MTB specific shoes - are they really necessary?
Miggins
Posts: 433
I've not long started MTBing (XC). I'm wearing trainer type shoes on flat pedals and they seem fine for the job. I've seen various MBT shoes and wondered if there really is any great advantage if you're not intending to compete. I need you folks to sell me the idea so I've got a good excuse to get some; right now I just can't justify the purchase. Over to you......... 
After uphill there's downhill
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yes there is a massive difference. for using flats, a pair of five ten shoes will instantly make everything so much easier. to prove the point to a few friends i rode yesterday in a pair of converse all stars instead of my five tens and repeatedly my feet fell of the pedals and i tbh it was just plain horrible, have ridden in skate shoes too, and while better, they still cnat match the five tens for out right grip0
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Nike 6.0 give nice grip on flat pedals. They better since they are Nike's biking line.'09 Rocky Mountain Fusion0
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Once you have tried Five Ten shoes I doubt you would try anything else for flat pedals,the soles are amazingly grippy particularly in the wet. Yet somehow they are also hard wearing also.
Yes they are expensive but they stop you wrecking your shins with pedal slip and keep your feet on the pedals on any descent, The only negatives are price and water retention. Once wet they weigh a kilo or so each !!! Good training aids I suppose. You can also get a factory resole.
I think they would outlast lesser shoes,so all round good value for money
£1.25 for sign up http://www.quidco.com/user/491172/42301
Cashback on wiggle,CRC,evans follow the link
http://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/MTBkarl0 -
Stuff like Merrell shoes with vibram soles grip just fine in all weathers. Half of it's down to riding technique and the pins in the pedals.0
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The shoes I'm using seem to grip well which is why I thought I'd ask the question. And (bonus) they were only £15 from Tesco ( :oops: :oops: :oops: don't tell anyone). Gotta say I was pretty impressed with them today, they'll do for now while I'm getting to grips ('scuse the pun!) with MTBing and taking things fairly easy. But if I find that many of you are recommending getting "clipped in", then it'll be a serious consideration for the future. It's also good to hear recommendations of "non-clip" shoes for when my binno Tesco ones fall apart! Thanks to all those who have replied so far
After uphill there's downhill0 -
still using my shimano am40 with wellgo b25 pedals. prefer the flat soles and simple design. ill have to get a pair of 2nd hand five10s to find out the difference.0
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bails87 wrote:I wear Karrimor trail shoes (about £20 from Sports Direct) and they grip incredibly well to MG1 pedals. I have to lift my foot off the pedal to move it.
So I say no, sorry lawman
I have a pair of Karrimor ankle height walking boots that I ride in and they offer excellent grip on the DMR pedals, plus the sole compound is resilient enough not to be chewed up by the pins on the pedals.
I also have a pair of DMR MTB riding shoes, I like them too, but I prefer the feel of a boot to a shoe when riding.0 -
I noticed a bigger than expected increase in grip on going from some Merrell approach shoes (vibram sole) to 5-10s. Some of it may be due to tread pattern, not just material properties.0
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If you really start to get into it then a stiffer soled cycling shoe is more efficient at transferring power - that might be why our boot wearing poster above likes his boots; they are generally stiffer soled than trainers are. Even the flat soled shoes like the 5.10 and Am40 mentioned above are stiffer longitudinally than your average trainer or Karrimor approach shoe.Scott Genius 08, Marin Rock Springs 08, Marin Pine Mountain 890
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Hi, I recently switched from trail running type shoes (vibram) to the 5-10's shoes. The difference in grip was incredible, I actually found that if I needed to dab then I had to lift my foot up and then dab as it wouldn't slide. Vibram rubber is good but the stealth rubber in the 5-10's is a step up again (rockclimbing experience). Expensive but extremely good.0
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another +1 for me, i just changed from a pair of etnie skate shoes to shimano AM40's and will never go back to non bike shoes, the grip in all weather is great, they are comfy ,stay cleaner because of the front flap and are just generally the dogs bo**ocks, or even the cats pjamas!
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Go buy some cheap skate shoes from TK Maxx and start there. 5-10s are supposed to be good but honestly, there's plenty of alternatives that give you loads of grip without the 70 quid price tag or the orthapedic shoe looks (I know there's a freerider version that looks better).
