Cyclecrazy

Can anyone recommend a light, stiff, inexpensive ($70–$110) pair of SPD clipless shoes I can walk in comfortably for 10–15 minutes at a time? I ride a Specialized Sirrus Expert Carbon for rides averaging an hour or two, so they need to be a road bike shoe, not a mountain bike shoe. I prefer understated design/color—simple, not flashy. I don't see a product thread, so please let me know if this would be better answered elsewhere.

Seattle Forrest

You want a road not mountain walkable SPD shoe?

Is that a typo, are you looking for SPD-SL?

BlazingPedals

To clarify, road shoes aren't going to be very walkable. Mountain bike shoes will be more walkable, and SPD is SPD; so they'll work on a road bike that has SPD pedals. If you want walkable road shoes, you should be looking at getting cleat covers and I don't even know if you can get cleat covers for SPD.

Cyclist0108

My wife has that bike. She uses flat Azonic 420 pedals and 5-10s. No one has tried to place her under arrest.

Many 2-bolt SPD mountain shoes are identical to road bike shoes, except for the cleat mount holes and some rubber on the underside. (My Shimano M088 comes to mind.) Pretty much any 2-bolt SPD shoe will be walkable, at least to some degree.

jefnvk

I wore these for ten days in Europe exclusively, riding all day for six days then walking around towns at night, or walking all day for the other four. I ride flat pedals with the stock covers in place, and they are absolutely comfortable walking around all day. Days that I am really lazy and can't find my regular shoes, I'll wear these to work. I don't know much about the differences between road and MTB, but these are SPD.

They're about as understated a riding shoe as you are going to find, especially the navy variant. Anything road is generally going to stick out as a road shoe.

Rumble by Giro - High Performance Trail & Mountain Bike Shoes

HTupolev

Modern road shoes are by definition not very walkable because they're designed to interface with a huge cleat that sticks out. They don't have traditional walking soles, and the cleat isn't exactly a good sole either.

What particular issue do you have with MTB shoes/pedals? Many people ride road bikes with them no problem.

Seattle Forrest

I don't know if those are available, either, because they'd be redundant. Most shoes that are made for SPD or mountain cleats generally, have a recessed area to attach the cleat, so that it almost reaches the ground when you're standing in them off the bike. This is what makes them better than road shoes to walk in, the cleat doesn't touch the ground so you don't feel it, making them more like regular, non-bike shoes.

Here's an example:

Cyclecrazy

I have some old shimano SPD SH-MO36's I use on a mountain bike that are very walkable, but heavy; and light Specialized road bike shoes with SPD-SL style cleats for my road bike (Specialized Roubaix Pro) that are difficult to walk in. My Cirrus has Crank Brothers pedals—flat on one side (for street shoes) and SPD-56 style (their own design) on the other. I'd like shoes that are in-between--lighter than my old Shimano's and easier to walk in than my SPD-SL's. The Shimano MO88's are the right idea. Are they light?

Marcus_Ti

I snagged a pair of these on sale for 50%off, for all my offroad and walking around needs:

Sidi - cycling and motorcycling shoes and clothes

Yes, they're 2 bolt...there's a newer version I believe that is BOA closure, but lace-up works fine so long as you have a velcro strap.

Cyclecrazy

jefnvk: The Rumble is a good looking shoe. My only concern is they don't have a strap. Don't they loosen on a hard ride?

Cyclecrazy

The Sidi looks good, but aren't they heavy?

bmthom.gis

Maybe shoes that work with speedplay pedals? With the shimano type, you're on a wild goose chase. There is nothing wrong with wearing "mtb shoes and use mtb pedals."

Marcus_Ti

IIRC my Sidi roadie kicks (2014 Vernice with Speedplay Zero walkable cleats)...are about 370 gram each. The MTB Epics with Crank Bros cleat and sole-protector-plate are a skoche over 400 grams each. MTBs are nice as I can wear them to work or walk around, even the Speedplay walkables are something you wear a bit on the shoe walking about in, and of course aren't able to move quickly or stably in.


