Road vs MTB Shoes

Ginjanutta

You'll notice I created a similar thread elsewhere but I am beginning to doubt myself as to whether I need MTB shoes for cycling, which would enable me to walk afterwards.

Is it really that much of an inconvenience and that uncomfortable to walk in road shoes for a short period?
Someone mentioned today that MTB shoes can be less comfortable on the bike, due to the smaller surface area for the cleats...

For someone that is new to road cycling, what would you recommend for clipping in to?

Wily-Quixote

Depends what you're going to be doing in your riding. I switched from road pedals to spds on my road bike about a year ago, for a variety of reasons. Since then I've done rides up to 200+ kms and have not noticed any increase in pressure on my feet from the smaller pedals. I think the main reason is that my shoes are carbon soled and very stiff, so the pressure is spread over the entire surface of the foot.
SPD cleats and pedals last a very long time as well. Also extremely hard if not impossible to 'pull your foot' out of inadvertently. I believe trackies use the old fashioned road spds for that reason.
You do get strange looks using them from fellow roadies and your foot doesn't feel as 'planted' or 'fixed' onto the pedal as with dedicated road pedals. This may or may not be a disadvantage to you.
You can use road shoes with spds, some brands have the drillings or you can get an adaptor to fit spd cleats onto a 3 hole sole, but it is a less than satisfactory solution. MTB shoes are fine, in fact i now use a high end carbon soled MTB shoe on both my road and MTB bikes, investing your money into one shoe solution for both bikes is not a bad idea.

ineedalager

I use MTB shoes and road shoes fitted with MTB cleats. There are more reasons than just being able to walk in them. I tried Look delta peddles and cleats for 3 months and eventually gave up on them and went back to MTB cleats.

I found Look Delta peddles very difficult to clip it to when leaving junctions etc and no matter how much I tried I wasn't getting any better at it. You end up wobbling all over the place and looking like a fool! Walking in them also ruins the carbon or plastic soles ruins the cleats as well a sometimes feeling like you ice skating.

When clipping in I found I had to look down to see if the peddle was the correct way up to clip in if not your foot would slide off.

I use M520 SPD MTB peddles and cleats another huge advantage is price and the fact they are double sided so you can clip in without even looking down when you get used to them. I have a pair of Shimano MTB shoes that have done 14.000 miles in 4 years and they still look almost the same as when I first got them. Road shoes seem to have a very short life span as the soles look like hell in no time. I got cleats covers for them but you have then an extra thing to carry around with you!

Another thing you can do is unclip both feet well before you come to a halt try that with road shoes on and them see the panic as your feet slide off the peddles the road.

I can't say I noticed any performance advantage using road peddles and cleats the purerists will argue otherwise but it's down to what suits you. I still use my Road shoes with MTB cleats about once a week as I don't want to wear them out when my MTB shoes seem to go on lasting me for ages.

I have 3 bikes MTB Hybrid and road bike all use the same peddles and same MTB shoes.

If you break down and face a long walk if no help is available road shoes can damage your legs trying to walk a long distance in them even with cleat covers I seen posted on here.

What you have been told about MTB shoes being less comfortable they are reffering to the road cleats being bigger spread the load out more but I have never felt any discomfort using MTB cleats.
Sorry for such a long post but there no short answer to the question!

bmxboy10

I know a man who slipped in a cafe wearing road shoes. Did his back in and never rode a bike again!

t4tomo

You can get "touring " shoes i believe they are called, which use MTB SPDs but have less chunky soles etc and look more like a road shoe. very good compromise

maddog 2

the benefits of road shoes are they are, or can be, a tad stiffer, and lighter.

the benefits of MTB shoes are you can walk in them and the cleats don't wear out.

MTB shoes with carbon soles are plenty stiff enough - the hotspot issue is a myth, when it come to MTB race shoes.

Both types often limit you to certain pedals - some road shoes have bolt holes for both road and SPD cleats, so can accomodate both types of pedal but in general, with road shoes you have to run 3-bolt road cleats+pedals and with MTB shoes you are limited to SPD and Crank Bros type pedals.

Some suggested benefits of road shoes are actually claimed benefits of the pedals, eg. a wider cleat and - my favourite - the fabled 'improved power transfer'. Likewise, some negatives are also pedal comments eg. float and clipping in/out.

Personally, I think the benefits of road shoes are lessening in the light of the latest MTB race shoes - you can get a light, stiff, walkable shoe in the shape of a MTB race shoe. But make your own mind up on this. I've run road shoes in the past but now, overall, I prefer the practicality and float of MTB shoe and spuds. I run Specialized BG Pro MTB shoes and A600 pedals (XTR pedals on the commuter).

JamesB

the benefits of MTB shoes are you can walk in them and the cleats don't wear out.

MTB shoes with carbon soles are plenty stiff enough - the hotspot issue is a myth, when it come to MTB race shoes

+1 agree totally, have been wearing Spesh BG pros for over 25 000 miles road cycling and they`re just great; did think about road shoes a coupel years ago, advice LBS was basically stick with MTB shoes unless you`re racing, which i`m not.

As for funny looks from roadies, what about teh funny looks they get when seen walking / waddling in road shoes ??

