A couple of weeks in the past, Canyon unveiled its first ever shoe line-up, with the all-new Canyon Tempr CFR vary. The brand new sneakers be part of an extremely aggressive market, going ‘toe to toe’ with the likes of Fizik, Specialised and Giro.
Canyon’s Tempr CFR sneakers boast a mess of options, corresponding to an adaptable stretch tongue, an extremely stiff carbon sole, and customized insoles developed with Solestar. The German bike large has actually gone all in with its first pair of kicks – however can they actually compete with the finest biking sneakers available on the market on their very first try?
Building
The muse of any good pair of sneakers, no matter whether or not or not you may discover cleats hooked up to the underside, is an effective match. Being self conscious of its earlier expertise, Canyon drafted in Eric Horton as a product design and growth marketing consultant for this mission to make sure that this space was fulfilled.
Horton, it is truthful to say, has a wealth of expertise on this space, working beforehand as a Senior Industrial Designer for Specialised, and extra lately as a inventive director at Giro – each manufacturers are famend for his or her biking sneakers.
(Picture credit score: Canyon)
The Temprs function Canyon’s new Purefit360 match system, tech that started off with the event of a model new ‘final’ in collaboration with Solestar. That is the mannequin foot which the shoe is designed round. Canyon claims this match system caters for an excellent wide selection of ft, because of some crafty shoe higher design.
Firstly, and maybe most blatant to the bare eye, is the ‘stretch match tongue’ design on the entrance of the shoe. In a really comparable style to the Trek RSL sneakers launched earlier this 12 months, Canyon’s stretch match tongue incorporates a woven sock development.
Canyon says this a part of the shoe is much extra versatile than a conventional design, and as somebody with a really excessive instep, I discovered myself greater than catered for right here.
The ‘stretch tongue’ actually is stretchy, resisting bunching irrespective of how excessive or low your instep
(Picture credit score: Future (Joe Baker))
One other space of the shoe that may usually trigger sizzling spots and discomfort is the toe field. In an effort to hold the shoe comfy for each slender and wider footed riders, Horton defined that the shoe has inbuilt areas of a lot thinner cloth across the exterior of the foot, dubbed stress launch zones.
Shifting contained in the shoe, lies what I believe is maybe the trump card within the Tempr CFR’s design – the Solestar customized insole. As talked about earlier than, Canyon has collaborated with one of many world’s main specialists in insoles, Solestar. The Berlin-based firm already provides Lidl-Trek with insoles, however Canyon has opted to introduce its know-how to the lots.
Among the many inner tech is a metatarsal bump. This barely raised pad falls beneath the ball of your foot and helps your toes to unfold out naturally – one thing I discovered to be brilliantly comfy.
The only real of the shoe is, as you’d anticipate for a spread topping shoe, carbon fiber. It is also ‘stiff’ and ‘light-weight’ after all, although Canyon has laid far more emphasis on different components of the shoe. I did quiz Horton on precisely how stiff the carbon plate was, to which he replied “stiff sufficient for any human!”
I’m most actually a human, and as I am going to come onto, I had no points!
Lastly, tying all this collectively – when you’ll pardon the pun – is the retention system. The beginning little one of one other collaboration, this time with Boa, Canyon has developed the PerformFit Wrap retention system.
Put merely, that is how the boa laces wrap round your foot and subsequently how your foot is held into the shoe. But it surely seems there’s quite a number of science behind getting this proper…
The facet profile is clear, and the artificial higher is fairly straightforward to wipe clear
(Picture credit score: Future (Joe Baker))
The place extra conventional sneakers merely pull the 2 halves of the higher collectively, Canyon builds its sneakers in such a approach that the Boa laces coax the artificial materials into enveloping the foot from the only real up.
In concept, this implies the shoe ought to higher wrap round your shoe, lowering stress factors throughout the toes, and in your instep. Virtually talking, its finest described because the shoe being pulled up towards the underside of your foot, quite than your foot being pinched between the 2 halves of the higher cloth. Both approach, as I’ll come onto, it really works!
The journey
Actual world use has been nothing wanting completely spectacular. I put a number of miles into the brand new Tempr CFR sneakers, they usually have been each comfy and comparatively straightforward to reside with.
Initially I used to be using a measurement 42.5, which I really discovered to be a bit too small, nevertheless this did train me loads about them. Remarkably I used to be nonetheless comparatively comfortable, which is a testomony to how nicely the PerformFit Wrap system spreads stress across the foot.
As soon as rectified, I felt far more at residence within the measurement 43.5, which is a measurement bigger than my long run Bontrager XXX sneakers, which measurement up barely giant. With my narrower foot, and excessive instep taken into consideration, I’d say that these sneakers match fairly true to measurement, however I actually would not describe them as a very huge match shoe.
(Picture credit score: Future (Joe Baker))
First impressions I have to say had been robust, nevertheless it did take me just a few kilometers to get used to the metatarsal bump within the Solestar insole. At first I could not fairly make out whether or not it was function to have or not, however now I can say with conviction that it makes the shoe far more comfy. Together with the broader toe field, I discovered that my ft had been capable of unfold out within the shoe, which is especially helpful when climbing out of the saddle.
A prime down view of the collaboration that helps to make this shoe so comfy
(Picture credit score: Future (Joe Baker))
The retention system was nice too. I discovered that I used to be capable of get practically the entire assist required across the heel and throughout the entrance of the foot with out having to tighten up the Boa dials an excessive amount of. It is a testomony to how nicely the again of the shoe helps the heel, in addition to the PerformWrap match.
After all, when you’re racing, or simply taking that city signal dash too severely (the camp I am in), then tightening up the sneakers additional does enhance energy switch, however for regular using I do not assume it’s needed.
As talked about earlier than, the carbon plate is described as “stiff sufficient for any human,” and I utterly agree. There was completely no flex within the shoe at any level throughout my testing, whether or not that was me making an attempt to bend the shoe manually, or throughout using.
Off the bike, I used to be capable of check the sneakers’ grip on tarmac – not precisely important for a street shoe, however I’ve discovered the Vibram pads on the heel decently onerous sporting. Must you burn by way of these, they’re replaceable, however no complaints to date – even with a lot of journeys to the cafe…
The sneakers have stood up very nicely to the gravel I’ve to stroll over earlier than and after each journey!
(Picture credit score: Future (Joe Baker))
With the onset of summer time, warmth administration has lastly been one thing I’ve been capable of check within the final couple of weeks right here within the UK, and it is one other field ticked for the Tempr CFR. They’re nicely ventilated, and decently breathable, although they will not hold you fairly as cool as one thing with extra breathable cloth materials such because the Specialised S-works Ares.
Worth and conclusion
Total, I believe Canyon has completed extremely nicely to take an enormous leap straight in direction of the highest of the pile within the shoe market – and I do not say that frivolously. The sneakers have an amazing aesthetic, are abundantly comfy, and carry out nicely too – however they are not fairly the very best on the market.
Firstly, they’re nonetheless just a few grams heavier than the competitors. My measurement 43.5 sneakers tipped the scales at 266g per shoe, which is ever so barely heavier than equivalents from the likes of Specialised. Then there’s the stretch tongue – it is sensible, however it’s quite onerous to maintain clear. Sure, that is arguably the case with most white biking sneakers, but it surely does for me level them within the path of a summer time shoe, if you wish to go for that contemporary white color scheme.
Value-wise, I believe the retail value is truthful. The sneakers retail for £319.95/$329.95 and I believe that represents pretty first rate worth for cash towards the competitors.
