In a photo posted on Instagram by Daniel Oss, the Italian rider's choice of shoes has piqued the interest of hawkish tech fans in the cycling world.

The Specialized-sponsored Beulah Hansgrohe rider is wearing what appears to be an unreleased pair of Specialized shoes.

Judging from the photos, the new shoes are secured with a twin Boa design similar to the S-Works 7, but instead of Specialized's proprietary S3-Snap Boa dial, it appears to be Boa's new Li2 dial. The dials are similarly located on the forefoot outstep, but there is a separation between the upper dial and the fabric where the lower dial is located. The upper dials appear to be placed at the top of the foot, suggesting that this shoe may be higher on the ankle than its predecessor. The shoe also appears to have some of the ventilation of the S-Works Vent, but without the vented toe box and with a more solid upper.

At the top of the brand's current cycling shoe hierarchy are a number of high-performance road racing shoes, but judging by the timing of the release and the appearance of this shoe, it was released in early 2018 and is widely accepted as one of the best cycling shoes on the market today shoe, it is most likely to be the successor to the S-Works 7.

If that speculation is correct, these shoes will most likely be called S-Works 8 shoes.

The S-Works 7 is positioned as a road racing shoe and is worn by the majority of riders on both the men's World Tour teams of Bora Hansgrohe and Deceuninck-Quick Step. Other S-Works Exos are ultra-lightweight shoes, often seen on the feet of Mikhail Morkov. And the most recently released S-Works Vent, which introduces comfort and breathability into a shoe similar to the S-Works 7, was a favorite of Remco Evenpole before his crash at Il Lombardia.

It is unclear whether the Os' Instagram post was intentional by Specialized or an accidental leak by the Italian domestique. The caption of the post (translated) was a tribute to the 15-year careers of Oss and Oscar Gatto, in response to the news of Gatto's impending retirement.

However, Os has previously shared unannounced Specialized merchandise on social media. Last month, he posted a Specialized Aetos on Instagram.

If these are indeed S-Works 8 shoes, they are sure to be stiffer, more comfortable, and lighter than their predecessors.

Of course, there is no news on a potential release date.

Cycling News contacted Specialized, but no comment yet.