Thanks for tuning in today we're going to be reviewing the FLR F-11 knit road cycling shoes.
Knit cycling shoes have become increasingly popular in the marketplace thanks to the
breathability and flexibility. They offer a great combination of comfort and light weight.
FLR's new F-11 knit shoes combine knit uppers with an affordable and high performance F-11 shoes.
Now in terms of packaging it's really simple you get a black cardboard box
glossy FLR logos on the side and bottom. What we have here today is the F-11 knit in white
with the euro 44 size. We'll go ahead and take out the box and go over the specs
now pricing wise this is actually the same $129.99 that the standard F-11 cost so you're not actually
paying a premium for the knit which is really impressive. It has a single ATOP dial design
and the nylon r250 sole it's a three bolt compatible design and you can
see a five millimeter adjustment back and forth as well as the Look Memory Eyelet.
Now one of the best features of the shoe is the knit upper construction this is their XD-Knit
and it's a triple layer nylon construction for good flexibility and breathability. It also has a
reinforced heel and toe as you can see here while this is flexible the toe is nice and strong so
you don't hurt your toes or hit them anywhere same thing with the heel so hold this form really well.
In terms of what's in the box pretty simple you get a little basic packaging you get the memory
eyelet bolts which is a nice feature something you don't want to lose if you want to use the
Look Memory Eyelet feature and then a basic FLR tag that gives you information about the company.
So now let's take a look at the weight of the shoes if we take the right shoe that comes in
at 280 and remember the Euro 44 while the left shoe comes in at 270 so very slight variation.
With these shoes FLR has taken their mid-level F-11 shoes and combined them with the XD-Knit upper
for really competitive package. It's only available in white and black
but it's quite sleek as you can see there's almost no branding on here you only have FLR on the side
and on the sole. You don't even have the model name printed anywhere which is a little bit unusual.
Really clean knit upper design with the single dial and reflective elements on the back
to help with nighttime visibility. Now in terms of the upper this is a very modular shoe so you can
see you have the base and the upper design this has the triple nylon construction so very flexible
and very good breathability you can see all the ventilation here especially in the white collar
it's very obvious you have vent holes all the way on the side
on the front and the whole tongue as well. You even have a little vent hole on the sole
so really nice for summer riding and you have nice reinforcements on the front and back
as well as this little raised heel section to keep your foot in place. Now in terms of the sole
this is their r250 nylon sole it has a stiffness index of seven which doesn't mean much because
every company makes up their own stiffness index. Now it is a nylon construction so it is a little
bit more flexible than a carbon but it still feels quite stiff and you get the nice three bolt design
with the memory eyelet so you can see you get five millimeters backward and forward some basic
measurement indicators here to place your you cleats on here. You have these nice
raised little heel and toe protectors these are not replaceable which would have been nice to see
as they can wear out over time they're a nice way to protect the actual sole and make make a little
bit more walkable. Now in terms of insoles FLR ships these with these basic foam inserts they're
pretty standard with ventilation on the front as well as the middle and decent padding. This will
probably work for most cyclists unless you need a custom insole in which case you'd swap these out.
Now let's take a look at the F-11 shoes on the road. As you can see they're really attractive
shoes especially with the knit construction you have that textured surface that looks really good
and there's minimal branding with these shoes we also like the little details like the reflective
elements on the rear and the pads on the rear and front which help protect the bottom of the shoe.
Now the knit construction also has quite a bit of flexibility so as you can see from this top down
view as i lean down you can see the side walls expand now compared to italian shoes these are
quite wider so more similar Shimano but with the additional knit they also expand even more so if
you have wider feet it's a great option. Now on the road the shoes provide a good balance
between performance and comfort because they're a nylon sole there is some flexibility there
and that does mean it feels less stiff however it is more comfortable so if you're more of a
beginner cyclist it's a great option or if you're doing longer rides it's also a good
option. If you're looking for high effort sprints or pr records i would recommend looking at the
carbon variations like the F-XX but for other days or on the trainer i found these to be a
better option as it's more comfortable especially as the knit construction offers a lot more flexibility.
So now let's compare these shoes with the other FLR knit variations as well some of the previous
models. We have the F-35 here with the lace-up knit upper so very similar flexible design with
the convenience of a lace-up style. Next we have the F-11 which is their mid-level shoe and you can
see the upper is a little bit different because it has the ATOP dial but very similar otherwise same
perforation same heel guards so i believe probably the middle section is the only main difference.
Then we have the highest end F-xx knit so it's actually the same upper same single dial
but with this one you get the R500 carbon sole. Compared to the F-11 and the F-35
it's a stiffer sole with a stiffness index of 14 versus their seven.
You get a similar three bolt setup a little more adjustability with the nylon base though
and ventilation hole in the front non-replaceable heel and toe guards so it depends on what you're
looking. If you're looking for a stiffer shoe the F-XX is still quite affordable at
around $220 but if you're more budget-oriented the F-35 or the F-11 are great
options it depends on where you're looking for. If you need the dial the F-11 is a great option
while a more simple $70 f-35 is great for entry level or even on the trainer.
Now we also are lucky enough to have reviewed their previous shoes as you can see here we
have the older F-11 and if you compare these side by side you can see the big difference is
are the tops as the soles are the same. Where this was a micro
fiber cover with the vent holes this new knit surface has more perforations
more flexible and I believe looks a little bit better as well. Now the FLR shoes have actually
held up quite well you can see the only danger of getting white shoes is that they do to get dirty
so it's pretty hard to keep these white but otherwise it's actually held up with over a year's
use without really damaging the base either which is pretty impressive. Same thing with the F-11s
we've been also riding this with over the last year. You can see the microfiber construction of
the original version versus the knit upper i believe the knit up versions also look
better again a little bit sleeker design and with the single dial setup they've actually
ditched the velcro which is one thing we didn't really like with the original version anyways.
Now let's go over the score card for the F-11 knit shoes. We'll grade on four different categories
the design, closures, comfort and value.
In terms of design would give it an a has really sleek styling with minimal branding.
In terms of closures we give an A- the single ATOP dial works well and we're glad to see
the velcro strap has been removed from the F-11. Although we would have preferred a dual dial setup.
Comfort wise in A-, the knit surface is well ventilated and flexes so it's great if you have
wider feet. Finally in terms of value it's definitely an a these are affordable niche shoes
and it's great to see that option on the market instead of having issues only at the premium end.
Taking everything into account would give the F-11 niche shoes a 9.1 out of 10. Again these provide
a lot of value it's great to see knit shoes with a dial closure system at such an affordable price
so these are a great option if you need a second pair of shoes for training, longer rides a beginner
cyclist or just need a second pair. Thanks for watching the review don't forget to like and
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