drewguy

It's getting time to consider some new shoes. I'm not asking for specific recs, but other than fit (duh), what features should one look for in cycling shoes. And I'm talking shoes with hard soles that take cleats, not MTB-type shoes you can sort of walk around in.

pvillemasher

One of the newer features I see on shoes now (as I shop for new shoes) are the Boa tightening system. I had my hands on a pair last weekend and was impressed. I'll probably have that on my next pair

NealH

Yes, get shoes with at least one Boa knob. They are really nice. I like the Shimano RC7 and you can get them for a good price. In fact they are excellent. However, there are lots of excellent shoes on the market these days. As with any shoe, it's always best if you can find a shop with good inventory and then try them on.

kbarch

Look for quality construction - it can make as much of a difference in comfort as fit. After that, just look; in my opinion, the rest is just visual aesthetics. I know some people will fiddle with the tightness or looseness of their shoes after they're already on the bike, but I've never felt the need, and whether it's laces, velcro, Boa, or some kind of ratcheting system, each works as well as the other as far as I can tell, but shoes with laces look best.

memebag

Red.

Also that boa thing.

topflightpro

A comfortable fit.

jimjim58

I'm happy with the Bontrager Velocis shoes with the BOA closure system, really comfortable. Pricey at $220, they better last a long time.

bonz50

I had boa on a pair of snowmobile boots, fargin awesome stuff, my next shoes will have boa.

rtalain

First, and foremost, they need to be comfortable, whatever other features you are considering. That being said, a Boa closure will help with comfort because it is easy to dial in the tension before, and during a ride. A carbon sole will also be stiffer, and transfer more force to your pedals, but I'm not going to say that you'll be able to tell the difference between a carbon sole, or a composite one. If you walk around a lot, some of the higher end shoes have replaceable rubber pads that wear from walking, but I've always found when they wear out, I'm ready for a new pair of shoes anyway. If you get leather outsoles (instead of a mesh material), they will be easier to clean if they get dirty (they will get dirty).

And lastly, there is an unwritten rule I read that your shoe color needs to match your helmet ;-)

aplcr0331

Really? Crap.


I have the Shimano RC7, those are great shows. I have the white ones and they show every little scuff. I'm not sure if it's just this model but this'll be the last pair of white shoes I buy. I'm going back to black. But these shoes are great, very comfy and have a BOA enclosure which is in fact completely awesome. Every shoe I have from here on out with have a BOA closure, love them.


1. Comfort.
2. Looks.
3. Stiffness.

indyfabz

Purple.

berner

It's not the shoes that need to match. It's the socks. What's wrong with you people?

drewguy

Wait, what?

There are 95 rules and this isn't in there?!?

The only thing I could find is on socks.
Velominati ? The Rules

generalkdi

It's because it's an "UNWRITTEN" rule!

There are some nice deals on Diadora Vortex Pro 2 (and other diadora stuff) on chainreaction right now..

79pmooney

What to Look for in Cycling Shoes

First thought - scorpions.

And seriously - laces. I love how versatile they are. I've been having issues with my feet from the straps. (The details of foot contact at the tops of the shoes matters far more if you do hills on fix gears.) I finally got the grommet tools and installed grommets for laces on my two best pairs of shoes. Wow! Best spent $10 for cycling I have done. And the part I really like is that as new problems show up (mostly form my other shoes) I can re-lace the shoes in a different pattern to avoid the problem area.

(Laces have other pluses when it comes to reliability, availability and cost, both short term and long term.)

Ben

RushFan2112

As others have said the Boa closure system is fantastic. Highly recommended.

I prefer a wider toe box and have found the Bontrager XXX to be great. They are light, stiff and comfy on my feet. Sadly, they are a bit pricey.

beanbag

Aren't the BOA laces always (figuratively) breaking? They'll send you a replacement, but still...

Also, isn't it limiting to not be able to adjust tightness on different parts of the shoe?

bobwysiwyg

Ah, a little pricey??

Scarbo

I hadn't heard anything about a problem with lace breakage on BOAs.

BOAs are not limiting. You can adjust them on the fly as you ride and when you do you provide immediate (and welcomed!) relief to a whole part of your foot if needed.

I have laced shoes as well and they do look really classy. But I'd always rather ride in my BOA-equipped shoes.

kydeadhead

I've found that with my feet, the most important thing for my shoes to have is a Sidi logo.

trekmogul 

IMG_0222.JPG

The new SIDI's with double boa's are fantastic shoes..

f4rrest

Bling.

Scarbo

The common wisdom is that Sidi shoes run narrow. So, theoretically, they should not fit me very well because my feet are slightly wide; but for some reason they are the only shoes that I can count on that won't hurt my feet. It's a conundrum, alright.

memebag

The laces aren't always breaking. And some shoes have multiple boa closures. Mine just have one plus two velcro strips. It works well.

RushFan2112

Haha... Yeah, I was trying to downplay the cost. I was fortunate enough to get 25% off because of the discount our cycling club has with Trek. Without it I would have put it squarely in the "cost-prohibitive" bucket. Even with 25% off it was painful. On the plus side they fit my feet really well and seem durable enough to get 5+ years out of them.