What difference does the shoe make?

phreak

I've got the dhb R1 road shoe from Wiggle and they're recommended in the budget range of cycling shoe.

I was wondering whether it's worth upgrading from these to a more expensive pair?

Discowheels

Yeah good question - i have some cheap non-descript shoes and ive wondered is it worth me upgrading.

Kingtut87

I guess they'll be stiffer so you get get your power down more efficiently. They will probably have better cooling and be lighter too. Get a pair of white Sidi's, not only are they brilliantly comfy you'll go faster just because they look so damn cool

Discowheels

haha cheers Kingtut - i had been looking at Sidi's and also seen some very cool "Lake" shoes. Just need to sweet talk the missus i reckon

phreak

I'm sure they look nicer and all that, but some of the better shoes are £150 more than the ones I have. That's a lot of money

kitsunegari

It depends on what your mileage is I guess. A stiffer shoe will usually be more comfortable the more distance you're doing - I'm told Sidi's are especially comfortable. Of course, everyone's feet are different so I find recommending shoes is as pointless as when I often get asked what running shoes someone should go for.

Monty Dog

Generally, as price goes up they get stiffer, fit better and are lighter. It really depends on how fit you are and whether you'd benefit - some people find the switch to carbon shoes uncomfortable as there is no 'give'. I keep my stiffest, lightest shoes for racing and generally train in a pair of Sidis because they're so darn comfortable.

schweiz

kitsunegari wrote:

A stiffer shoe will usually be more comfortable the more distance you're doing

No, companies make shoes with slightly more flexible soles for longer distances. The stiffest carbon soles are for racing when performance matters more than comfort.

kitsunegari wrote:

I'm told Sidi's are especially comfortable. Of course, everyone's feet are different so I find recommending shoes is as pointless as when I often get asked what running shoes someone should go for.

I have Sidi Genius 5.5 CC, the CC is Carbon Composite and is more flexible than a pure carbon sole, saying that it's still pretty stiff. I have a pair of Shimano R099 with a full carbon sole but more than 2 hours and I'm in agony.

I bought the Shimano shoes online becaus they were on offer, I bought the Sidis after trying on probably 10 different brands (specialized, carnac, dmt, mavic, shimano, adidas, suplest and and and)

Try some on and try to go shopping at the end of the day when your feet are swollen.

acidstrato

i have those dhbs, they are decent for the price and for a recreational cyclist its my opinion they are more than adequate. i've had 2 years out of mine, they are well worn now but still being used. I've had 10-15000 miles worth but they arent the lightest or most comfortable.

i wear shimano R086 when racing or for sportives as they are very light and more comfortable than the dhbs over longer periods

i dont really see a benefit in spending over a ton other than bling factor

themightyw

To be honest, I don't think price is the be-all-and-end-all but getting the right shoe makes a huge difference.

I have a pair of cheap as chips shimano SPDs that were the bottom of the line, and they've always been comfortable.

By contrast when I went to SPD-SLs I had two more expensive pairs that were both incredibly uncomfortable. They were a decent fit, and I believe the cleat positioning to be ok, but I was genuinely in pain after about an hour or so of cycling.

I ended up taking a punt on a pair of Sidi Genuis 5.5s and they are absolutely perfect. Fit like a glove and don't even think about them when they're on.

I guess what I'm saying is that the most important thing is finding a shoe that fits you brilliantly and works well for you. Who cares how much it costs. Certainly you might find SIDI heaven as I have, but I was equally happy with a bottom of the range pair. It was the in between ones that bugged me

Alumin-Liam

I recently upgraded from the dhb R1shoes (worn out after 5000 miles) to some SIDI Genius 5.5s and the difference is amazing. The key thing is that they are a lot more comfortable! The SIDIs are slightly lighter and the sole is stiffer, but the comfort is brilliant. The quality of the shoe, and the design means they fit like silk slippers, and they are not that expensive for what you get as many of the parts are replaceable.

Berk Bonebonce

I have found over the years that pedals and shoes are somewhat of a false economy, and that is because they are more prone to wear and tear than other items of kit and have a higher 'turnover'.

But if price is no object ...

chrisw12

schweiz wrote:

kitsunegari wrote:

A stiffer shoe will usually be more comfortable the more distance you're doing

No, companies make shoes with slightly more flexible soles for longer distances. The stiffest carbon soles are for racing when performance matters more than comfort.

kitsunegari wrote:

I'm told Sidi's are especially comfortable. Of course, everyone's feet are different so I find recommending shoes is as pointless as when I often get asked what running shoes someone should go for.

I have Sidi Genius 5.5 CC, the CC is Carbon Composite and is more flexible than a pure carbon sole, saying that it's still pretty stiff. I have a pair of Shimano R099 with a full carbon sole but more than 2 hours and I'm in agony.

I bought the Shimano shoes online becaus they were on offer, I bought the Sidis after trying on probably 10 different brands (specialized, carnac, dmt, mavic, shimano, adidas, suplest and and and)

Try some on and try to go shopping at the end of the day when your feet are swollen.

FOR ME, disagree, over long distances, flexy soles cause me to have hot spot problems. With stiff carbon soles, no hot spot problems.

mike ives

Alumin-Liam wrote:

I recently upgraded from the dhb R1shoes (worn out after 5000 miles) to some SIDI Genius 5.5s and the difference is amazing. The key thing is that they are a lot more comfortable! The SIDIs are slightly lighter and the sole is stiffer, but the comfort is brilliant. The quality of the shoe, and the design means they fit like silk slippers, and they are not that expensive for what you get as many of the parts are replaceable.

I have just done the same and agree with the comments totally. I shall only be purchasing Sids from now on.