Fizik and Pas Normal Studios collaborate for new Mechanism road shoe

Fizik and Pas Normal Studios have joined forces once again for their latest collaboration in the form of the Mechanism PNS x Fizik road shoe.

It’s not the first time they’ve linked up, having previously worked together for the PSN x Fizik Ferox gravel collection. Like the previous collab, the Mechanism brings Pas Normal Studios’ style to Fizik’s well-known ability to produce high-performing road shoes.

While the eye-catching silver design certainly stands out from the crowd, the shoe retains some familiarity as it uses Fizik’s R2 outsole that appears on some of its other performance road shoes. Delivering a stiffness index rating of 10, it certainly lives up to the performance tag and is “the most responsive in the Fizik range”, according to the Italian brand.

• Read more: Fizik goes lighter with updated Vento Powerstrap Aeroweave road shoe

Far from a simple rehash of an existing shoe, though, changes can be found further up the Mechanism. What will naturally catch the eye is the sleek silver colour. This is where Pas Normal Studios’ expertise enters the equation. The Danish brand has become a regular collaborator with other brands and it describes the Mechanism as an “evolving investigation of the aesthetics and functionality of the cycling shoe”.

© Fizik / Pas Normal Studios

The shoe uses Boa's silver Dual-Dial system

There are two shades of grey across the polyurethane-laminated upper in total and this material is combined with a mesh that noticeably features lots of perforation holes. As a combination, the two materials are said to provide “long-lasting foot support where it’s needed most”.

As is usual on most performance road shoes, the Mechanism uses Boa’s Dual-Dial Li2 system and, not letting the style down, these are both silver too. Beyond the style, Fizik says that it uses the dials as they allow for “bi-directional and differentiated fit adjustments”, which is important as, despite the style, these are still designed to be high-performing road shoes.

In modern cycling it’s hard to separate performance from aerodynamics so it’s not too surprising that the latter has been thought about too, specifically through the cleats. Fizik says that the cleats have been positioned further back than usual for a performance road shoe as it improves pedalling efficiency and is better suited to a more aggressive aero riding position on the bike.

Style and performance in one package does come at a cost and the shoes are retailing for $490/£390/€450 in sizes 36 to 48, with half sizes available between 37 and 47. You can check out the new range on Fizik’s website and Pas Normal Studios’ website.

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Fizik

Founded in 1996, Fizik has established itself as a leading manufacturer of saddles and other cycling accessories.