Road oriented SPD shoes

markhewitt1978

I currently have a set of XTR pedals coupled with SPD shoes from Aldi.

I've been promised some new shoes for my birthday in a couple of months; I don't want to switch to proper road shoes such as SPD-SL, as I often cycle to somewhere and go for a walk with wife+child, however from looking at some SPD shoes they have a lot of tread on them I don't necessarily need.

What should I be looking at that will give me SPD-SL type performance etc but will still be walkable and work with an SPD pedal? Touring shoes perhaps? Looking at a budget of around £100.

andrewjoseph

I don't know what you mean with 'spd-sl performance'. I have been using spd's on my mtb and my road bike for years, I recently tried spd-sl for a very short period and could feel no difference underfoot. (I do have problems in my feet not feeling much though).

if you are used to good stiff mtb shoes, then touring shoes like spesh Tahoe may feel 'soft' when riding. I use my mtb shoes for touring, but don't walk much in them if I can help it.

markhewitt1978

andrewjoseph wrote:

I don't know what you mean with 'spd-sl performance'.

Neither do I having not used them, but I guess I mean having near equivalent stiffness / power transfer etc. I realise they won't be as good as 'proper' road shoes, but something better than Aldi anyway

andrewjoseph

in my view, it's the shoe and not the pedal that is the most important. a comfortable shoe makes riding a pleasure. I have shimano m80 ( or something, they are mid to high end of range). on my mtb I have time z control wide pedals, on my road I have time roc atac, a narrow pedal. my feet can't tell the difference when riding. the same was true when I used crankbros eggbeaters and then tried CB mallets. the only difference I can feel is when I unclipping I have a wider/narrower bit to rest my foot on.

I've never tried touring shoes, but they are designed to be more walkable but they have even more rubberized sole with a deeply recessed cleat.

mercia_man

Have a look at Shimano RT82 road touring SPD shoes. On sale for £63.89 at Wiggle. They don't have a big lugged tread but do have the cleat recessed so you can walk comfortably.

Don't disregard race MTB shoes which are often identical to the road shoe versions apart from having some tread either side of the cleat. Their stiff soles give good power transfer and comfort for long rides. Sidi and Specialized do good mtb shoes which work well as performance road SPD shoes.

markhewitt1978

I was looking at these http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 0#features which have a stiffness index of 6.0 (whatever that is, good or bad?!).

PS Realised I should have put this in Road Buying Advice, sorry!)

mercia_man

Those Specialized ones at Evans look good to me. Similar type of shoes to the Shimano RT82 I mentioned above. This sort of shoe is excellent for cycling longish distances in comfort but the stiff sole means walking will not be as good as more flexible shoes. No good for a five mile walk but fine for walking from bike to cafe or round the shops.

Anonymous

Touring shoe seems the obvious choice. Do not know much about them though and how stiff they are etc. A world away from the Aldi ones though which seemed like thay had the stiffness of a ballet shoe when I looked at them.

Wife has some carbon Diadora MTB shoes from CRC that look very road shoe in appearance.
It tends to be the more expensive MTB shoes that look less MTB from what I have noticed.

littledove44

I have Specialized Tahoe and use them on my road bike. Very pleased with them.

Yes, you can walk around in them and on smooth surfaces they feel like a trainer. Not much fun not gravel though as it gets stuck between the cleat and sole.

Weight wise they are not vastly different from many roads shoes, and unless you are very competitive I wouldn't think you would notice the difference.

markhewitt1978

littledove44 wrote:

I have Specialized Tahoe and use them on my road bike. Very pleased with them.
.

Thanks, they look decent too, and the same stiffness index.

prhymeate

I have the Specialized Elite Touring shoe which was linked to above. It took me a while to find the right shoe as I have larger/wide feet but the Specialized one is perfect and has lasted really well in the year that I've been using them. I definitely plan on buying another pair if my current ones ever need replacing.

