After writing about the importance of shoe fit, we've been asked several times about the perfect shoe. While we believe your ideal shoe is one that suits your individual needs, what better way to provide you shoe reviews than asking riders themselves. First up, we asked seasoned cyclist Michael Huljich to test the latest Unique cycling shoes by Italian brand, Q36.5.
Having recently purchased a second pair of Vittoria shoes, we knew Michael wasn't in the market for a pair. So we thought local personality and seasoned cyclist was a perfect candidate to provide honest, unbiased feedback. 
For a quick note, these shoes are a manifestation of Q36.5 philosophy, which is to better your experience on the bike by addressing the 3 touch points between you and your bike. The result is the range including: Unique bibs, Unique gloves, and now, the Unique Shoes.
Michael's Review: Q36.5 Unique Cycling Shoe
First impressions of the Q36.5 Road shoe were “hey this is comfy.” Yes, it was quite different getting into them as there is no tongue... you have to slide your foot in like you would a glove due to the elasticised section running down the front.
"the upper closes around your foot to really make the shoe become one with the foot"
Once on you can feel the whole upper close around your foot very snuggly quite unlike a regular road shoe. In fact, when you close the BOA’s the upper closes around your foot to really make the shoe become one with the foot. I would say even if you had a BOA failure the shoe would still be very secure.
The upper has slightly padded sections in places that most other shoes are sadly lacking. This is an amazing feature especially if you have been riding on the road and experienced a digging sensation from your regular shoes. I always look for a shoe with a generous toe box and was a little sceptical looking at these but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of room where I was able to wiggle my toes around, this is one of the deciding factors when I buy shoes.
The memory foam footbed is as close as you could get to orthotics, spongy but enough support without compromising power to the pedal. If I had any faults, I would mention the arch support is not quite as good as my regular orthotics but I’m sure there are other after market beds if this bothers you.
The carbon sole is as stiff as I like and not too stiff with a large vent under the toe box which is also important to me as my feet get quite hot in the summer months. Also, I should add that the upper has small perforations adding to the ventilation.
Final Thoughts
After just buying 2 pairs of road shoes I don’t need another but if these were available earlier they would be part of my kit. Great colour range and need I say it, made in Italy.
You can test and order the Q36.5 Unique Shoe in Australia now. Tap here to find out more.
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Thanks to Michael for the generous time taken to test the Q36.5 Unique shoes, and to create this review. We appreciate your help to let others know how the products feel, fit, and perform.
The Chainsmith Team
