# Shoes for cycling



## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

I've just been out on the bike and towards the end I started to get cramp in my feet, well the soles, would buying a proper pair of shoes help ? I don't want to be clipped in (yet) or is it that I'm old and unfit and no shoe is going to make a difference.

If they will help what would you recommend, budget around £50 ideally less


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## Dan1587 (May 23, 2011)

Being clipped in may sound worrying, its actually really helpful when used to it, but you will fall off...but when you remember to twist to release they are brilliant. 

I have read quite a lot of magazines on the shoes and the more you pay the better you get but other than that depends on what shape your foot is, I have rather wide feet, therefore can not use Sidi  but fit Mavic shoes really well.

Never used un clipped dedicated cycling shoes.

What are they for road or MTB?


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

More road than anything, although its not a dedicated road bike, its a hybrid a specialized cross trail sport to be prescise. Feet size size 11 and I'd say they were narrow but not 100% sure


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## nick3814 (Dec 31, 2010)

I would definitely say give SDPs (clip in) shoes a go, once you're use to them it's like day and night as you can pull as well as push when pedalling and they're well designed shoes in general. I got a pair of Shimano SDP shoes and lightweight alloy pedal for about £80 all in on line.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

many of the "leisure" cycling shoes can be used without the spd cleat (here we go into strange lingo)

The shoes come with either a cut out (where you carefully hack a embossed section out should you want to fit spd cleats...) Or there is a panel screwed into the captive cleat nut which you can unscrew to fit the cleat....

There are two main type of system......

SPD (more suited to mountain biking and pleasure riding as the cleat is recessed into the shoe)

and SPDR (road) which uses a different bolt pattern and BIG cleat which is almost impossible to walk in...










spdr left and SPD right

there is plenty to choose from

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/mt42-mountain-touring-spd-shoe-ec022036#features

for example






oh and you will do this the first couple of times if you do go for spd....






but be persistent you will get the hang of it i used to unclip on tricky bits of off road trail but that makes control much worse now i just stay clicked in even flying down stair cases and over jumps.....

it soon becomes automatic to get out of the peddles should you begin to come off and it helps you push the bike away strangely


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

I've just been looking and you can get the shimano m520 for £20, by all accounts they are not the lightest but a good cheap starting point


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

thats what i use (got some fancy xt ones on one bike) But my full susser and play bike have those and they are fairly indestructible even the bearings last a long time.......

they come with cleats too

these might be a better option if you pop down the shops on the bike for a pint of milk and not find your biking shoes...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5937

and they have holes for reflectors to be pushed / bolted in

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/...igin=pla&kw=&gclid=CNPrhMKa-a4CFaImtAodcBB2wQ

(legal requirement at night blah blah blah)

got plastic snap in things for that with the 520s but the platform they create is no good to ride on


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## Stumper (Apr 5, 2009)

SteveTDCi said:


> I've just been looking and you can get the shimano m520 for £20, by all accounts they are not the lightest but a good cheap starting point


They're as good as any SPD pedals to be honest. 
For shoes, avoid the leisure type shoes that work with both SPD and flat pedals as you find that they offer no grip on flat pedals. I've used a pair of the Specialized Tahoe shoes on flats and they're awful. 
Try looking in the classifieds on Singletrack or Bikeradar as you often see people selling virtually brand new shoes for good prices.

From a personal point of view, I'd stick with normal SPD's rather than the road ones. They're easier to clip into with them being double sided, the cleats don't wear out anything like as fast and you can walk properly in the shoes when you're off the bike!!


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Great advice from Andy and Stumper. Nothing to add.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

stumper which sort of shoes are you referring to? 

by leasure shoes i was referring to ones with a rubber sole not some of the recreational Mountain bike shoes with the harder almost plastic soles/ treads.. which are great for hike a bike when off roading but crap on almost every other surface....


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

These are my Scott trail MTB shoes

Comfortable as a trainer.
Hard supportive sole.
Supports shimano cleats.
Protected with Gtechniq I1


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

look way too clean tips


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Ha,ha - It's all that Gtechniq stuff, everything just crazy beads off it.

Point taken though, you should see the bike, its spotless


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Out of interest, reading reviews most people say go for 1 size up from your normal shoe size. Does anyone else find this to be true ?


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

For cycling shoes - yes
For MTB shoes - no, buy the same size as your trainers.

Hope that helps.


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## CP996 (May 5, 2010)

Proper shoes are definitely the way forward, however, if you are getting persistent cramp in the same foot, check your cycling position. It suggests that there is increased muscle strain in the leg- probably the calf muscles but this could be due to increased strain on the sacro-iliac joint due to the saddle being too high or the distance from saddle to handle bars being too great.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

The bike is a size xl and I'm 6'4" I don't normally get cramp but I haven't been out this much, there were a few inclines that I don't normally do and I didn't know if it was this and the fact I'm not very fit


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

also dont over tighten the laces (silly i know but tight shoes restrict blood flow et all)


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## srhutch (Aug 2, 2009)

I would also suggest that if mainly for road use get some cleats with some float. I was starting to get trouble with my knees. Turned out it was the SPD's which were causing the problem. They are fine for MTB use as your out of the saddle more.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

never had a problem with spd's they have float anyway properly set up they are ok for most people those with really dodgy knees might be better with the egg beater type pedals due to having more float


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## Stumper (Apr 5, 2009)

andy monty said:


> stumper which sort of shoes are you referring to?
> 
> by leasure shoes i was referring to ones with a rubber sole not some of the recreational Mountain bike shoes with the harder almost plastic soles/ treads.. which are great for hike a bike when off roading but crap on almost every other surface....


The ones I meant were the ones with the harder plasticky soles. Bloody awful things!

For normal recreational type shoes, I wear a pair of Karrimor ones from Sports Direct. They were £26 and are perfect for recreational cycling.


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Agree with all that's been said, I have and use both types SPD's on work bike with more trainer like shoes and SPD-SL's on pure road bikes with a carbon soled shoes.

One thing if you are worried about being 'clipped' in is to get some of these to work with the SPD pedals.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shimano-eas...POSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332502054&sr=8-1

They are multi-release, in that anyway you turn/pull/twist your foot disengages and make for really easily release. Ideal for commuting when muppets pull out/stop for *'no god damn reason'* :wall:


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

ads2k said:


> Agree with all that's been said, I have and use both types SPD's on work bike with more trainer like shoes and SPD-SL's on pure road bikes with a carbon soled shoes.
> 
> One thing if you are worried about being 'clipped' in is to get some of these to work with the SPD pedals.
> 
> ...


Combined with toe studs (did i just say that) :doublesho Steel ones spark at night when dabbing foot when cornering (simple things please simple minds)


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