Alberto Fonte launches cycling shoe label Udog
A new Italian cycling shoe label launches today under the Udog banner, with the first model, the Tensione, available as a direct to consumer offering.
The new launch comes from Alberto Fonte, an industry veteran with years of experience across Kask, Pinarello and fi’zi:k. His First product to market comes with a new ‘Tension Wrap System’, which Fonte says is “the first ever cycling shoe that wraps the rider’s feet from bottom to top, improving both comfort and support.”
Stemming from the production hotspot of Padova in Italy, the first products will be delivered from March, spanning 15 sizes and priced at £130 or €150. Udog is short for ‘Underdog’ and the brand’s ethos is that we have all been underdogs at some point and so the product “is for all of us”.
The new 245 gram (size 42) Tensione shoes incorporates a patented dynamic system that hugs the metatarsal area of your feet from the instep to the bridge for an optimum fit. It features a dynamic system of TPU laminated straps that wrap the insole from one side of the shoe to the other. The hybrid lace-up closure system provides 18 points of contact between the foot and the shoe upper holding your foot for complete support during the entire pedal stroke.
Tensione is shaped to offer a generous toe box and a deep heel cup. The design is also intentionally minimalist, eliminating all plastic and metal hardware which typically create pressure points. A hybrid lace-up closure system allows UDOG to use upper materials that are softer and more comfortable when compared to standard cycling shoes while minimising stitching. The upper is made of innovative 3D technical mesh, that produces a material that is light, soft and breathable.
Udog opt for a lace-up closure system for three reasons. Fonte suggests that laces create more even distribution of pressure, they offer a more understated and stripped aesthetic, plus they are critically more comfortable and lighter. The brand’s laces have been carefully selected and tested to identify the ideal material for a high-performance cycling shoe. The Tensione uses proprietary laces that have a flatter construction, which the brand says creates a better knot and guarantees the best fitting shoe from the most demanding crit races to the longest endurance rides.
Tensione comes with a composite carbon-nylon outsole developed with a directional ventilation channel, integrated rubber heel and toe caps. The outsole features a large metatarsal platform for easy cleat engagement, and generous fore/aft bolts adjustments for precise fitting.
To learn more about the cycling shoe market catch our expert comment with bike fitter Jon Iriberri here.
