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On test: DMT Flash shoes, May 11, 2005
Gotta wear shades
Can shoes get any more 'bling'? Tony Hawke straps on a pair of DMT's aptly-named Flash shoes and finds that there's more than just looks on offer from these cleverly-designed top-end shoes.
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Shoe manufacturer DMT has been steadily gaining a following over the last several years for its stiff, light cycling footwear. We reviewed the then top-model Ultimax RSX last year and were impressed. Now comes the Flash, designed it seems to be lighter, more comfortable and even more bling!
It seems that when DMT's designers set out to create the Flash, they had the following design brief: subtlety is bad, the shoe must be able to be recognised from the other side of the peloton. Stitching is bad. Comfort is good. Light is good.
Two things are immediately obvious about the DMT Flash shoes. They are light, not truly remarkably so, but light nonetheless at 610g per pair for our size 43 samples. Also, were I to do any adjustments in daylight, I'd best be wearing dark glasses. These things are damn white! DMT also seem to have been thinking of the vegetarian crowd when the Flash was designed, because nothing used in the construction has been alive within living memory. Of course, modern synthetic leathers are now extremely good materials for making shoes, especially cycling shoes where the tendency of natural materials to stretch over time makes their life necessarily finite.
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As is usual for a top of the line racing shoe these days, the sole is carbon fibre with drillings for a three-bolt Look style cleat. Or in DMT marketing speak, Supra Lightweight Hardened Carbon with Aeronautic Carbon Technology. I guess what they're trying to say is that it's light, stiff and when you're finished using the shoe you can turn it into a aeroplane. Okay, I made up the bit about the aeroplane.
The upper is made almost entirely from a single piece of synthetic leather with another two pieces being added for the heel and tongue. This gives the shoe a very aerodynamic appearance and means that there are very few seams to create pressure points on the rider's foot. It also has the downside that the only ventilation is provided by perforations in the upper. No mesh to be seen here anywhere.
Foot retention is by a system of three straps. The front to are standard hook & loop affairs whilst the rear is a more interesting buckle arrangement. The buckle itself has a pressed steel body which should make it fairly durable. The rear strap is more of a heel retention system than a simple strap as it goes from the buckle around the heel, over the top of the foot to the ratchet insert. Added to this, there are two different densities of plastic in the strap as it goes over the top of the foot to better mould to the foot and prevent the strap from digging in and causing discomfort. The end result is a system which clamps the foot into the heel cup allowing the rider to run the front straps a little looser without any loss of control or power.
As expected, mounting my Speedplay cleats went without a drama, the bolt holes putting the cleat in a fairly neutral position slightly forward of the ball of my foot. Putting them on was a bit of a surprise. Given that their construction is all very synthetic and the only padding is on the top of the shoe around your ankle (and the insole of course) I expected to find some seam or other pushing into my foot and making things uncomfortable. Instead, I slipped my foot into a shoe which, thanks to the one piece upper design, lacks a single seam to create any kind of pressure point on the top of my foot. The tongue is similarly minimal with the millimetre thick padding ending 5mm before the edge of the tongue itself to create a smooth transition and prevent any pressure points.
On the road I found the Flash to be as comfortable over a 4 or 5 hour training ride as any shoe I've used to date. No hotspots. No wear-in period. Nothing. Of course everything has its problems and the Flash is no exception. After my first ride I found that the front of the upper was a bit scuffed. Easily wiped off with a rag, but annoying if you happened to purchase the shoes due to their obscene whiteness. Also toward the end of that first ride I heard an odd rattling noise which turned out to be the extra bolt plate DMT includes to accommodate the 'memory' portion of a Look Keo cleats. As I couldn't remove said plate without pulling out a bit of material which was glued to the sole (likely for waterproofing,) I fixed the rattle with a drop of hot glue which will be easy enough to remove if I have need to change the position of the plate at any point. DMT suggests just screwing a bolt into the plate to protect the thread for future use if you're not using Keo pedals.
My biggest gripe with the Flash is ventilation, or lack of it. Even in the relative cool of a Sydney autumn I found them to be rather warm. This really isn't that surprising considering the construction. A few lines of ventilation holes really doesn't compare to a large section of mesh in the cooling stakes.
The Flash really is a nice shoe. Extremely stiff, great looking and very comfortable. If you're unlikely to be riding in hot weather or don't mind a warm shoe the Flash is well worth checking out.
Weight: 610g/pr
Recommended retail price: US$349.99
Sizes: 37-48, half sizes from 40.5-45.5.
Colours: White, silver
Pros: Stiff, comfortable, great looks
Cons: Scuff easily, bolt plate rattle when Look pattern cleats are used,
ventilation not great.
More information: www.diamantdmt.com;
US importer: www.uplandsg.com
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