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I’ve read an awful lot of commentary on how expensive the new Specialized S-Works Ares 2 road shoes are, and no question, they’re obscenely pricey at a stratospheric US$600 / £480 / €550 / AU$750, which is way up from the already-expensive US$425 / £375 / €420 / AU$575 of the previous ones. 

I’m not going to get into a debate of “are they worth it?” because it’s not a debate that has a single right answer. 

No surprise, these shoes are fantastic – as they damn well should be given the cost – and a big reason they’re so good is because of the new shape, which for most people, should resemble the profile of their feet much more closely than most cycling shoes. 

My hope? That Specialized trickles this down to the rest of the shoe range sooner than later, and without boosting the other prices like they did here. Because much like good frame geometry, just getting the shape right in cycling shoes shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Link in bio for the full review – and a podcast with Specialized’s footwear development team on the backstory that led to this new shape.
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Pininfarina S.p.A., originally founded by Battista “Pinin” Farina in 1930 as ‘Carrozzeria Pinin Farina’, is today still a prestigious Italian automotive design firm and coachbuilder, headquartered in Turin, Italy. Renowned globally for their design work with iconic brands like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Fiat, GM, Lancia, and many others, Pininfarina also ventures into producing their own vehicles, as seen in the striking 1992 Pininfarina Ethos shown here. This unique creation was engineered to showcase the company’s commitment to environmental innovation. Both literally and metaphorically, the Ethos is distinctly “green.” While Pininfarina is typically associated with designing powerful, visceral machines, often not environmentally focused, the Ethos was a clear departure from this tradition. It was a developmental prototype highlighting alternative powertrains, including batteries and electric propulsion, but more notably, it featured a revolutionary two-stroke engine developed by Orbital. Unlike many experimental cars of the era, the Ethos was a fully-operational vehicle. Its creation was the result of a collaboration between Pininfarina, the Orbital Engine Company, Hydro Aluminum, and General Electric Plastics. Designed by Pininfarina’s Stephane Schwarz, the Ethos featured a radical spider design, utilizing an entirely recyclable structure with a hydro aluminum chassis and thermoplastic bodywork. Though modest in terms of power, the Ethos delivered remarkable fuel efficiency, representing a major advancement in eco-friendly automotive technology in the early 1990s. Following the Ethos, Pininfarina developed two subsequent prototypes, the Ethos II and Ethos III, both equally innovative and integral to the evolution of environmentally conscious automotive design.
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 How many made? 1 of 1
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Engine: Honda/Fiat mid-mounted 1197cc two-stroke Orbital with about 95 horsepower mated to a 5-speed manual transmission
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Debut: 1992 Turin Motor Show
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Top Speed: N/A
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0-60mph: around 10 seconds
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Photo Credit: @striipe_design
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Research: @rarecarsonly
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