Bordersroadie

One pair of shoes: Specialized S-Works MTB,
One type of pedal: Shimano M540 SPDs on all bikes: road, commuter, MTB.

Exactly the same shoe as the top-end road version, exactly the same carbon sole, virtually the same weight. I don't believe that the very slightly smaller pedal contact area of the MTB SPD makes a jot of difference to power transfer over a road system. As mentioned above by Maddog, the hotspot issue is a myth, when it come to MTB race shoes.

Investing in one pair of £200 shoes which perform as well as road shoes, but which you can walk in, makes much more sense than having, say, two pairs of £100 shoes.

Like lots of things in road cycling, the road shoe/pedal scam, if we're all honest, can be justified only if you're a pro or a competitive racing cyclist. Nothing wrong with that, but it's down to the age-old image thing, the desire to "look like a pro" even if you're far from it.

If that's your bag, on you go, carry on waddling.

ddraver

It's been said, but I don't notice any difference between road and proper MTB race shoes. That said, MTB race shoes are usually expensive and cheaper MTB shoes have more flex built in for easier walking. So, if.you want a cheap but stiff shoe then you are forced to use a shoe...

If you ride road and MTB.though, then its probably less than having 2 seperate systems.

essjaydee

Go for MTB style shoes and SPD pedals.
As your a 'beginner' and this is your first road bike, I'd recommend DHB M1 MTB (wiggle) shoes and Shimano M540 pedals. Both can be had for around £80 total and both will see you well into road cycling

JamesB

as an additional thought in terms of a value for money investment my Spesh BG Pro MTB carbons, bought in 2006 , are still going strong after 6 year useage , no sign of any flex in soles (whilast teh cheaper thermpolastics soled shoes didn`t last as long), and apart from having to renew velcro straps twice as good as new after 10 000+ miles with them road and MTBing

gwillis

ive just picked up a pair of giro privateer for my cx / wet weather bike and whilst I normally wear a road shoe I cant see much difference . The privateer look like a road shoe as well .

Ginjanutta

Thanks for the comments guys, you've convinced me that I was thinking sensibly afterall. Huge investment awaits me....

springtide9

I have to admit I'm a convert.... I much prefer road specific cleats for the road over SPDs. I used MTB SPD's on my road bike for about 6 months before moving over to road specific cleats and shoes (the decision was I got fed up with cleaning my filthy MTB shoes when I wanted to ride on the road).

I would agree that the stiffness of the shoe what makes more of the difference rather than the cleat, and if you are going the SPD route you really want to pick a 'XC race' shoe (stiff sole) - but these may work out more expensive than a cheaper road shoe.

I also don't find any issues with walking in road specific shoes.... not much worse really than stiff XC shoes TBH; you do have to watch yourself if popping into Cafe's and they have "tiled" flooring etc... but you become very aware that you need to walk with care on some surfaces.

If I was commuting than I would use SPD's over road cleats due to the wear factor. I can't say that my Road pedals/shoes cost any more than my MTB ones - they were in the same ballpark.

I've never had any "hotspot" issues with SPD cleats. I personally prefer road cleats because of the 'reduced movement' they offer.

And just to prove I'm not a fashion victim, I use my MTB helmet on the road (although I do remove the peak!). Oh yes, and the Camelbak, although it usually only has clothing in as I use water bottles for carrying fluids.

chadders81

I personally hate the look of MTB shoes but love SPD pedals because I have to walk to the gym for a shower after my commute.

Solution = http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... fAodPBCIIA

Looks like a road shoe. The RT32 is cheaper and probably does just as good a job (but I don't like how it looks).

ShutUpLegs

solboy10 wrote:

I know a man who slipped in a cafe wearing road shoes. Did his back in and never rode a bike again!

Too much cake?

thegibdog

I have some old Shimano MT31 mountain bike/touring SPD shoes that I've been using on my road bikes. Nice and comfy but a fairly flexible sole, I'm going to look at changing them for some Shimano RTs when I finally get around to replacing them as they look like a good compromise between stiffness and practicality.

I also have some Shimano R087 road shoes with Look Delta cleats/pedals but I'm saving those for TT's and racing because they're so much more of a hassle for normal road riding where you are stopping at junctions a lot.

jomoj

another + for mtb SPDs combined with decent shoes. I've had specialized BG expert shoes for over a year and the sole (carbon) is super stiff so there are no pressure points at all. I toyed with getting road shoes but I've had pedal related knee problems in the past and am comfortable with the float and angle adjustment on MTB SPDs so decided to stick with them.

Bar Shaker

I use Shimano M183 MTB race shoes, which have carbon soles. They are as stiff as a kitchen table and look as good as any road shoe. They are probably stiffer than most road shoes too.

My XTR pedals were an extravagance but they clip into beautifully and are as taut as they were when knew, 2 years ago and the ultra smooth bearings mean my feet get less high frequency vibration.

graham_g

Don't know if it reflects anyone else's experience but in addition to echoing the above comments (i've a pair of s-works carbon soled MTB shoes), I'd also say that I've found mtb cleats to be far more durable too. That may sound somewhat trivial but some cleats can cost the best part of £20 to replace and I'm a pauper.