Specialized 2FO Roost MTB Flat Shoe [Rider Review]

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From manufacturing bikes all the way to riding apparel, Specialized does it all, and they do it very well. Specialized's 2FO shoes a very sought after shoe and for good reason. Our friend, Todd, has been testing them out compared to the Freerider Pros. Read on for more!

Overview

I got a pair of Specialized 2FO Roost shoes just coming off of a pair of Five Ten Freerider Pros(which I love). Whenever reviewing an unknown pair of shoes for flats there is always the first question, How does the grip compare to Five Ten rubber?

To get that question out of the way first and not last, the answer, is very well. I felt the 2FO’s had a higher level of grip and took a bit more effort(this was OK for me) to adjust them on the pedals. I run OneUp composite flat pedals because of the large surface area, thin profile, great grip, and lightweight. These shoes feel relatively locked in on these pedals and to repeat I felt no reduction and maybe an increase of on-bike grip over the Freerider Pros.

The increase in grip had something to do with the deeper ‘lugs’ which are in the shape of squatting(the lower half is shorter than the upper) hexagons. The Five Tens are circles. When running a thumb across the surface, the Five Ten Stealth rubber felt very similar to the 3rd generation/3rd times a charm Specialized SlipNot rubber. Maybe a very slight edge to the stickiness of the Five Ten rubber, but since my pedals aren’t boulders this difference was not felt at all on the pedal. I suspect the rubber will wear down slowly and would guess good longevity.

Weight for a single men’s US size 10- Five Ten- 362 grams, Specialized- 375 grams.

With pedaling efficiency/stiffness and support. They are remarkably similar to the Freerider Pros. The 2FO’s were more resistant to flex in my hands. Some of this may have been because the FiveTens were worn in and used. But bottom line I think they are comparable with being a slightly stiff pedaling platform.

Feel and fit- My feet liked them. No need to size up/down. They were true to size as a size 10 for me. The shape is very similar to the current general MTB flat shoe shape. Nothing new here. Great room in the toe box which is thankfully again like the average flat MTB shoe and nothing like the foot binding of an overpriced featherlight carbon fiber narrow road shoe. In the Freerider Pros I would get a little pressure over the highest part of my foot/arch where you tie the laces, but not so in the 2FO’s. They are comfortable walking in and for hike a bike as well. The protection at the toe is also decent and the same between shoes.

And for those of you that want more ‘tech’ in your MTB shoes, these laces worked great for me. Yes, a BOA lace system might save a few grams, but I have never missed the pair of BOA shoes I used to have. It is still amazing to me how many people do not tie a square knot when tying any shoe. Yes left over right and then rabbit ears-right over left. One can always tie a third throw but a good square knot works to secure the tie most of the time. The 2FO’s do have a little elastic band where you can tuck your laces to clean up nicely.

They also dry fairly quickly as my rides regularly cross streams. The material semi repels water. On a cold day as long as I have a warm pair of socks on there hasn’t been an issue. On a really hot day, they will do fine with a thin pair of socks. After a ride, I always take out the sole inserts(actually a bit better quality than the Five Tens) and place everything over an HVAC register to serve as my ‘boot dryer’ (see pic).

Final Thoughts

So the conclusion with the Specialized 2FO Roosters is yes highly recommended. Compared to the industry standard they are just as an effective if not better contact point. They pedal, fit, and wear well, look nice while being mostly nondescript, are on the lightweight side, and are more affordable than most anything except the more utilitarian plain Freeriders. Bad pun ending-Get ‘2 FO’ less and give your boost a Roost.