North of Houston, Texas nestled along the shores of Lake Conroe is the small town of Willis and that is where Brad Harper lives who runs the skating and cycling shoe brand, Riivo. We joined Balazs Csoke, a pro based out of The Woodlands who recently raced to 2nd place at Ironman Lake Placid, as he worked with Brad to get his own pair of custom cycling shoes fitted and crafted. But you do not need to visit Riivo in Willis, TX to get a pair of these shoes, go check them out here.
Watching the maestro in action as he talks about the curing process.
Earlier that day Balazs sat down for his initial interview in front of a few shelves of foot molds. Balazs was coming off an eye surgery and doctors' orders had him wearing shades throughout the day.
Every available inch of space serves a purpose at Riivo.
Brad takes Balazs' massive size 14 feet through the molding and casting stage.
Brad takes Balazs' massive size 14 feet through the molding and casting stage.
According to Brad, bigger feet, like Balazs', need a bit longer for the additional plaster used to harden.
From start to finish, it typically takes Brad four to six weeks for a customer to have their custom Riivo shoes in hand.
The majority of his orders are done through an easy to follow process, including video tutorials, through Riivo's website. Brad works with each of his customers to help meet their individual needs and expectations.
All of the custom printing and graphic artwork is completed in-house so Brad discussed every detail with Balazs.
Harper said that Riivo glues and bonds the uppers whereas most shoes are stitched in order to keep that new shoe feel last longer.
Brad uses a double carbon mold for added stiffness and he said Riivo is the only company doing that to his knowledge.
A sampling of the fabrics at his disposal.
Each part laid out to be used along the way.
When he started, inline skating was his primary business but now it represents a smaller portion. However, he created the brand EdgeTek to continue to meet the needs of inline and speed skaters.
Brad and his wife Ashley, a former international pro standout speed skater, are excited to share the knowledge gleaned from years in inline and speed skating with cyclists and triathletes considering a custom cycling shoe option.
Our shuttle service was this catchy custom wrapped Fiat. Balazs claims to have fit three full bikes inside the back of this car.
A few weeks later Balazs had his new custom shoes in hand.