Can also try to pick up some Shimano shoes as well, my DX have lasted well and have enough grip.0 -
I got a pair of Vans from TK MAxx ages ago for riding with flats (I'm normally a fully committed SPD wearer), only just got around to using them but they are pretty good compared to the trainers I'd used before.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
Trainers really aren't good enough if you're serious as the soles are too flexy.0
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Radioactiveman wrote:Once you have tried Five Ten shoes I doubt you would try anything else for flat pedals,the soles are amazingly grippy particularly in the wet.
People keep saying this but somehow I manage Half the time in 5 10s, half the time in random worn-out Vans. My feet don't slip in either.
Unless you're using completely hopeless shoes or pedals (some really do reduce the grip with their tread, one pair of running shoes I own is a disaster on flats) , your feet shouldn't slip off, if they do it's not the shoes, it's your technique. If you're keeping your feet weighted, then you just don't need much grip. 5 10s have huge grip, you just don't need it, any shoe with enough grip works just as well.
The extra grip is good if you lack confidence, or if your footwork's not all that great, or if you're pushing your limits a bit where the safety net of the sticky soles can help if you screw up- this is where I love my 5 10s personally. Oh, and when you're tired. So it's not worthless but it's not essential either. I found mine pretty invaluable when I got them but as I've got better it's become less important.
People also talk about sole stiffness but IMO that's a wee bit of a myth, your feet are extremely strong, you don't need stiff soles to walk on tiptoe do you? AM40s have a choice of sole stiffness, everyone I know uses them on the least stiff setting. Some people do like a stiff sole but it's not a requirement.
Oh, lastly, when I work on my bikes I do it wearing an incredibly knackered old pair of Cat boots. When I test a change, I just go riding in them, and I ride exactly the same as I di with my 5 10s and Vans. I wouldn't want to do off beat on them though Uncompromising extremist0 -
Northwind - Totally don't agree about sole flex. Maybe you don't NEED stiffer soles, but it definitely makes a difference to my riding and conserves energy better used elsewhere. You don't need any form of suspension either, but I'd rather not do without.
Anyway, for the OP, the tip really is, if you're buying shoes, don't buy anything that's too floppy.0 -
Atz wrote:Northwind - Totally don't agree about sole flex. Maybe you don't NEED stiffer soles, but it definitely makes a difference to my riding and conserves energy better used elsewhere. You don't need any form of suspension either, but I'd rather not do without.
That's what I meant when I was saying it's personal taste- but like I say, when you offer people a choice they often don't choose the stiff sole options in shoes. For me, the jury's out, I can't tell any difference between my 5 10s and my Vans (which are floppy as anything) but that doesn't mean there isn't one, it's just not one that I can feel. But then I know fine well I've felt performance improvements in the past that didn't actually exist Uncompromising extremist0 -
+kebabbails87 wrote:I wear Karrimor trail shoes (about £20 from Sports Direct) and they grip incredibly well to MG1 pedals. I have to lift my foot off the pedal to move it.
So I say no, sorry lawmanYou only need two tools: WD40 and Duck Tape.
If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
If it shouldn't move and does, use the tape.0 -
Atz wrote:Go buy some cheap skate shoes from TK Maxx and start there.
It's easy to put skate shoes all in the same category, but they're not all the same. As a skater, that's what I naturally tend to ride in, but a lot of them have been useless in the wet tbh. Vans are a good call - the traditional types with the waffle sole. They were designed for BMX and have barely been changed since the 70s for good reason.
The grippiest shoes I've ever ridden in though,are a pair of running shoes I picked up for around a tenner. The soles are so soft, the studs sink right in and don't move a millimetre. Bit squidgy though...
I'm yet to try 'proper' MTB shoes,so who knows, I could be missing out...?0 -
When I say skate shoes I generally mean PROPER skate shoes, not skate-style shoes. My old Etnies are decent enough (although I never ride in them since getting the Shimanos) and I'm pretty sure if I can manage to get the Airwalk Vics I'm trying to track down, they'd be spot on.
Anyway, it's mostly what you're happy with.0 -
Thanks for all your comments. It seems that SPDs aren't the only option, then. I'll see how I get on with these Tesco jobs for now - I've yet to try them in the wet but so far they've been ok in the dry.After uphill there's downhill0
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Any old trainers will do the job byut once you try something like 5-10s there's no going back. I have a pair of Impacts and a pair of the freeride ones and they are both great.0
