Shoe advice please

stayhigh65

Morning All

Hope everyone is cool and groovy

Im getting my new ride in the next few days and it comes with spd pedals.

Ive always ridden flats before so my old trainers have always done the job. Can you tell me what I should be looking for in a pair of shoes or recommend some please?

Cheers All



Cheers All

Stay High

GT-Dave

Something with a stiff sole, and is comfortable to wear.
Specialized BG shoes usually go down well, and I plumped for some Shimano MP66B's which are good.

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Hamishwmb

Something with decent toe protection, a reasonable tread for when you feel you have to unclip and walk, and a fairly stiff but not too stiff sole is good for starters. It takes a bit to get used to stiff soles so you're better not to go overboard on your first set.

Just make sure that they're comfy. FYI - Specialized are good for wide feet, Shimano are good for narrow feet. Try on loads and see what feels best. I discovered that Pearl Izumi shoes fit my feet best.

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Ticaboy

I bought a pair of Nike Medora, very comfy off the bike and plenty stiff on it. I've wide feet too, and these fit well.

GT Avalanche Expert 2006

majorbloodnock

All you <i>need</i> is a sole plate in each shoe to take the SPD clip. What you want above and beyond that is a bit more individual. Hamish's list is a pretty good starting point, but I'd add the following extra points:
<ul>
<li>Some SPD shoes are out and out cycling shoes that look the part and work well. Some look more like trainers, are generally called Trail Shoes, and aren't as efficient, but look lots less stupid down the pub and are more comfy to walk in. </li>
<li>The stiffer the sole, the more of your pedalling power will be transferred to the cranks. However, the stiffer the sole, the less forgiving (obviously) the shoe, so the more important it is to get the fit right.</li>
<li>IMHO, it's not worth worrying about waterproof. Like many, I don't care if my feet are wet so long as they're warm, but if you want dry feet, get waterproof socks instead.</li>
<li>Ratchet systems and fancy fasteners are bells and whistles. They won't make a bad shoe good, so don't buy on the strength of them.</li>
</ul>

Semper in excretia; sumus solum profundum variat

ED209

I first had a pair of Specialized Sonomas for commuting, thinking that a bit of flexibility would be good.

But, they have flat soles so when I started MTBing I thought I should get a pair with some grip. Picked up a pair of last year's carbon-soled Specialized MTB Comp for œ60 from a LBS.

They're great! Perfectly stiff soled but surprisingly more comfy to walk in then the Sonomas, and much much more comfy to pedal with (Sonomas made my feet ache after a while). So I reckon get the stiffest soled ones you can to start off with. Also velcro straps >>>> laces. Don't know about those ratchet fasteners; suppose they're better still.

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Unknown

Same here

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ticaboy</i>

I bought a pair of Nike Medora, very comfy off the bike and plenty stiff on it. I've wide feet too, and these fit well.

GT Avalanche Expert 2006

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Futureboy

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by majorbloodnock</i>
<li>Ratchet systems and fancy fasteners are bells and whistles. They won't make a bad shoe good, so don't buy on the strength of them.</li>

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

No, but they will make a good shoe better.

Velcro and mud isn't a good combination. At least with ratches, they aren't affected by mud. Also, they give a bit more adjustment.

Personally, i can't see beyond SIDI shoes. They are expensive, but last for years. The soles are stiff, but not too stiff and i think are a good comprimise between a race shoe and a so called trail shoe.

I honestly believe it is worth shelling out for decent shoes - buy cheap, buy twice!

stayhigh65

Morning All

Thanks for getting back with so much info, will go shoe shopping tomorrow me thinks.

Ive been looking at Shimano MP66's and MT40's, 661 Neuvo's, but there are as pointed out hundreds out there!

Will let you know what occurs, thanks for your help peoples



Cheers All

Stay High

stuartlangwilson

Why not just stick with flatties if thats what you like.

I'm a big fan of specialized spd shoes. They may not suit you, try on loads of brands as the fit varies a lot.

Not too fussed re velcro or ratchets,have had mixed experiences with both.