Trek development rider Travis Brown was at the Trek team truck at the Sea Otter Classic sporting a never-before-seen set of white and red Bontrager mountain bike shoes.

The shoes have a large RXL logo on the middle strap that threw many for a loop.

"People keep asking me if they’re from Polo Sport," said Brown. Ralph Lauren was a common sight at Sea Otter in previous years with his now dissolved RLX Polo Sport mountain bike team.

Brown’s new shoes are prototypes that represent the top end of a yet to be released three-tier line. The red and white shoe he was wearing has a buckle and two Velcro straps. It’s sole appeared to be carbon, and similar to the Nike Custom Team shoes that the Subaru-Fisher and Trek outfits used last year.

Brown built up the tread with Shoe Goo to mate better with his pedals

Photo: Matt Pacocha

Brown said the new shoes' toe box fits him better than the Nike shoes.

The finish still has little ways to go before the shoe’s presumed mid-summer release. Brown had the treads built up with Shoe Goo to better interface with his pedals.

In addition to the race level shoe, Brown said that there are plans for a three-strap performance model and a third backcountry model.