Casual shoes for cycling?
 

I mostly wear Red Wing work boots. What's a better shoe for cycling?
I have some Giro cycling shoes for SPD pedals, but I got rid of that bike.
My current ride is a Dawes Super Galaxy with the Christophe clips.
I can use the Giro with those, but I'm looking for something more versatile.
Sometimes I wear Sperry canvas sneakers.
Sometimes I wear Clarks desert boots (chukkas).
What casual shoes have you found work alright for cycling?
or do you have a cycling shoe that works ok for everyday wear?

Street and work shoes tend to not offer a lot of support, dedicated cycling shoes better support the foot when you are pressing down on a pedal for any distance. Flat pinned pedals can work well with street shoes, you just need to try it. A lot depends on what distance and time you spend on the bike which will determine if you want to use dedicated cycling shoes.

I would stay away from anything that laces up and flexes at the ankle (like the Redwing boots). It seems that you would waste a lot of energy flexing and unflexing the shoe on every rotation. That said, I did wear boots today and all winter.

If you don't want bike-specific shoes, wear what works for you as a regular shoe. I use throw away bike shoes so I can lift the pedals with my toes and step in mud and puddles without a care. I also suppose anything without laces is slightly better. If you go with laces, make sure to tie them well up and out of the way.

They are harder to find these days, but touring shoes with a smooth rubberized sole that is semi-rigid work well if you are using clips.

They will slide better than a mtb shoe, but have some grip, and are walkable.

John

Among other threads

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...r-sneaker.html

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...iff-shoes.html

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...ips-shoes.html

https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/1170262-shoes.html

I have wide feet and have gone to flat pedals.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...61595d44b1.jpg
These offer enough support so my feet are happy.
Rivendell bicycle and Soma fab shop have these.

I have used many different shoes on flats. I find stiffness, and nothing above the ankle to be the 2 important factors. A while ago I used to play tennis, and ended up with a pair of extra shoes. They were stiff and flat, so now I use them for cycling.... and they work pretty good. Almost as good as normal mtb flat shoes. You can run not stiff shoes with pinned flats, but I end up "clasping" the pedal with my toes like a monkey. Admittedly I have never used clips, but I suspect something with a stiff toe box and sole would be best.
MTB shoes work okay for cycling wear if you are okay with the skater shoe look.

Today I took a ride around the city in mine. Made a stop to go shopping that involved walking inside and outside. SPD cleats. Pearl Izumi X-Alp Canyon.

You'll likely never see me without cleats even when commuting, but I have also seen people pass me on organized 100 mile rides wearing tennis shoes, so whatever works for you works for you.

Not everybody's cup of tea but I wear Chelsea boots all day every day.
I find they work perfectly for bikes (toe straps or MKS cages) - no laces and stiffish soles.

Loake 290
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9fff370c8a.jpg

What do you think is lacking for your current choice of shoe to cycle with? A lot might depend on how long you ride your bike at a time as well as for what purpose. If you don't think you are lacking anything then why worry yourself about it.

And then there is that thing called personal preference which has a undefined number of variables that is different for all of us.

I use to ride with just a pair of running shoes or what ever happened to be on my feet when I wanted to ride. But those were the days a ride on the bike was more leisurely of a pace. Today I ride a road bike at a faster pace and wear more proper cycling shoe. Although I'm on a road bike with SPD cleats and Sidi shoes.

I would recommend red PF Flyers, because we all know red is faster. :D

You're killin' me., Smalls!

For flat pedals, either with or without pins, I find that Merrell Revel Roust (discontinued) and Five Ten MTB shoes (now under Adidas) work well. Basically one wants a shoe with a sole that flexes and compresses less than sneakers for running, walking, etc.

For flat pedals, I’m using VP-538.

I wear minimal shoes 100% of the time I’m wearing shoes, except that for cycling I wear “minimal friendly” shoes with a bit more stack height.

Currently I’m cycling in Lems Primal Zen which has a stack height of 14mm and is just enough to suit me. I have their Primal 2, which is good for walking but not quite stiff enough for my cycling preference.

For casual wear, walking and running, I prefer the Xero Prio which is slightly thinner and more flexible than the Primal 2 and has a bit more mid foot volume.

Otto

Altra Lone Peak variations are stiff enough for cycling and the off road tread offers excellent grip. With pinned pedals holes will develop where the pins are if you are consistent in foot placement, making them as effective as any cleated shoes/pedals I've worn. (Look and Time road). I have one side of VP Vice pinned, the other with most of the pins removed and some skateboard grip tape applied for when/if I just hop on the bike to get going without considering where exactly my feet are initially. Then I flip them on the fly.

Altras are another good choice. They are minimal friendly and plenty of stack height and stiffness for cycling.

Otto

My road bike is clipless pedals only. But my mountain bike I use for general purpose commuting, and I wear running shoes with flat pedals.

Adidas 5/10 freeriders.

How wide are those? I ran across them the other day, but couldn't find a width measurement. I'd love to find something in the 130mm range.

The pedals before the add ons are front to back 5" the width is 3 3/32". With the add on,the pedal is 3 7/8" at the widest point. From were the pedal axle meets the crank to the widest point 4 1/2". I am bow legged and pronate. To keep my heels off the chain stays I have an additional piece that screws into the crank before the pedals. They are called knee savers and I have the set that gives an additional 20mms width.

Dang! 3 7/8" about 98mm, quite narrow. I've had reasonably good luck with Kona Wah Wah 2 pedals, but 118mm is still a little narrower than I need.

I use flats pedals with pins on my mtn and road bike. I've found that trail type sneakers hold the pins well. Not too long ago, I had plantar fasciitis and the foot doc recommended some insoles. They are fairly stiff, never had a problem using these with my sneakers while riding my bike(s). Out of curiosity, I looked up "stiff insoles", and found this: Insoles for Cycling – The Insole Store . Now, I'm on the thin side, around 160, but haven't had any problems with sole being too flexy.

For flat pedals I use the New Balance 626 industrial sneaker.

Description
For men who spend all day on their feet, the 626v2 delivers a hard-working industrial sneaker hidden inside a sporty profile. This tough work shoe features a supportive leather upper to provide a secure fit, ABZORB crash-pad technology to aid in absorbing forceul impacts, an internal shank for stability, and an ASTM 2913 slip-resistant lug outsole for superior traction on hazardous surfaces.

My entire riding outlook has kinda come full circle. Like everyone, I started out as a kid then young adult, without any clue about "real" cycling, riding gear, or seriously nice bikes. Then I gradually moved up the ladder, eventually building my own higher-end bikes from frames and parts from Pricepoint and Supergo,etc, and even road racing in Mexico for a few years. I wasn't exactly the stereotypical bike snob, but in the general neighborhood.
Flash forward a few years, in my early 60s now, and I'm happily ( and humbly!) spinning up the local hills for a piddly 1.5-2 hrs. a ride, on one of 3 cobbled together Craigslist bikes, often in plain old running shoes. I still have a road bike with LOOK pedals and some old D'Addario shoes, but I mostly just ride one of my flatbar hybrids, with Race Face flat pedals, and running shoes. I REALLY like the option of just walking a couple miles, if necessary.