noobinsf 

I have read in a couple of places that there is a Facebook petition to have the Bata Biker reissued, but I cannot find it anywhere. Does anyone have any further information on this?

I ask because I contacted Bata corporate, and while they say there are no plans to reissue at the moment, they did ask for more information on the petition. In short, I have their ear right now and would like to provide more info. Can anyone point me in the right direction for a link to this petition?

Thanks...

John E

I would sign that, but what I really want is a reissue of the Avocet touring shoes.

Chicago Al 

They are very nice. I have a pair of 9.5 that I like, took me YEARS to find them. I had some smaller ones but am pretty sure I sold those.

Also have some NOS Cannondale 'touring' shoes that I haven't used yet.

I got some used-but-still-wearable Bata Bikers, but did not find them very comfortable, to my surprise. I think they were just too soft.

chainwhip

tiger1964 

I know my wife would sign that petition. She loved her set. Oddly, at the hospital after a wreck, they not only cut all the clothes off in the emergency room... but the shoes??? She's not as happy with whatever she's using now.

Did not know they were a MD company.

xiaoman1 

I sold a new pair awhile ago and to my surprise, I found another pair in storage and am a happy camper!
Best, Ben

schwinnderella

I could use a new pair.

SurferRosa

Yes, please.

Pompiere

I have a pair of Avocet shoes that are still in decent shape, but a new pair of Bata shoes would be nice to have in reserve.

Lemond1985

Much nicer than my first pair of touring shoes. Mine were made by Le Coq Sportif, got 'em at Big Five. They were apparently manufactured to the exact specifications of "Le Peewee Herman", light grey, narrow, lace-up, and quite dorky-looking. Don't miss 'em at all.

drpaddle

I used Bata Bikers for Bikecentennial in 1976. They worked great on my Campy pedals. Quite innovative for the time. I haven't spotted equivalent shoes recently. Currently, I use cleatless Lennon leather cycling shoes from England with toe clips for times I need vintage but might walk (e.g., Eroica CA).

rhm

I had a pair, they were excellent until they wore out.

Start a petition. Not on Facebook. I'll sign it.

Unless it's on Facebook, that is. Facebook is loathsome.

thumpism 

I wore out one pair of Bata Bikers and replaced them with the Bata Sprintour, which I still have in lightly worn condition.

eom 

This.

noobinsf 

Ah, ok -- I was under the impression that an online petition already existed, but it looks like maybe that isn't the case (at least not anymore?). I may get something started, but I was really hoping to simply be pointed to the one underway. Thanks, all...

avhed

I am with John E in post #2, the Avocets were the best . I guess that why some are still around. I could not bring myself to buying them in the 1970s when I was in my teens. Too ugly and canvas shoes are become smelly.
An updated version of the Sprintour may equal or even surpass the Avocets. That I would like to petition.

pastorbobnlnh 

I was raised and went to elementary through high school just down the road a few miles from the Bata headquarters in Belcamp, MD. I remember the plant and buildings very well. It would have been about a 30-45 minute leisurely bike ride from home and about 10-15 minutes from my schools.

Yet, unfortunately, in the late '60s to mid '70s, I was completely unaware of Bata Bikers. How was that possible? I have no idea. But I have longed for and searched for a pair (size 12), since first seeing them referenced here on C&V some 10-15 years ago.

Don Marco

I lived and worked in Belcamp in the late '90s. The factory was pretty well dead when I got there and I was still there when the buildings were demolished.

Wildwood 

So, did Bata Biker or Avocet get reissued?

noobinsf 

Not to my knowledge, unfortunately. I wasn’t able to show Bata corporate the online petition that I had heard about, so this was dropped. I’m sure it’s possible to produce a small volume tribute without running afoul of trademarks, but I’m not the one with the chutzpah to do it...

Mr. Spadoni 

Sadly, it will take more than chutzpah to get the shoes made, trademark issues notwithstanding. Back in the days when I had friends working in the footwear biz, the number that they threw out for a production run of any shoe was 10k, spread across colors and sizes. Number was smaller if the design could be piggybacked on existing models, using the same molds and lasts. But a stand alone shoe? It takes a lot of $ to start up the line.

MarkGreenberg 

Hello All! I've built and restored 60s - 80s racing and touring bikes for 17 years. I bought my first touring bike in 1982, an '81 Trek 513. Now is the time to reissue the Bata Biker! Bicycle touring, cyclotouring, or bikepacking as the kids say is as popular now as it was during the 70s and early 80s. Rivendell, Velo Orange, and Campfire Cycling would be on board as well as the Classics Rendezvous forum people. I wanted the Bata Biker, just as it is, to be reissued 15 years ago, and Vans put out an version, but it was geared for the fixie crowd. An exact rerelease of the Bata Biker at a reasonable price would sell very well--exactly now.

nlerner

The popularity of bikepacking has created lots of "shoe effects": relatively stiff-soled shoes appropriate for flat pedals and hike-a-bike. Not sure about their use with toe clips, but plenty of options to sort through: https://bikepacking.com/?s=shoes

MarkGreenberg 

Looks like the Bata Biker would be the only Vegan, breathable shoe that's walkable amongst the herd. Looks like most are mountain biking or skateboarding based designs, unnecessary wide, overpadded, and heavy. The Adidas Velosamba is close, but ones feet would bake into foot raisins on 50 mile treks in summer in those. Here's to toe clips and friction shifting! : )

Velo Mule

Thanks for the link nlerner . Every few years someone goes looking for Bata Bikers. That was me a while back. I posted here on BikeForums and pretty much got the consensus response back, just get some modern flat cycling shoes like Five Tens. I ended up getting a pair of Clark shoes that while not cycling specific, seem to be good or good enough for me. The Five Tens are tough to get now but the supply will come back. And with the other options that are on this list, we have lots of good choices.

While I loved my Bata Bikers, they were no other options back then. They were inexpensive and good. They were also sold in bike shops. I can't believe I'm saying this, but, there are better options now than back when Bata Bikers were available.