The Fizik Vento Omna is a new road cycling shoe that replaces the R5 Overcurve.

Sitting halfway up Fizik’s range, it combines the single, unidirectional Boa dial of pricier models with a composite outsole seen on cheaper shoes.

If you think a performance road cycling shoe must have a carbon sole, think again. I had to.

Fizik Vento Omna shoe spec and options

The €169.99/$169.99/€165 Fizik Vento Omna closely resembles the Tempo Decos Carbon, which costs €110/$130 more.

Fizik rates the Vento Omma’s carbon-nylon composite outsole 6/10 on its shoe stiffness scale while the full carbon Tempo Decos Carbon scores 10/10.

The Vento Omna’s polyurethane-laminated upper is fairly thick and well-padded on the inside. Perforations for air flow are dotted down the tongue and middle section of the sides.

On the sole, two vents are cut out underneath the toe box. A patchwork of rubber lugs sits at the front of the sole.

At the opposite end, the Vento Omna has a grippy rubber heel bumper. The heel of the shoe is moulded to stop the shoe from slipping off while pedalling.

Fizik says it has moved the cleat bolt holes fairly far back to permit a rearward cleat position, if required.

The bolt holes themselves are not adjustable, but you can set back the cleats by up to 20mm from the foremost position. This depends on which brand of cleats you use (Look cleats are less adjustable than Shimano’s).

The Fizik Vento Omna is available in blue, white, black, metallic cherry, red and gun metal.

Sizing runs from EU 36 up to 48 and half sizes from 37 to 48. Fizik says the fit is more generous than the outgoing Fizik R5 Overcurve and a wide-fit version is on its way.

Compared to the R5 Overcurve, the price of the Fizik Vento Omna has crept up €30/$30 to €169.99/$169.99, admittedly over three years.

Fizik Vento Omna performance

Versatility is the Fizik Vento Omna’s strongest suit. The shoe met the demands of a diverse selection of rides from chaingangs to six-hour endurance rides.

Although the Vento Omna doesn’t excel at one thing, that’s understandable for a shoe costing €169.99.

This is a considerable amount of money, but some of the best road cycling shoes cost in excess of €300/$300.

During harder efforts, the Fizik Vento Omna made me question how much shoe stiffness actually matters.

I did feel some give in the composite sole when pushing on the flat, and slightly more so uphill, but this didn’t appear to impact my speed.

For hill climbs, I favour a stiff carbon sole, which can feel more supportive and responsive while sprinting, such as the one on the Giant Surge Pro.

Apart from this narrow application, I was happy with the Fizik Vento Omna, which is €130 cheaper than the Surge Pro.

At €169.99/$169.99, you might expect the Vento Omna to have a full carbon sole, but a carbon-nylon composite is more common at this price. The composite sole showed me that a performance road cycling shoe’s sole doesn’t have to have a full carbon construction.

If climbing is your thing, the weight of the Fizik Vento Omna is competitive with other road cycling shoes.

At 574g, my size 45 test sample is 34g heavier than the Tempo Decos Carbon. But it’s 6g lighter than the more similarly priced Shimano RC7 (€189.99/$199.99), which weighs 580g in the same size.

In theory, the flex in the Vento Omna’s sole could lead to greater muscle strain and foot fatigue. But I racked up several thousand kilometres in the shoe, including 200km in one go, without experiencing any discomfort I could attribute to it.

The insoles supplied with my test pair don’t have adjustable arch supports, but you usually have to foot the bill for this feature by investing in a more premium shoe.

For commuting and stop-start urban riding, the Fizik Vento Omna’s sole is a positive. It’s less slippery than a full carbon sole when walking and stepping in and out of clipless pedals. The grippy toe and heel bumpers also help.

The Vento Omna’s polyurethane-laminated upper has the right balance of suppleness and support for long-distance. It is on the thick side though and not as well-ventilated as the Tempo Decos Carbon.

On the pricier Fizik shoe, polyurethane-laminated fabric lies over mesh, which makes the upper thinner and better ventilated.

As a result, my feet did become a little warm at the end of a long ride in the Vento Omna with the temperature in the mid-twenties degrees Celsius.

However, the wider toe box on the Vento Omna gives your feet more room if they swell in the heat.

This means the Vento Omna lacks the sleek profile of more race-orientated road cycling shoes, but it’s a price I’d be willing to pay in return for the Vento Omna’s excellent comfort.

The single, unidirectional Boa dial allows you to evenly disperse tension through the textile laces. For me, this helped prevent hot spots and chafing.

Fizik Vento Omna bottom line

If I wanted one road cycling shoe to do everything, it would look a lot like the Fizik Vento Omna.

By saving up to €150 on Fizik’s premium road cycling shoes, you do pay a price in diminished performance.

The better-ventilated and lighter Tempo Decos Carbon provides a more stable pedalling platform, for example. For riders looking to eke out every last advantage, such shoes may be worth paying for.

But the difference is slight. For most of us, the Vento Omna provides better value and greater versatility.