Sidi Wire 2S shoe review

Sidi’s Wire 2S shoes are an update to the Wire 2, sitting in second position of the Sidi road shoe line-up below the Shot 2S.

The brand claims the shoe is the ultimate in balancing lateral support and stability with breathability. It's priced at £399.00 / $410 / €389.

The Wire 2S has shone in testing, with construction, ventilation and fit all outstanding – but there’s one easily rectifiable flaw that prevents the shoe from scoring full marks.

Sidi Wire 2S shoe construction

Sidi shoes tend to have a striking appearance, with neat details, and the Wire 2S adheres to those principles.

The changes to the Wire 2 are minimal, the most obvious being a design refresh by removing a lot of the Sidi branding.

The Wire 2S continues to use the brand’s Microfibre Techpro material for the uppers, which are claimed to repel water to a degree.

The Vent Carbon Sole, which has been a staple of Sidi’s top-line shoes for many years, is used on the Wire 2S.

The sole is claimed to be stiff enough to transfer all your power to the pedals, but the brand has engineered some flex at the tip, intended to relieve stress to the plantar tendons.

You can also adjust the ventilation of the shoe by moving a small plate on the sole’s underside using a Phillips screwdriver.

By comparison, the Shot 2S uses the brand’s C-Boost SRS carbon sole, which lacks the adjustable-ventilation feature.

Both the ventilation plate and the heel tread are replaceable if they ever wear out.

The cleat holes on the Wire 2S are fixed, unlike on the Shot 2S where there’s 5mm fore-and-aft adjustment.

Sidi says it did this for its heavier pro riders and sprinters, who demand support at the highest level to avoid any unwanted movement.

For we mere mortals though, and perhaps even some top-level riders, fixed cleat holes limit the adjustment range for cleat positions and may be a dealbreaker.

The Wire 2S sports a twin Tecno-3 Push dial-closure system. The top dial is located to the shoe’s side and straps the updated Instep Closure System 5 tight. The second dial is on the tongue.

The dials use Dyneema cabling in an effort to make the actions smoother, as well as increase durability.

The Tecno dials are serviceable and replaceable, and the closure system can also be replaced if needed. I had to do this with the closure system on a pair of Sidi Ergo 3s recently, which are more than a decade old.

Sidi’s Adjustable Heel Retention Device once again features on the Wire 2S, operated by two flathead screws to dial in the heel fit.

I’ve long appreciated this feature on other Sidi shoes because my heel is quite narrow – I’ve found it locks it in place effectively.

The shoes are available in four colours – White / Black, Black / Black, Blue and Anthracite Black.

Sizes range from EU38 to 48, with half sizes offered between 38 and 47. Sidi doesn’t offer its ‘Mega’ variant in these shoes for those with extra-wide feet.

My size EU45.5 shoes weighed 674g for the pair – 24g heavier than an equivalent-sized Shot 2S.

Sidi shoes have never been particularly competitive weight-wise (for example, a Specialized S-Works Torch Lace weighs 465g in an EU45), but you tend not to notice it.

Sidi Wire 2S shoe sizing and fit

Being very familiar with Sidi’s sizing, I opted for my usual size EU45.5, which fit perfectly once I wound the Adjustable Heel Retention Device almost fully in.

For reference, my feet are fairly wide, but with a narrow heel and I tend to take a size EU45 in most brands.

It’s worth noting the sole length for a whole size and half size (e.g. EU45 and 45.5) is the same, however the upper on the half size has more fabric to better fit taller and wider feet.

I replicated my cleat position from my other road shoes and I didn’t encounter any issues with hotspots.

The Wire 2S are the best-fitting shoes I have worn in years (but, of course, fit is very subjective).

I was worried I’d experience some discomfort because they are a little narrower than an equivalent-sized Shot 2S, which I also get on well with.

But the upper material is far more supple than the Shot 2S and the side-mounted top dial, which pulls the closure system over the top of your foot, was far more secure than the twin Tecno dial arrangement on the Shot’s tongue.

In fact, the fit usurps my trusty Sidi Ergo 3s (my previous gold standard), and the Specialized S-Works 6.

The S-Works 6’s fit is very different from the Wire 2S though, with an exceptionally narrow heel cup paired with a wide toe box.

Sidi Wire 2S shoe performance

I tested the Sidi Wire 2S shoes over 1,400km in a variety of weather conditions over four months, with ambient temperatures ranging from 0°C to 26°C.

Unlike the Shot 2S, which required two painful rides to break them in, the Wire 2S shoes were luxuriously comfortable from the off.

Putting the shoes on is straightforward and easier than the Shot 2S. Simply slot your foot in and tighten the two dials.

The Shot 2S has an additional step, in that you have to make sure the two tongue-mounted dials are centrally located.

Releasing tension is also straightforward – simply press the two spring-loaded release buttons on the top dial and the single lower-release dial on the tongue dial.

Being picky, I wish the tongue dial had an identical double-button release to make removal even quicker.

Although the Tecno dials may have their detractors over Boa dials, they’re similarly easy to use and can be adjusted in minute increments.

The Dyneema laces are smooth operators and, despite riding these shoes in mucky conditions, they still feel as smooth as they did originally.

Ventilation is a particular highlight and the adjustable vent on the toe works wonders in warmer weather.

This vent doesn’t do all the work though, because there’s a channel down the middle of the sole, as well as two small channels to one side of the heel cup to further help with airflow.

For a couple of rides, I rode the Shot 2S on one foot and the Wire 2S on the other and although there’s not much in it, the Wire 2S was slightly cooler.

In cooler weather with the vent closed, my toes haven’t complained, even when wearing them in freezing conditions with overshoes.

In terms of stiffness, I struggled to detect a difference between the Shot 2S and Wire 2S, despite the fact they use different soles.

Some will sniff at the 650g actual weight for a pair, but you really don’t feel the weight when you’re riding. In reality, only hill climbers might be advised to look for lighter shoes.

I’ll happily take the weight penalty for a shoe with a fit that suits me, a premium construction and replaceable parts.

After four months of testing, other than the usual scratches to the sole, the Wire 2S aren’t showing any signs of wear.

At £399 / €389, the Wire 2S shoes are firmly at the upper end of the price scale. You can pick up a pair of top-spec Specialized S-Works Torch shoes for £350 / $450 / €390 / AU$650 and Fizik’s Vento Stabilita Carbon costs £374.99 / $399.99 / €400, for example.

It’s worth noting the Sidi Shot 2S is even pricier at £425 / €419, although that doesn’t make the Wire 2S feel cheap, by any standards.

The one mitigating factor is the replaceable parts, which means they are likely to last longer than their rivals, which might help justify the cost.

Sidi Wire 2S bottom line

Sidi’s Wire 2S are outstanding road shoes that have quickly set a high-water mark in my testing.

Of course, fit is subjective, but if you get on with Sidi shoes already, it’s likely you should be fine here too.

Their substantial construction, and the fact many of the exposed parts are replaceable, sets them apart from the competition, even if there is a weight (and price) penalty.

The non-adjustable cleat holes are the one notable issue for those with specific bike-fit requirements – but if you get the fit you need, they’re a real standard-setter.