My friend has the Shimano RT82 and hasn't had any complaints. I prefer the look of it over my Specialized and would say that the RT82 is even more similar to a regular road shoe if that's what you are after.

markhewitt1978

Thanks, the RT82 looks like it's pretty much what I'm after, and not a crazy price too, thanks to everyone for the recommendations.

fatsmoker

Try them before you buy them. I'm usually a 9 but needed a 10 which were snug for the first week or so. Now very happy with them.

markhewitt1978

fatsmoker wrote:

Try them before you buy them. I'm usually a 9 but needed a 10 which were snug for the first week or so. Now very happy with them.

Yep, pretty much everyone says one size up for Shimano. I'm size 8 which is pretty common so hopefully there will be some to try on in the likes of Evans.

Langlais

Carnac Escapes have been excellent for me over the years and they look fairly "roady" (at least from a distance). Great price here but you may have trouble finding your size...
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/SHCRESMT/ca ... e_mtb_shoe

Langlais

p.s. ignore mentions of "feminine" shape in the on-one ad, the silver and black Carnac Escapes are the "male" model and the female model has blue on it. http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/SHCREWMT/ca ... s_mtb_shoe

arthur_scrimshaw

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _MTB_Shoes

No need to thank me from saving you from SPD mediocrity - pay a bit more and you can get some seriously flash sidi mtb shoes

I've got a pair of these, very comfortable and fine to walk in but a bit more

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/produ ... _MTB_Shoes

keef66

SPD touring shoes are what I've ended up with accidentally. Found them on sale in a bricks and mortar bike shop so was able to try them on. 8 years old and still going strong. I'd recommend them but they are Nike and they don't do cycling stuff any more.

Look like road shoes but take SPD cleats and are reasonably walkable. Win - win situation

Monty Dog

Some good deals about on Diadora Pro Carbon MTB shoes at the moment - I have a pair I use for MTB/CX racing racing, they are as stiff as any road racing shoe.

MattC59

These :

http://www.alwaysriding.co.uk/vittoria-lorica-1976-cycling-shoe-spd-sole-1384.html

handful

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Thanks, the RT82 looks like it's pretty much what I'm after, and not a crazy price too, thanks to everyone for the recommendations.

+1 for RT82, I've had mine for about a year and they are really good shoes, the ratchets are reliable and allow a really good fit but also +1 on upsizing by one as well.

Anonymous

MattC59 wrote:

These :

http://www.alwaysriding.co.uk/vittoria-lorica-1976-cycling-shoe-spd-sole-1384.html

I did not know Croc's made cycling shoes these days. Do they come in purple?

mmacavity

http://urbanvelo.org/the-bontrager-wingtip/

Anonymous

mmacavity wrote:

http://urbanvelo.org/the-bontrager-wingtip/

Having read the first few lines of the text I would rather look like Ronald McDonald than Robin Hood!
Bit of a cheek saying that cycling shoes look sillier than those
At least if you are in a shop wearing cycling shoes people would realise you looked silly for a reason (i.e. You had a bike outside)

There are loads of options apart from full on road shoes with exposed cleats without having to wear a pair of odd looking brogues.

mmacavity

http://road.cc/content/news/76979-turn- ... ling-shoes

Pituophis

Another vote for decent Touring shoes here.
I have some Specialized ones (can't remember which model so absolutely no help there - they look like road shoes but accept spd cleats :roll: ) and they're nice and stiff, and lighter than most mtb shoes, but a doddle to walk in at the cafe stop without making you look like a hiker

Coach H

I use Sidi Dominator 5's for winter/commuting and these guys have been cycling the world in them for a couple of years too http://estherwarren.wordpress.com/equipment/

trooperk

Monty Dog wrote:

Some good deals about on Diadora Pro Carbon MTB shoes at the moment - I have a pair I use for MTB/CX racing racing, they are as stiff as any road racing shoe.

With Monty on this one, very under rated shoes,I have Diadora road and MTB shoes,one road bike fitted with SPD and other Sl, can't tell the difference, but the SPD far more comfy to use.

walney

I have always used SPD on the road, currently using these

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-xc30-sp ... ike-shoes/

Cheap, comfy and feel easily stiff enough. Not the lightest but feel excellent quality for the price. I use the Scott MTB Pro shoes and for CX racing but I must say the shimano feel much higher quality.

mmacavity

http://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=45

Anonymous

mmacavity wrote:

http://www.rivbike.com/kb_results.asp?ID=45

What a load of tosh