Everything old is new again. What goes around, comes around. Retro is metro. All well-known proverbial catchphrases, except that last one which I just made up, I think. I hope. Because it suits the vibe of the new fi’zi:k Tempo Powerstrap R5 road cycling shoes perfectly. The Italian company’s latest offering takes some features from their past, and fires them into the here and now.

Without knowing what colours would be available for the Tempo R5s besides the standard white or black, I thought maybe it was time to get back in black; after all, there were three pairs of white shoes already in my collection, and Eddy never wore white now did he. These can’t get any blacker. The synthetic uppers, Powerstraps and composite sole are all the hue of the dark side, and infused with extra badassness.

Having loved a couple of pairs of R3 Uomos over the last seven years, and involuntarily donating a pair to airline baggage thieves, I’d taken a shine to a lace-up shoe from another maker and wondered if and/or when fi’zi:k would be offering up their own version of the oldest form of shoe fastening. Brand manager Luca told me that they had something in the pipeline, and it didn’t involve laces or Boas or even buckles. It never really crossed my mind that the old hook-and-loop system would be what turned up a month or so later. Velcro™? Really?

The carbon/nylon sole is plenty stiff, comfortable, and the heel skid plates are replaceable.

To keep the shoes in the ‘budget’ bracket, a nylon/carbon composite sole is used. There seems to be more carbon than nylon though, with the midfoot area (where the cleats go and the most stiffness is needed) almost completely carbon. The nylon outer sole gives a little more comfort and while I can notice no discernible flex or lack of stiffness compared to my R3s, the Tempos seem to play nicer with an old toe injury which can become painful on longer rides.

The Tempo is aimed at the more economical end of the road shoe market, and with prices often hitting upwards of $300-500 for some kicks, it’s good to see these coming in under 200 NZ pesos. It’s also great to see many Pros sporting them at the early season races, so the performance is rated as highly as the style among the most picky of consumers.

There’s no questioning the ease of use with Velcro and adjusting tension on the go is as easy as winding a dial or ratcheting a buckle, yet it’s been rarely needed to do at all. The Powerstrap system doesn’t just pull from one side of the shoe to the other, but the two straps criss-cross the foot to even out the tension and enable you to get exactly the right fit and snugness where you like it, independently evening out the tension for the instep and midfoot for different width feet. fi’zi:k also offers half sizes, which puts me at a better fitting 43.5 rather than my usual 44.

The only non-blacked-out feature on the shoe is the reflective fi’zi:k logo on the heel. The soft padded liner and low cut of the heel cup is super comfortable and easy to slip into. Another bonus over laces and Boas is that you can really open the shoe up easily and quickly to get them on and off. It will be interesting to see how the velcro stands up after a winter and a lot more use.

The Tempo may not be everyone’s cup of tea and shoe snobs may scoff at the retro perceptions of Velcro™ and the not-full-carbon soles, but for those on a budget and who can actually admit that they can’t feel the difference between high and mid-range equipment, these are likely to prove popular for a wide range of riders. They have become my go-to shoe for longer rides due to their superior comfort and ease of use, and of course their pure blackness which may or may not have taken control of my already dark soul™.