telemark949

The "best shoe/pedal system" for touring topic has been a bit beaten to the bush. I've chosen the speedplay frog route, but am having trouble finding a shoe that will hide the frog cleat while walking.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a shoe that has a recessed enough cleat mounting area to prevent the click clack of speedplay frog cleats?

I've tried Cannondale's Range and Shimano's MT21, neither have a deep enough cleat mounting area to prevent the cleat from hitting the ground while walking.

I'm trying Pearl Izumi's XALP Enduro II, which is better than the previous two models, but I still get that nails on the chalkboard grinding while walking on the sidewalk.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

seeker333

I happen to know that Answer Speeder mtb shoes have cleats barely deep enough to prevent damage to floors from frog cleats, both old "mushroom" style and the newer current style cleat.

I got these shoes in 2001 from JensonUSA. They were cheap and I was just guessing, and got lucky. Ten years/50,000 miles later I'm still using these shoes, on my second pair although the first pair are still usable. The inside padding wears out behind the heel over time. You can repair this with silicon caulk as a fray preventer and hole filler - doesn't seem to rub feet anymore even with material missing. A while back Jenson had these marked down to ~$30, and I got a third pair for future needs. Good thing I did, cause looking around I see Answer got out of the shoe business and they've been discontinued. Funny part of this long answer - I'm not even a mtb'er - exclusive road rider.

I think any cycling shoe with cleats deeper than the height of the frog cleat would work. Actually all those cleats just add weight and wind resistance, so there may be a much better solution than the one I arrived at by chance.

edit- you have to walk gently to prevent cleat-to-floor contact. If you clomp around, your body weight compresses cleat area enough to make a loud racket when walking. Also, now that i think about it, the old, discontinued Shimano sandals worked even better in this regard, but their more flexible sole meant lower pedaling efficiency. Best solution is 2 pair of shoes-1 4 riding, 1 4 walking.

fietsbob

depends on your FEET, like saddle choice is about how your BUTT feels sitting on it.

SIDI makes a bunch of sizes and widths and styles and price ranges..

try out their Mountain shoes for the SPD style cleats ,

But note IF the cleat is recessed a lot
I wont engage with the pedal mech, so You have to be realistic.
all cleats click some.

think about comfortable after market insoles , take your favorite insole shoe shopping

I expect My 10.5B feet fit stuff a D or 4E will not.

napoleoninrags

Aha, someone who is in the same conundrum like I was a while ago. I ended up getting the Northwave Expedition GTX. Like you, I bought the PI X-Alp at first, but didn't install the cleats, since I read in someone's crazyguy journal about how it disintegrated in a few months of touring in the sun.

I found that the Northwave has deep enough tread to hide the cleats for some time, i.e, until the sole wears down. It does feel a little bit of crunchy at times, but all in all I like it so far. Btw, I haven't really put much kms on it yet.

Good luck.

telemark949

napoleoninrags - I wish you would have tried the cleats on the PI X-Alp for comparison. On linoleum floors I really don't notice the cleats, it's only on the sidewalk when I hear the crunch crunch. The shoes feel a bit light weight, I can see how a few months in the sun could turn them soft.

Did you try anything else before deciding on the Northwave? The sole looks pretty sturdy, a few people have complained about its wide fit. Any comments on this?

telemark949

fietsbob - Have you tried any SIDI models with speedplay frogs?

napoleoninrags

No, the only other ones I considered were the Peal Izumis. The fit on the Northwave is wide, but it fits me fine. If you have narrow feet, I can see how it may not be the best choice. During rando rides, I've found that my narrow road shoes are not that comfortable once the feet swell over time. I haven't done my first tour yet, so probably not the best person to give advice.

I do think that Northwave tread is deeper than the X-Alp.

rogerstg

I used the Shimano MT31s (discontinued) and now use PI X-Alp Seek. I'm not concerned with a little rubbing on the sidewalk as long as they don't hit the floor inside the house or in someone's shop. To be on the safe side, I use a bit of shoe goo on the soles adjacent to the cleat high spots.

staehpj1

I find it hard to beat Sidi shoes. I have owned a bunch of different shoes and very much prefer the lower end MTB shoes from Sidi. That used to mean the Bullet 2, but now it is the Giau. If you have wide feet the Mega models are the same only wide (like Giau Mega). Some people prefer the higher end Sidi Dominators, but I don't like the higher price or more "space alien" look.

I have only used them with SPD cleats, but don't see why they wouldn't work equally well with Speedplay Frog cleats.

fietsbob

Had some speedplays , Didnt like the way I couldn't release them in a certain quadrant of the crank rotation,
with Shimano's Sandals, so I returned them .
Use Time ATAC alium if I use 'spud' cleats at all. ..
Riding shoes LLBean boots, these days because I ride daily on the Wet Coast..

Grabbed a pair of Nike, Italian made MTB shoes, at a close out. ,
a rugged heavy duty shoe,
the Shimano sandal ones,

+ , since I'm a B width, use the Keen Sandals, they fit fine..
got cheap, 2nd 'foot' from a wider footed person.
never took off the cleat cover yet

As I offer, [ex bike shop serf], SiDi has a narrow and wider, the Mega, last.
so you have a better chance of getting a good fit.
(Ive had 2 in the past both with adjustable cleats for traditional pedals)
Lorica synthetic upper wont stiffen in wet/dry cycles like cow hide does.

Given the stock ones are usually thin and cheap, i suggest separate purchase,
non standard insoles ,
and then size up a bit to have room for those.

It's about comfort over weeks on the bike , more than Brand names.

johncooks

I use Keen "Springwater" shoes with my frog pedals. I like them for the most part. They don't damage my fir floors, they are pretty darn comfortable to walk in, and they aren't all that heavy (although not light). My one gripe with them is they rode too high up on my ankle bone, which gives me grief in any shoe, biking or not. In fact, I cannot wear any shoe that rises up to my ankle or I get severe bruising. Weird, I know. So with the springwater, I had to trim the collar of the shoe with scissors, then stitch it up so it would not hurt my ankle. Now all's well.

telemark949

John,
Thanks for the suggestion. They look similar to the northwave model mentioned above. Do you get the crunching sound when walking on concrete? I'm in the Pacific NW as well (Tucson temporarily), so something somewhat waterproof sounds great.

johncooks

They don't make much noise. However, they are not waterproof, or even close. In fact, I would prefer the shoes if they had thin canvas instead of heavy thick layers of materials. Where I live, getting wet is going to happen. The key is the ability to dry quickly. My Keens remain waterlogged for days. Not so much of a problem in Tucson, but not so great here on the Springwater Trail in Portland.

Kip

I've used Speedplay Frogs for about 10 years. My current shoes are Shimano MO75s. The worked well at keeping the cleat from hitting the floor until the sole swore down. Now the cleat is flush with the sole. Last summer I tried some Keen bike sandals and really liked them. I found them more comfortable to walk in then the Shimano shoes. On a week tour the Keens were the only shoes I took along and they worked well.

radiocycle

My favorite combination is Frogs with Shimano sandals! My gf and I wear that combo exclusively on all of our bikes and on all of our tours. Comfortable, durable and walk-able. Most excellent in warm climates, but of course, can be worn with Neoprene booties for warmth or when riding in wet weather.

radio

www.radiocycle.crazyguyonabike.com