While Fizik is best known for their high-end carbon fiber shoes, they also offer more accessible performance options. The new Fizik Vento Omna are their latest budget friendly shoes and combine pro-level features at an accessible price point. With a retail price of $169.99 the Fizik Vento Omna shoes feature a R5 Nylon Outsole with a single BOA Li2 Dial closure system. The shoe has a premium appearance with a perforated high-density PU upper and attractive metallic-like finishes that make the shoes look much more expensive than they really are. Designed for road cycling, the Vento Omna shoes have standard 3-bolt compatibility for Shimano SPD-SL or LOOK Keo pedals with built-in vents for ventilation.
The Fizik Vento Omna cycling shoes combine a premium design and BOA Li2 dial with an affordable price point.
| Retail Price | $169.99 |
| Rating | Design: A Closures: A Comfort: A Value: A |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 535 (EUR 44) |
| Likes | + Attractive colors + BOA Li2 dial offers micro tightening and loosening + Comfortable and and supportive on the road |
| Dislikes | – Nylon sole has noticeable flex when sprinting |
| Where to Buy (US) | Fizik |
UNBOXING
The Fizik Vento Omna shoes come in a black cardboard shoe box with branding and specs printed onto it. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Omna shoes
- Safety pamphlet
Fizik doesn’t include any additional parts or a travel bag for the shoes which is consistent with other shoes in this price range.
FIT & FINISH
Fizik markets the Omna as responsive, pure road cycling shoes for competitive riders looking for race-ready features and performance. With its $170 price point it’s far more affordable than most of Fizik’s shoes but still shares a lot of design features. Fizik offers the shoes in six color options from subtle colors like black, gunmetal, white, and navy colors to bolder options like red, and cherry. What we have in this review is the cherry option which is a metallic like finish that has some subtle color shifting depending on how the light hits it. It’s not as flash as the iridescent Shimano S-PHYRE RC9 shoes but it’s unique and eye-catching.
The Omna uses a Microtex polyurethane upper which is a soft and flexible material. Perforations along the sides, tongue and front help air through the shoe for ventilation. These shoes have a traditional tongue design with a separate thin material down the center. To achieve the budget friendly price of the Omna, Fizik has utilized a single BOA Li2 dial rather than a dual dial system. It is surprising to see a single BOA Li2 dial instead of one of BOA’s lower-cost dial models that are common on single dial shoes like the DMT KR3 or the Shimano RC3. The BOA Li2 dial offers both micro tightening and loosening which is perfect for small adjustments while riding. With the single dial, the lacing extends along the full length of the tongue with textile loops instead of hard plastic loops.
The other nod toward affordability is that the Fizik Omna shoes feature an R5 nylon outsole. With a stiffness index of 6 out of 10, the shoes have more flex than Fizik’s stiff carbon fiber shoes. That means these shoes will have some flex while doing high effort sprints but still provide good power transfer. Aside from the lack of a visual carbon fiber, the shape of the sole looks quite similar to Fizik’s other shoes with an air vent on the front and rear for ventilation. These shoes have three bolt compatibility but don’t have any forward or aft adjustability, you’re limited to making adjustments via the cleat itself.
ON THE ROAD
We wore the EUR 44 version for our testing which in hindsight may have been too large by a half size. The Fizik shoes appear to have similar sizing to DMT shoes which we also size down by half a size compared to Shimano and other brands. Sizing issues aside, the Fizik shoes have a fairly large toe box which were comfortable for our wide feet. The flexible upper material eliminates any hot spots and can expand during longer rides. In the sun, the metallic cherry red finish is beautiful to look at and durable enough that a simple wipe keeps them looking fresh out of the box. The nylon sole is perhaps the only downside as there is noticeable flex during sprints or other high-end efforts. For most cyclists that isn’t an issue, but if you’re a more aggressive rider we’d recommend using a carbon soled shoe for more direct power transfer.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Fizik Vento Omna to be an attractive and well designed cycling shoe. With its more affordable $170 price point the Omna shoes are premium shoes that are a lot more accessible. The combination of the single BOA Li2 and metallic finish give the shoes a unique appearance and fit and finish you’d expect from Fizik shoes. We found the shoes to be comfortable and well ventilated on the road. Even with the single dial and nylon sole the shoes provide a stable and secure power transfer and can soak up the miles. The main downsides of the shoe is that the less stiff nylon sole does have noticeable flex when sprinting or doing high-effort intervals. That said, if you’re looking for comfortable and attractive road cycling shoes at a mid-tier price point then the Fizik Vento Omna is a strong contender.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Fizik. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.