With a long history in creating speed skating boots and blades for ice and inline, Viking is now turning its attention to the cycling world with their new Cobalt RC. The brand is taking their experience in carbon fiber and thermoplastics to create a new line of shoes that premiered at Eurobike 2023, but will now be available starting in August.
Viking is the leader in speed skating. They are the brand of choice for the worlds best speed skaters, taking wins at the highest levels of the sport and helping to set multiple world records. Founded in 1948 in Amsterdam, Viking began by offering blade sharpening. Jaap Havekotte became well known for his sharpening skills before branching out to skate repair, and eventually partnering with a company looking to start making skates. That is when Viking was born. Eventually, the partners split and Havekotte continued on with the brand, innovating along the way. In the mid-1980’s, he partnered with Dr. Gerrit Jan Ingen Schenau of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam to test out the first clap skates, and innovation that revolutionized winter speed skating. Viking began offering custom molded boots in the 1990’s, and continues to innovate their designs using new materials and techniques to support the world’s best athletes.
The new Cobalt RC is Viking’s flagship road shoe, already having been raced the Tour de France Femmes, Amstel Gold Race, and on the track at the Sloten Velodrome. It uses a heat moldable carbon tub sole to help riders create a custom fit for ultimate comfort. The brand rates she stiffness index at 12, which should be compete with other top brand’s stiffest shoes. At 225g a shoe (size not provided), they are reasonably light for a heat moldable tub sole, and are drilled for the three-bolt road standard.
Inside, they use an anatomical foot bed to provide support for your foot, and two ATOP A-A70 dials keep your foot locked in on the hardest efforts. We’ve used ATOP dials in the past, with their normal tightening, and a quarter turn opposite that unlocks the cord and allows you to loosen the uppers. The upper features perforations for breathability and wraps under the sole to provide additional support when pulling up on the back part of your pedal stroke. A toe cap around the front helps protect from any rub from tire overlap.
The new shoe will be available in white or black, and and will retail at 399EUR. Check Viking’s website in August for availability, and watch for additional shoes coming in the future for road and off-road.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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