Flat shoes

toasty

Pondering a new set, my last ones are so utterly paggered. I've worn therough the soles and the lace holes are all about to give completely. Trying to use my flats a bit more, I still have the fear of becoming airborne and the bike floating off

Five Tens seem a bit too expensive, next to no stockists to try them on and don't actually come in my size anyway. Unless they come in quite big compared to other brands?

The Shimano ones I quite like the look of, the ones without cleat spaces in the bottom, I've already got my Spesh BG shoes for that.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=9492

CRC have a set of 661 Launch Taki in stock for a nice cheap £28? Anyone tried any? I don't mind if the sole wears through quick in day to day use, they'll just be used while biking. I'm just afraid they'll have gone a bit too skate style and used a softer sole?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=9512

Other brand suggestions are more than welcome! I don't care what they look like.

Cheers!

dave_hill

I got a pair of cheap (£12) Airwalk skate shoes from Sportsdirect.com (also from TK Maxx if you get lucky, they sometimes get DVS and DCs too), then had them resoled by Feet First in Chesterfield.

They do the resole with same material that FiveTen use, it's called Stealth Dotty. Not cheap (it was £42 for the resole) but it still worked out cheaper than the FiveTens. They're holding up pretty well so far.

toasty

Yeah, same here actually. That's what I've just had fall apart It's a shame as they fit very nicely, resoling might be an option though, cheers! I'll see if we have anywhere around here that does it.

The Northern Monkey

seriously, get on the net and find some skate shoes!
I got mine online, they have a super tacky sole, are nice and stiff and inside they have and awesome foot support.

they cost me £30, and i've never looked back!

toasty

Yeah, that was my initial opinion and what I've done for my past few sets of shoes. In every "SPD vs Flats" argument threads people talk about the magic of modern shoes though, I was just pondering if there was any noticable difference.

Five Tens in particular always get bizarre comments about their stickiness, is this JUST due to having a soft compound on the sole? Wonder if the 661 I listed would be any good, sub £30.

dave_hill

Toasty wrote:

Yeah, same here actually. That's what I've just had fall apart It's a shame as they fit very nicely, resoling might be an option though, cheers! I'll see if we have anywhere around here that does it.

There is ONLY Feet First who do Stealth Dotty resoling in the UK - they will even resole FiveTen shoes.. The rubber is a special compound developed by FiveTen for their climbing shoes - it's incredibly sticky but at the same time it's very hardwearing. They are very cagey about the compound and won't let anybody into the secret.

Seriously, the guys at Feet First (linky HERE) are top notch and will usuallt turn the work around via mail order in one week.

toasty

Nice, could actually buy a new set of Airwalks for £20 and resole them. It'd still cost less than a set of Five Tens :? Is the difference noticable?

The lace holes on my old ones are pretty dead though unfortuantely, they're pretty dead in lots of ways

cheehee

I was after the black Shimano's but I couldn't get my size.......



......so I had to get these



They were about a tenner more than the black ones. I had to get a size 48 in them, in Specialized shoes I wear a 47.

The sole is very grippy with my pinned Welgo pedals They are quite stiff as standard, but are supplied with an even stiffer insole.

I like them a lot even though they weren't my first choice. The styling is a bit.......unusual, but I can't knock their performance on the bike.

Cheehee

dave_hill

Toasty wrote:

Nice, could actually buy a new set of Airwalks for £20 and resole them. It'd still cost less than a set of Five Tens :? Is the difference noticable?

The lace holes on my old ones are pretty dead though unfortuantely, they're pretty dead in lots of ways

These are mine (linky).

mudsucker

I just use a pair of old etnies skate shoes. Seem to work well for me. Skate shoes have sticky soles for qripping the board so they work fine on flat pedals. Cost much less than mtb specific shoes too!

dave_hill

mudsucker wrote:

I just use a pair of old etnies skate shoes. Seem to work well for me.

Apparently Etnies are one of the best non-bike skate shoes for biking (if that makes any sense). They're pretty stiff to which makes for more comfortable pedalling.

mudsucker wrote:

Skate shoes have sticky soles for qripping the board so they work fine on flat pedals.

They're still a lot less sticky than FiveTens though! That said, Etnies do a BMX-specific skate shoe called the Sniper which as a lot sticker than normal and has a stiffening shank embedded in the sole. The Nike 6.0 Air Insurgents are quite tacky too, although they're not cheap.

mudsucker wrote:

Cost much less than mtb specific shoes too!

Not by much though!

The Northern Monkey

Apparently Etnies are one of the best non-bike skate shoes for biking (if that makes any sense). They're pretty stiff to which makes for more comfortable pedalling.

Yep, thats what I use
Etnies look pretty sweet too

Airienteer

I got pair of Shimano AM40's. A really good and comfortable shoe.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=31537

M1llh0use

mp56s rock!

bought a pair just after xmas, wore them thru all the claggy mudfests and they're GREAT!

the flap keeps all but the worst of the wet stuff out but they still breath quite well so not too sweaty feet!

(and the soles are really grippy with wellgo V12s)

toasty

cheehee wrote:

They were about a tenner more than the black ones. I had to get a size 48 in them, in Specialized shoes I wear a 47.

Doh, I wear a size 48 Specialized (and they're a nice tight fit), meaning I might be off the scale with Shimano, just like I'm off the scale for Five Ten.... err and Sports Direct don't have any Airwalks in 13 like I had before.

Quite shocked when I realised they were 13s, almost bought some 12s while I was at work.

I might try those 661 Launch in 48 and cross my fingers, £28 isn't too huge a leap of faith, 48 is supposedly ~12.5.

gillathekilla

may not be the prettiest but the mp90s are excellent on the trail and not too expensive. have the vibram super tacky sole with insole insert to stiffen if necesary. highly recommend.