Lore has dispensed with all conventional approaches in the design of a cycling shoe, creating a novel method to relate to the athlete’s foot and capture power while riding. The Lore shoe is custom 3D printed from carbon fiber and nylon, based on a high resolution 3D scan of your foot and ankle.

Printing carbon fiber as a continuous strand in a complex shape is a very new technology and Lore is the first company to apply it to this type of project. By wrapping the carbon around the volume and contours of the foot we can effectively capture the energy of the athlete and transfer it to the pedal and crank.

The shoes are aesthetically very unconventional, which will be irritating to some who hold certain arbitrary standards about what a cycling shoe “should” look like. The choice to make a shoe that looks how it must to get the job done is a function of an uncompromising drive towards function, while form is sequestered to the secondary tier of importance. Cycling is a sport that often reverses this order. As has been said by others, “The pioneers are often the ones with the arrows in their backs”.

The unique design has zero toe spring, no heel to forefoot drop, and allows complete freedom of toes inside the shell. The upper of the Lore 2 is made from carbon reinforced semi flexible nylon which is molded with precision to match the exact volume, shape and contours of your foot. This allows unobstructed transfer through the power phase of the pedal stroke by capturing down force as well as the ability to drive across the top of the stroke using the dorsal [top side] of the foot.

The rigid dorsal panel is not intended to allow increased pressure in the upstroke of the shoe, it captures leverage and force across the top dead spot of the pedal stroke which enables a larger arc of power delivery.

To put it more simply, Lore shoes are not designed to help an athlete pull up on the backside of the stroke. The idea that this is “good” or will help you pedal more efficiently is incorrect. To learn more about my thoughts on this topic, you can listen to my podcast here.

These shoes are truly unlike anything else on the market. If you would like to dig further into the thought process and engineering of these shoes, my podcast interviews with founder Stephen Drake and lead engineer Rob Horacheck can be found on this page.

THE PROCESS

• Purchase your shoes directly on the Lore.cc website *this link is precise to me as a dealer

• Book an appointment using the calendar tool [below on this page or in the store] for a Lore scan at my fit studio

• The scan will take about 60 seconds, the entire appointment will be 20-30 minutes

• Once your scans are completed, they are uploaded to Lore engineers

• Your custom shoes are printed, built, and mailed directly to you

• Install cleats and go ride

If you need help getting your cleats installed or would like to discuss bike fit implications, I can help with these services. Please book using the hourly function on my website.

Lore has an extensive FAQ section on their ordering page, for more information click the link above.