Looking for a solid commuter sneaker
 

For the past 5 years I’ve worn my Asics Onitsuka Tiger Ultimate 81 sneakers for commuting. I’ve got toe cages on some Origin8 track pedals (not the biggest platform, but I have small feet so I never had a problem.

anyway I’m looking for something similar but with a little more thicker sole. I don’t want a big clunky sneaker. They still need to fit into my toe cages. I don’t know if Vans are an option, or some plain ASICS Tigers (not Onitsuka).

I got a pair of Onitsuka Tiger Serranos but the sole is super thing and flexible and I could feel the pedals through them and it hurt my feet.

open to suggestions!

I've been commuting with a pair of Crocs Literide Pacer shoes.....the ones that look like business shoes from above. I put them on one day it was raining and haven't gone back. They're plenty stiff enough and fall nicely into the plastic toe cups I use. They're punched full of holes so I won't be using them in the winter.

I bought them on a whim one day and it turns out they're actually pretty nice.

I've been wearing Chrome sneakers and they have been doing fine. The basic model is like a stiffer sole Chucks.

I like ridng in my skate shoes - adidas, (dennis) busenitz

I’m most often riding in Vibram Five Fingers, though.

My main commuter has Origin 8 pedals with toe clips. All my bikes have toe clips except the folder. I've been wearing stiffer-soled skate shoes for years. Usually Vans or Van-style sneakers.

I just turned 60 and for the last few years I have needed to buy wider-sole/wider platform shoes for walking, but these are not good for the toe cages. Plus there seems to be a general trend towards softer, spongey soles which don't hold up as well over time.

I've also had to start wearing arch supports for the last few years, and these have helped to make any sneakers I buy for biking even stiffer. Just go to any store that sells 'em like Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, etc and look for any inserts with a solid plastic arch section. Usually 8 to 16 bucks a pair.

I would recommend mtb flat pedal shoes. They have a stiffer sole and aren't wide like you see with sneakers. Sneakers weren't designed for pedaling. The cushioning in the sneaker is just power lost. Most bike companies have flat pedal mtb shoes. Also companies like adidas sell the 5-10 series which is the benchmark for grippy soles.

This is the commuter forum, sometimes we want to wear stuff that's good for all day at work and good enough for riding...

Try a pair of Vans of the classic design such as Authentics, Eras, Slip-Ons, Old Skools, Chukkas, Sk8-Hi, Half-Cab, etc. All of these are built with the same sole/sidewall construction. Avoid "updated" versions of these that come with the "Ultracush"/"Supercush"/"ComfyCush" insole. I rode the C&O Canal towpath from Georgetown DC to Cumberland MD in a pair of Vans Eras, no problem. I could do that now even in my minimalist footwear, though, since I been minimalist exclusively since 2009. It's really all about what feels right to you. If anything feels stiffer than what you're accustomed to, you probably don't need it.

If you're interested in trying clipless pedals: I bought Adidas Velosambas after finding them on sale for half price, and I really like them so far. I have a long-ish commute (~30 mile round trip), so I appreciate having my Eggbeater pedals for the ride, but the shoes are also quite comfortable to walk around in throughout the workday.

Main caveat is that my day job doesn't involve a huge amount of walking, and if it did I might find the shoes' stiff soles uncomfortable. But for my purposes, they're the perfect compromise between flexibility for walking and stiffness for cycling.

5-10
I take mine off when I get to work.
i have heard that throwing shoes like used for shot put and discus make good cycling shoes with a stiffer sole. So far, I e had no luck finding them in a store to inspect.
Edit:My vans slip ons are to thin in the sole.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4b2c10c739.jpg

Anyone have experience with Chrome Industries shoes? Currently looking at these: https://www.chromeindustries.com/pro...&cgid=sneakers
They appear to have a thicker sole.

also looking at these: https://www.newbalance.com/pd/nb-num...701&quantity=1

The ones I have are Dima, Kursk, and Truk according to my email receipts. They all seem ok. They are spilling more ink about features than they used to, so maybe it's better, but they were ok enough before.

careful with sizing, they really do run half a size large like the website says

I just purchased a pair of velosambas to use with some hybrid flat/clipless pedals. They look like normal shoes but have the advantage of traditional cycling shoes with their SPD mounts, meaning you can put more power into getting to work while still looking stylish.

This is a good thread. Always on the lookout for some economical shoes which suit biking yet can be worn off the bike comfortably.

Currently using a set of Windriver shoes I bought on clearout for $30 at Marks Work Wearhouse. They have a Vibram sole which is nice and stiff. However, they are starting to show their wear.

Sorry I missed your post! It's looking more and more like this is what I'll go with. Someone said Vans look beefy but their soles are pretty thin actually.

I tried on a pair of regular adidas sambas at the adidas outlet store this weekend, and I did not like the giant tongue - it was unwieldy and uncomfortable. Otherwise they'd be pretty awesome I think.
I've got tow cages on my bike and I find that best for my commute considering how much stopping I do and car-tangling. I don't want to have to worry about unclipping - its much easier to yank my foot out of a cage.

Puma Super Liga

why does the thickness of the sole matter? don't want to assume you want a stiffer sole. but a stiffer sole doesn't have to be thicker

thicker is a feature
stuffer is a benefit
it might help if we knew what benefit you were looking for

for example, I was just thinking about how I started with smooth bottomed cycling shoes, but w/o cleats. these have more rigid soles. those worked out really well for me. I imagine they would work real well w/ traditional toe clips aka cages

I just use regular shoes with flat soles, with studded platform pedals

SOrry I guess I was equating stiffness with thickness to a point - but I do mean thick because as I said in my first post, the sneakers I originally got had a very thin and therefore flexible sole - and i could feel the ridges of the pedals as the sole conformed around them and it hurt my feet.

I ended up buying a pair of New Balance 425s, and when they arrived I was like, these are way too nice to wear as daily commuter sneakers! So, I kept them for work, and instead ordered a pair of Adidas Superstars instead. Those should be OK i think. Will report back.