One of the things I wanted to do with this site is highlight products that I really love and would recommend, without bias, that you should go out and buy. So, what better way to kick things off than with a product which has been out of production for about 5 years…

I really dig out-of-the-box thinking. Why should all products be designed the same? Just because something is the norm, doesn’t mean it is the best (it often isn’t). Only What’s Necessary (OWN) were (are?) a small UK/France-based company who decided they wanted to design and make the ultimate flat pedal shoe, and they weren’t afraid to take a blank-slate approach. The end result was something really unique, something which has never been copied, and something that still stands above current products in a lot of ways. Sadly the FR-01s are no longer available, and OWN seem to have gone dark (they did claim to be working on a follow-up). I missed the boat on the original production run, but when I saw a pair on eBay a couple of years ago I knew I had to give them a try…

I see a lot of influences in this shoe, the biggest seemingly being the ski boot (or high altitude climbing boots). The result is a modular shoe, consisting of a tough outer boot with a pair of interchangeable liners – one mesh, for warmer weather, and one water-resistant softshell for cooler and damper rides. To my knowledge the FR-01s are still the only cycling shoe to employ this design.

The outer boot is constructed of a burly woven Kevlar fabric, I believe, with a plastic heel cup to keep scuffs to a minimum, a relatively sticky flat pedal-specific Vibram rubber sole, and a thick wrap-around toe rand to prevent toe strikes. There’s padded ankle protection too, to prevent bashing your ankle bone on your cranks (ouch!). The sole has chunky, siped lugs at the toe and heel to help with traction off the bike. While not as outright sticky as Five Ten’s Stealth rubber, the flat sole provides ample traction for me on Burgtec and OneUp pedals, while still allowing me to reposition my feet when needed, and it wears quite well too.

The inners both have a D3O ‘midsole’ plate to absorb vibration and impacts. They’re a really snug fit, with an elastic cuff which actually succeeds in keeping out debris, and include front and rear pull tabs which are thankfully securely attached! The mesh is really light and airy, and the softshell one provides reasonable water resistance and a good measure of warmth with its microfleece lining. Unfortunately there isn’t much room for a thicker sock so I’ve found that low single digits Celcius is about their limit.

Probably my favourite part of all this, especially coming from the notoriously absorbent Five Tens, is how easy post-ride cleanup is. Simply split them apart, hose off the outers, and either pop the inners in the washing machine or air them out. Invariably everything is dry the next day and ready to go again. Bonus: after a muddy ride, you can take off the outer and drive home in just the liner, which feels like driving in very comfy slippers!

They’re not a perfect product, by any means. Sizing does not follow normal conventions, requiring the potential purchaser to measure their foot length precisely in mm. It does make sense, but it is imperative that you get it right. Even with the correct fit, getting the things on is a wrestling match, particularly with the slightly thicker softshell liner – I had the best luck sticking the inner into the outer and then pulling the whole thing on with the inner’s tabs, but your mileage may vary. The laces are a bit short, particularly for my high-volume foot. The heel cup looks grubby in short order – why on Earth is it white?! And while my pair have seen a reasonable amount of use over the last couple of years, the outer soles – particularly the toe rand – are now largely held to the uppers with copious amounts of Shoe Goo.

It’s also worth mentioning the overall shape of the shoe, which almost bears a resemblance to some ‘barefoot’ type running and lifestyle shoes. They have a wide toe box to allow your foot to fit naturally and your toes to splay out. Additionally, arch support inside is fairly minimal. I like this, despite my high arches, but many people may feel under-supported.

So why didn’t these things ever get a foothold (ahem) in the market? Well, to some their wide forefoot probably makes them look like clown shoes. To some they will be too faffy, or hard to fit, or not grippy enough if you are used to Stealth. And OWN were competing against the behemoth that is Five Ten, freshly acquired by sportswear giant Adidas, and all of the marketing budget that goes along with that.

But as flawed as they are, I love these goofy-ass shoes – they’re super comfortable, versatile, and keep your feet protected from both damage and the elements across a huge range of conditions. They work for everything from XC to just short of DH, and would make a superb bikepacking shoe for wet conditions, where the liner could be dried in your shelter overnight. Plus I just think the design – purely function over form – and the passion that has clearly gone into them is really cool, and deserves to be celebrated.

Of course, none of this really matters, because you can’t buy them anyway…