Lifespan of a cycling shoe?

dinyull

I noticed recently that the soles of my spd shoes are coming away from the upper part. Had just been a little on both insoles, but looking again this morning and it's approx 20% of the inner side of each that is coming away and a bit concerned that left alone they'll come away and cause me an accident.

The shoes were new in the back end of March - so just over 7 months. They've been used mon-fri virtually every week since so have taken a bit of abuse.

What kind of warranty are shoes covered by - if they are at all? What will the retailer likely say if I get in touch?

Should I just forget it and remember the old adage - buy cheap, buy twice? Although they were only cheap because of sale and have RRP of £70.

jds_1981

Normally a few years, for shoes that are glued it is easy to put quite a bit of stress through them if riding clipless fixed though.
I'd be tempted to return.

keef66

Regardless of price I'd expect a pair of cycling shoes to last longer than 7 months. Complain.

shirley_basso

Thats crap.

My shimano cheap (R077) specials last about 4 years as my only pair of cycling shoes 5-6 days a week before they came apart.

keef66

Only leisure riding, so not stop-start commuting + walking, but used 3 times a week my Nike SPD touring shoes lasted me 12 years. I only retired them when I switched to 3 bolt road cleats.

Then my son retrieved them from the bin because they matched his new bike better than his. So they are still going after 15 years...

hopkinb

shimano rt82 lasted me 4 years of 5 days a week commuting in all weathers. Sole was coming away, and the black exterior was peeling quite a lot. They still worked, but they also stank.

roger_merriman

I’ve generally found cycling shoes to, be fairly robust and last a fair old time, I tend to use MTB types previously SPD though I used them flat now using some five tens, I also wear them at work etc, I did trash the SPD ones in around a year, but they where being worn a lot, the five tens are a few years old now, but inherently simpler more robust design, ie no hole in the bottom! For Clips.

In short even cheap shoes should last, a good while.

ugo.santalucia

I still have a pair of Shimano XC 30 from 2012... they have been used pretty much every day since. They are beginning to fall apart, but I reckon there is still a bit of life before they collapse

dinyull

I've just been down to check the shoes again as thought I might have been overdoing it at 20%.

One of the shoes is almost at 50% - gonna speak with Wiggle to see if they play ball.

rower63

Lifespan also depends on a user's intelligence. If you're like me, shoe lifespan may well be limited by something like this:
1. own a pair of Shimano SPD shoes, but rarely use them
2. own a pair of road shoes with Look Keo
3. road shoes wear out (flappy soles just like OP)
4. throw road shoes out, replace with new
5. arrange a ride with friend: "ride my spare bike, you can use my spare pair of SPD shoes & pedals"
6. realize that when you threw out the worn-out road shoes, you ACTUALLY threw out 1 worn road shoe and 1 SPD shoe.
7. FFS

gbsahne001

All SPD shoes but, the shoes I use for road cycling lasted 6 years; that's approx 8 months of Mon-Fri commutes and my winter boots are still going after 8 years.

I'd definitely be complaining at 7months

greenamex2

Cheapo Shimano SPD's. Done two years/4000 miles and still going strong.

Expensive Shimano GoreTex SPD's. Done two years/2000 miles and still going strong with the exception of some stitching I broke being careless putting them on in the first couple of weeks of owning them.

Complain.

mtb-idle

yeah poor. My current set have done circa 10,000 km a year every year since 2012

Specialized BG comp road shoes (stock photo, they look a bit greyer and more worn than this now but are still quite presentable)

Tetragrammaton1

It depends how you use them. The harsher you treat them / harder you ride / worse conditions you ride in, the quicker they are liable to wear out. You can complain, it’s debatable whether the manufacturers / suppliers will call it normal wear and tear ( because they can’t know for sure how the shoes have been used / treated ) or do something to help, or not. Nothing ventured nothing gained though.

pblakeney

My first pair of Sidis are currently 16 years old.
The heels are a bit worn and they look a bit tatty but perfectly useable under a pair of overshoes.

thistle_

I'm on my second pair of cheap Shimano MT23s at the moment, they last 4-5 years with almost daily usage.
The damage/wear on mine all has obvious causes, and it's surprising they've lasted this long.

Unfortunately they don't make them any more.

elbowloh

I commute with a pair of Giro spd's, they're about 4 years old now, the tread on the heels has worn through, but everything else is as solid and secure as when I bought them. Don't think i've ever cleaned them either.

dinyull

Wiggle were pretty good over LiveChat - told me to send them back. Hopefully no problems once they receive them.

Now off to see if I can find the shoe box they came in (if it's not in the bin).

itboffin

what make are they?

MisterMuncher

Couple of years for a decent pair, at least, all being well. My shortest lived shoes were a pair of Spesh Tahoe, they died within 18 months, similar issues to what you describe.

I'm only changing my current Northwaves because the right shoe has got badly scuffed up in a crash. They'll do for turbo duty for at least another couple of years.

asprilla

I generally get a couple of years commuting out of mine. Failure tends to be the the carbon sole wearing out at the front of the left show.

tgotb

I found a crack in the carbon sole of a 6-8 year-old road shoe last week. Added a few layers of carbon last night, sanded down the edges this morning, and it's hopefully good for another 6-8 years...

wolfsbane2k

My 10 year old shoes bit the dust as the fabric in them had worn thorugh to shreds. I'd got a habit of leaving the overshoes on the shoes when I got to the office if they were damp, which is likely a contributing factor..

cruff

My last pair of Specialized Experts lasted almost three full years of commuting, racing, TTs, crits, training and everything else, including two Lancashire winters. Eventually gave out the ghost when the sole started to come away from the upper (too many evenings under the radiator trying to dry them out)