New shoes

Davdandy

I currently use a pair of Muddyfox spd sl and wish to upgrade.little by little i am getting all the gear but need to start with the cheap stuff then move on.So now it is time to improve on my shoes,but as always money is the issue.

I have been looking at the Shimano R064 R078 R088

But i don't really know what to look for.My MF shoes are a good pair,at least i think so.So what do these new shoes offer that the MF ones dont and are they worth the money.yes i know this subject has been done to death but any help would be welcomed.

sloppyschleckonds

Buy shoes that match your frame colour, or black.

nferrar

Never black ffs, unless it's winter boots

jordan_217

nferrar wrote:

Never black ffs, unless it's winter boots

Disagree. Specialized S-Works and NW Extreme Tech look the dogs in matte black.

Davdandy

Come on chaps,i want advice on shoes not the colours.They could be pink with green spots for all i care.

simonhead

Shoes are one of those things that you need to try on. What is good for one isn't always good for another. I have a fairly cheap pair of specialized mtb shoes that I use all the time and I love them but you may hate them.

jordan_217

Davdandy wrote:

Come on chaps,i want advice on shoes not the colours.They could be pink with green spots for all i care.

Shoes are likes helmets/saddles/women - everyone has a personal preference and what's good for me may not be good for you. You really do need to get down to a few LBS' and try as many pairs as you can. (not women though, that will be frowned upon and you may get arrested)

I've found that NW are great for me. I've had 4 pairs on the bounce. I did try the new, aforementioned S-Works shoes but after 5 weeks it was apparent that they didn't hold my heel well enough, causing my heel to roll outwards which subsequently led to lots of post ride discomfort. I got a refund (great CS, I wasn't expecting one) and went back to NW.

I would place comfort and fit above all else. If a shoe shouts that it's got a stiffness index of blah blah carbon sole then that may be great for a few miles but any advantage will soon be lost when you can't turn the pedals because you're feet are on fire. I do find that a carbon sole is actually much stiffer and more efficient and luckily I've found a few pairs which are comfortable too, so that's good. Some shoes will feature a carbon insert of sorts which is the next level down from a full carbon sole.

Another thing you should consider is the closure system. Velcro is going to be the norm on lower end shoes and as you start to spend more, you'll probably get a ratchet top strap. Higher end shoes will feature a cable and dial system such as Boa which offers greater levels of adjustment. Manufactures can use a mix of all these to stay to a certain price point. I like my feet to feel absolutely planted but don't want to feel any pressure points.

Most decent bike shops I visit these days has a demo turbo trainer set up so you could always ask to use one of these to try a few pairs of shoes in anger. Less chance of you scuffing the soles, etc.

Bottom line, try as many pairs on as you can. IME you do get what you pay for but only you can know if a pair of shoes justify their price tag.

Davdandy

Thanks Jordan,at last a sensible answer.

ellotreacle

I ended up buying mavic ergo fit 2d, because after trying about 20 pairs of shoes on they were the most comfy, and best fit for my feet.
Would definetly recommend trying some pairs on to see what feels the best, they may even be the cheapest pair out there but when you put them on you will know.