They're MTB shoes so they don't have the airflow or a road shoe, but they're about as lightweight. So in cold weather your feet aren't freezing. Should be noted that here airflow or not is rather irrelevant in summer, as it is so humid that nothing evaporates anyway.

jefnvk

Yeah, I picked them specifically because I wanted one pair of shoes for that trip, that could meet club dress codes and do well on the bike all day! I think they retail at $80, I got mine for like $55 on one of Nashbar's coupon days.

I've never noticed them coming loose, at least for my definition of hard riding. Dunno how they'd hold up for an A-pace group ride or race, but for my all day touring, they are solid. I just single knot them, then there is a little elastic hoop on the tongue that you can shove the laces into to keep them away from the crank.

Hiro11

Another vote for the SH-M089 of you want straps. Very well made and comfortable. One note: you can walk in them, but the majority of "true" mountain/road SPD shoes like the 089s are not really meant for 15 minute strolls. The Rumble or Pearl Izumi/Shimano's more sneaker-like options might suit better. One last option: a serious long distance rando/touring guy I ride with swears by Shimano's sandals. Cycling sandals are a fashion holocaust (depending on your taste), but extremely functional and probably the ultimate in comfort for long rides on a hot day. I can attest to the fact that this guy can ride like an absolute animal in the sandals.

Lazyass

You go on short rides. An MTB shoe will have zero negative effect.

drlogik 

Giro makes a really nice mountain bike shoe that looks like a road shoe and takes SPD pedals. They are black lace-ups with orange laces. I have a pair and love them! They look like the ones above in jefnvk's post. That may be the ones actually. Comfortable, light and look right on a road bike and they are good for walking around too.

corrado33

Just for the record, there IS a significant difference between MTB clips and road clips. Road clips typically have very little float (side to side rotation) whereas MTB clips generally have significantly more. I prefer each on my road and mtb bikes for that reason. Riding with MTB pedals on my road bike feels.... insecure.

drlogik 

Corrado,

Good point but I feel exactly the opposite. I like that float on my road bike because I find it is much easier on my knees. Yes, I give up some torsional leverage when pounding up a hill but I'm not a racer so it doesn't hinder me that much and I've never come un-clipped.

If I were 30 years younger I'd probably like the tight feel of modern road cleats and shoes but even back then with nailed on cleats and quill pedals with toe straps my knees got sore.

Boils down to preference I guess.

Dirt Farmer

Bontrager makes inexpensive, comfortable MTB shoes.

CliffordK

Lake makes several models of lightweight, stiff, carbon fiber sole walkable SPD shoes. Look at MX models.

They are one brand that come in half sizes (euro sizes), and I think they run a half a euro size large.

They may also come in different widths.

Cyclist0108

I got measured for them at the Sea Otter the other day, and I was quite impressed with the quality. Basically the road and mountain shoe are the same apart from the cleat-holes and the rubber on the bottom. (More colors in the road version). I was size 45, whereas my Shimanos are 47.

Cyclecrazy

I bought a pair of Giro Republic LX shoes. They are on sale at REI for $133 (regularly $190). More than I thought I'd spend, but great reviews, it's the look I like, and they have have the walkability.

gsa103

Float depends entirely on the pedals and not road or mountain. Speedplay road pedals have more float than any other road or mountain pedals. Shimano road (SPD-SL) have the same amount of float as mountain (6deg), but the road float is self-centering, while the mountain is free floating.

corrado33

I'll have to slightly disagree with you here. Float depends mostly on the cleats used, but IN GENERAL, road cleats provide less float than mountain cleats.

SPD-SLs come in 0,3, and 6 degree float while the "tighter (single release)" SPD cleats have a bit over 4 degrees or 6 degrees, depending on who you ask...

Crank brothers (a typically mountain oriented pedal) have a crap ton of float, at least they did last time I road them. They may claim a 0 degree float cleat now, but I'd be surprised if they felt anywhere as secure as fixed SPD-SLs.

I did not know about the self centering of road cleats. Thank you for that.

And for the record, I've ridden every pedal I've mentioned above. I prefer SPD-SLs on my road bikes with a small amount of float, then normal SPDs on my mountain bikes with more float (and it's obvious there is more float). I tried crank brothers at one point and couldn't use them because there was far too much float, even with the tighter (at the time) cleats.