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About
They are made from a tough synthetic material and wrapped in carbon fiber for added strength and style. The shoes are sized with precision for a skin-tight fit that’s comfortable and aids in athletic performance during active racing.
D2SHOE was started by partner Dan Kurtanich and owner Don Lamson, who has been in the custom cycling shoe business for more than 30 years. The name stems from a play on their names, “D squared.”
The production process initially began with just two people, Don and his master stitcher Hakob Sargsyan, in a Los Angeles Studio. The company has gone through many changes over the years, including closing its small Mexican factory in 2011 to bring all production back to the United States.
In 2018, Lamson left D2SHOE to begin his own company. D2SHOE still strives to deliver the same quality products and premium custom cycling shoes as before, and Sargsyan is single-handedly responsible for the production process with the help of local, experienced footwear personnel and owner Dan Kurtanich.
They’ve since relocated to Santa Paula, CA. Initially, it took them four to six weeks to finish a pair of shoes, but since refining their production process and consulting with local experts, a new pair’s estimated arrival time is down to two to four weeks.
Lamson was one of the first people to implement orthotics into bike shoes. Orthotics allow for better knee alignment, less numbness, less fatigue, and more power in your pedaling. All of their shoes have an option to implement orthotics or just purchase the base shoe – you can also order orthotics by themselves to fit into other brands of bike shoes.
Featured D2SHOE Cycling Shoes Made in the USA
D2-2D™: These high-power pro-level race shoes are designed to deliver the perfect combination of comfort, durability, and rigidity for your cycling adventures. Available in six standard colors or a whopping 400 custom colors, these shoes can be made as unique as you are. Featuring their state-of-the-art “no stitch’ technology, the D2-2D™ has a double freelock closure system for maximum adjustability. And if you’re after power, these shoes are wrapped in a D2 carbon power grid at the mid-foot harness, and have a carbon heel stirrup and velcro bottom strap, for massive power transfer and maximum watts for your cycling adventure.
SuperCRIT™: These handstitched, hand-perforated SuperCRIT shoes are designed for high-performance road cycling. Once D2’s top-of-the-line product, these shoes have been worn by legendary Olympians and professional racers. The SuperCRIT™’s are designed to offer flexibility and strength but also comfort, thanks to the 6-axis hand-laid composite carbon soles.
POWERWIRE™: Tested by UCI racers, these pro-level high-power race shoes feature a state-of-the-art freelock lacing system, meaning they’re incredibly easy to adjust mid-race. These true custom hand-lasted shoes are wrapped in a D2 carbon power grid at mid-foot with a carbon heel stirrup meaning you get the most from every pedal push. The POWERWIRE™ is designed to give you the most power and energy whilst remaining comfortable, flexible, and well-ventilated.
Manufacturing Notes
The process of acquiring a pair of D2SHOES starts with a non-refundable $300 deposit. In return, you receive a fit kit that is used to take down the exact measurements of your feet. It’s best to use a helper here. D2SHOE can take anything that’s thrown at them, even including one foot that’s bigger than the other!
A shoe last is a mechanical model shaped like a human foot that they use during production. They have 41 sizes and nine widths in last shapes of curved and straight; this means there are over seven hundred different possibilities before they apply the finishing touches. Finishing touches can include accommodating bone spurs or other abnormalities.
If you have particularly abnormal feet, and one of these 700 options isn’t right for you, you can get a fully custom cycling shoe, which involves fabricating bespoke lasts and making the patterns for creating your shoes. Meaning that these shoes are literally made for your feet.
D2SHOE takes the craftsmanship of its custom shoes very seriously. There are no plastic shells, heat-molding, spray-on graphics, and not even any machinery. All of their products are hand-stitched and hand-laid. Most of their shoes are ‘vegan friendly’ and all come with a 6-month guarantee and are listed as ‘100% handmade in the USA’.
If you’re looking for some custom cycling shoes that are designed specifically for your feet and can accommodate orthotics, then D2SHOE is a great place to look.
