Metis

A while back someone suggested I try out SIDI as my first road shoe and I never looked back. I've been riding the 3-strap velcro Sidi Zeta shoes for over 5 years now and they're finally starting to wear out in the heal and tongue. Now I have a chance to upgrade to some new shoes.

I'm wondering if I should stick with SIDI or if anyone has made a switch to something else with good results. The SIDI shoes seem to fit my feet really well without any heel slippage so I'm hesitant to try another brand. Some other brands look more affordable, Specialized has some shoes at $50 and $65 on their website.

Secondary question: Anybody try the SIDI Level? At $125 they're the most affordable new SIDI shoes and look like they might even be an upgrade to these Zeta shoes I've been using.

Harumph

I wear Sidi wires and love them. My only complaint with Sidi is they're heavy compared to other brands.

fietsbob

Loved my old Kangaroo upper , Sidi slot cleat shoes, but i stopped wearing them, because they were not walking compatible..

cycledogg

I have been wearing Sidi since Genius 4. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I now own six pair of Sidi and love them all.

Shuffleman

The Chic Fil A of bikes...takes Sunday off.

1nterceptor

Loved my SIDI Dominators; I think they were the cheapest road shoes the shop had at the time.

smarkinson

I've got a pair of Genius 5 which have the same sole as the Level (Millenium 4 carbon). Those Level shoes look like good shoes and I reckon you'd be happy with them.

I can't do nylon soles anymore, they are just too flexible for me, so I always look for carbon soles now.

I recently picked up a pair of Louis Garneau Titanium which were going very cheap, 3 velcro straps which I find less of a hassle then the ratchet on the Sidi or boa fastening. The LG are a bit lighter than the Sidi shoes so that makes me choose them more often now.

bruce19

I don't have any experience with Sidi cycling shoes, although I love their Motorcycle boots. I am only posting because over the years I have plenty of experience with gear that was cheaper and more cost effective than the really good gear that I knew fit me well. A recipe for wasting money and time. A lesson learned the hard and expensive way. About 5 years ago, and after 20 years of kit like Castelli, DeMarchi, Pearl Izumi, etc. I discovered Assos. Saw some bibs on sale. Took a chance and bought a pair. It was still more than I'd ever paid for bibs. I've never looked back. Kit is a highly individual thing but, for me, nothing fits me like Assos. Since then, if I can't afford Assos (always on sale) I wait until I can. When something works you just stay with it. These days I'm jonesin' for my first pair of Sidi road shoes but my 3 yr old Specialized shoes are just fine. For now.

Aubergine 

I also choose Sidis because of the great fit on the heel. I still have two pairs that are over 15 years old, beat up but working fine with replaced Velcro on the straps. I do have a newer pair as well that fits just as well as the old ones. I have not found any other brand that grabs my heel like those Sidis!

mercator

I've gone through 2 pairs of Sidis and they fit me perfectly. Other shoes I've tried include Lake, Shimano, Diadora, Quoc Pham, and some chinese things I bought at MEC.
All those other shoes are OK, and I wear most of them still, but I'd stick with Sidi if I could afford it.

qcpmsame 

Love my Sidi Genus Five shoes, they are comfortable and fit incredibly well. They are well worth the bit of extra cost, much better than my previous Adidas and Specialized.

Bill

Clipped_in

I was a Sidi wearer for many years--they are good shoes. But, three years ago, based on a recommendation on this forum, I decided to try a pair of Bont Vaypors. I aboslutely love the Bonts!!! I don't see myself ever going back to Sidi shoes as long a Bonts are available. Bonts tend to be a love them or hate them kind of shoe. They fit like a pair of Birkenstocks and are super stiff and light with a low stack height. It just depends on whether they work for your foot. I had to go up 1/2 size from Sidi to Bont sizing.

I've had the Vaypors, now Vaypor+, and my wife is wearing the Riot model (great value). We are both very pleased with all of them.

WhyFi

Bonts are on the wide side, yeah?

Clipped_in

They are a completely different type of fit from Sidi's. They have a bathtub design that supports your foot from the bottom and sides, but does not compress it from the sides like traditional shoes do. So, in that sense I suppose they may seem to tend towards being wide, but they don't feel wide to me. They just cup your foot rather than compress it.

WhyFi

Hmmm, okay - I'll have to check them out when the opportunity presents itself. Thanks.

Brian Ratliff

A $60 shoe isn't going to fit as well as a $200 shoe. So don't get that into your head.

That said, there are other shoes that are at least as good in quality as Sidi (they'll be the same price). Sidi are known for comfort, but they are not the lightest, nor do they have the stiffest sole. Giro makes good shoes, as does any number of brands. I use Giro Empire ACC (super light, super stiff) for track and Sidi Genius Fit (comfortable) for road.

San Pedro

Try some shoes on. No one can tell you what will work for your feet. My Shimano shoes are some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever bought probably. I'm kind of hoping they last forever, even if they are in the heavy side, or aren't as stiff as other shoes.

JohnJ80

If you've been wearing Sidi shoes for 5 years and you've been happy, IMO, you'd be asking for problems to switch shoe brands. Each manufacturer has their own last and aims at a particular fit. If that's your fit, then you're 90% of the way there. In many ways, you're really lucky that you've found a fit in a manufacturer with such a wide breadth of products.

Where Sidi, in my opinion, misses it (at least for me) are in walkable MTB shoes and in winter cycling shoes. Their soles tend to be light on the tread under the shoe (tending to aim more at racing than hike-a-bike) so if you do a hike a bike or have to do a lot of walking in your mtb shoes, I find that Sidi isn't the best there. They have started a line of walkable shoes (SD15 and others) but they went the other way and the soles are a bit too flexible. I'm sure they'll dial it in, but the current offering isn't there yet.

In their winter shoes, they abandoned their normal fit and went all in for being able to wear heavy socks. That makes the heels loose (for me) and the forefoot too tight. For that, I've gone to Northwave's new winter shoes that are just this side of awesome. Someone finally figured out that sock thickness is not directly related to warmth (although this has been well known for years and years and years in the ski boot industry) and made the fit come first and then insulated around the shoe.

So my guidance would be that if you fit Sidi's and you're good with their mtb soles while on your bike, then don't change. I love my Sidi's - I've strayed over the years but I always come back. Nothing ever worked as well for me. The fit stayed the same over all those years too.