialized’s ‘Metatarsal Button’ lift and separate bones in the forefoot to puts less pressure on the nearby nerves and arteries, reducing hot spots and numbness.

Justin Williams wears the S-Works Ares

The Ares also feature a new reinforced tongueless sock, which gives it a vague modern soccer shoe look and reduces pressure on tendons. Its Specialized FACT Powerline carbon outsole has a stiffness index of 15, the same as the brand’s S-Works 7 shoe, and the stiffest option offered by the company.

Specialized says the shoes result in seven-watt power increases and will make riders 14 seconds faster over 10 kilometres.

Sam Bennett partnership

The S-Works Ares were designed in close partnership with Sam Bennett. The company was struggling to make a shoe for riders like him. “We were trying to adapt our existing shoes to serve their needs, but with limited success,” says Rob Cook, design director for footwear at Specialized. “We knew we needed to build something specific. Once we went in that direction, we cut ourselves free to really focus on serving the key needs for that type of rider.”

Sam Bennett and the S-Works Ares

Specialized says that Bennett’s “clinical attention” to detail and commitment to the development process led to new design approaches. “My shoes are probably the most important piece of equipment to me,” says Bennett. “I’m super sensitive to change and I take hours to set up my cleats, down to the millimetre.”

He worked with the designers through several rounds of prototypes, sharing input and feedback.  “Sam was amazingly focused on giving feedback,” says Cook. “At our first meeting, I was expecting to spend 30 minutes with him. We spent an hour and a half, just talking about sprinting, and shoes, and his thoughts on them. The information he shared was just incredible.”

Bennett’s input on finding a balance between a secure fit and race-long comfort helped Specialized focus more on what the rider feels against their foot. That focus ultimately led to the reinforced sock liner design and a repositioned closure system. “I have such sensitive feet, so I’m really aware of the pressure points,” says Bennett. “To be able to get strapped down and deliver all the power I need, in comfort—to get both stiffness and comfort—that’s unique.”

Bennett says that, though the shoe was initially developed for sprinters and high-output riders like him and Julian Alaphilippe, “As the shoe developed in the process, it became clear that it would be so naturally comfortable for anyone.”

The shoes come in four colourways: White, black, red team and team edition.

Information on Canadian pricing and availability to come.