DMT KT1 triathlon shoe review

The DMT KT1 is the brand’s flagship triathlon shoe, with the Italian outfit claiming it offers premium sockless comfort and breathability thanks to a proprietary knitted upper.

The knit is a multi-layer construction that’s said to ‘conform to the individual shape of each rider’s foot’ for a customised, glove-like fit. It’s not just a case of sacrificing support for comfort, either.

DMT says its mapping technology adds different integrated structures within the knit to offer varying levels of support across the shoe.

It’s also promised the upper will wrap around our feet without deforming or compressing, and a full carbon sole should provide plenty of stiffness for maximum power output.

DMT claims a size 42 weighs 220g per shoe, which appears to be about correct, with our 44.5 test pair weighing in at 240g per shoe without cleats on our scales.

That’s among the lightest triathlon bike shoes on the market, and on first impressions we thought that could mean a lack of support, despite DMT’s promises.

However, the knit construction means you can quickly and easily get plenty of tension from the single IP1 BOA dial.

Coupled with the carbon sole, the KT1 certainly doesn’t feel like a flimsy shoe. It’s not the absolute stiffest we’ve ever tested and there was a tiny hint of flex while riding out of the saddle, but on steady TT efforts this wasn’t evident at all.

Comfort reigns supreme

The comfort is sublime, with the knit feeling luxurious against sockless feet on the bike. During our mock-up transition, we mounted and dismounted the bike with shoes already attached to the pedals, and wet them a little to test the brand’s quick-drying claims.

We found it wasn’t the easiest to get your foot into when mounting the bike, as the sock-like construction and lack of straps to open the shoe out required a fair bit of wiggling to get our feet in successfully at speed.

There’s a good-sized pull tab at the rear that does help. Once you’re in, only having to tighten a single dial could save fractions of seconds compared to shoes that have big straps or multiple dials, but this would only be a marginal gain. As promised by the brand, the shoe fully dried out in minutes.

All things considered, the KT1 is an innovative triathlon shoe that takes comfort and breathability to the next level.

If you like really high levels of stiffness and extra support, it might not be the one for you, but if you value comfort and breathability above anything else, it’s a fine choice for all race distances. Oh, and it looks great too!

Verdict: Phenomenal comfort and breathability, and more supportive than they look

Score: 90%

Looking for more options? Take a look at our 17-strong list of the best triathlon bike shoes.