Shoes for cycling
 

What kind of shoes would be good for cycling? I normally wear my casual sneakers. However, sometimes it teases me.
Do you suggest some good cycling shoes?

Cycling shoes are great for cycling.

If you search for "cycling shoes" online you will get mostly shoes that require special pedals on your bike. You can still use them, you will just not put on the cleats and you will pay more for them - but if you decide to go to special pedals you will still be able to use them.

If you search for "stiff soled sneakers for bicycling" you'll find some sneakers (I'm US centric, others call them trainers) with stiff soles that spread the pressure out on your foot when pedaling - an example is here.

All depends on your style of cycling and what the specific need is. If you are into road biking or commuting, you may want specific shoes that clip in to specific pedals.
Years ago, when I started to cycle, I bought specific clip-in pedals that also had a standard pedal face on the opp side. These were called "Campus Pedals". My shoes had the clips, but also aggressive tread. They were designed for MTB use, but I used them for commuting and just riding and still use them.

A good step up from casual sneakers would be a pair of flat soled MTB shoes. For example Adidas FiveTen Freeriders. They are much like tennis shoes, but they have stiffer soles and are very grippy. Casual sneakers/trainers are often too soft for pedalling efficiently. They tend to squirm about too much, especially if they have thick foam inserts in the soles.

^^^^What he said I commute in FiveTen Freerider Pro's and they're great shoes, grippy and stiff

Look for shoes that are intended for bicycle touring, where people do a combination of riding and walking.

The shoes typically look like regular sneakers, but they have stiffer soles, and most of them will take SPD pedal cleats (but you don't have to use them).

Here's a list of recommended bike touring shoes from bicycletouringpro.com.

Adidas has recently come out with Velosambas. There is a lot of info on using them with SPD’s but literally nothing with platforms.

Since they are pretty stiff and have a rubber sole, I imagine they would be fine for riding with platform pedals, without cleats, and give your foot better support. They definitely have a casual look.

John

As mentioned above, 'touring' shoes are styled like casual running shoes but with a stiff sole. These generally have a normal-ish-looking outer sole that should work well on flat pedals. 'MTB' shoes, on the other hand, often have very aggressive and irregular tread on the bottom and might not be as comfortable without a cleat and clip-in pedals.

Tease the sneakers back! Another response would be to avoid the sneakers altogether and just walk away.

The Velo Samba is cool but it's really hard get it's like they make 10 pairs of each size and they're done for the year. I have a buddy who also happens to be related to my wife who works for Adidas who's going to grab a set for me when they're available again it's been 10 months since he said he'd get me a pair.

Keep the sneakers and purchase pedals designed for using sneakers. MKS Lambda Platform Pedals, Pedals - MKS Grip Monarch and Catalyst Pedals. These pedals are foot forward pedals, meaning you push with all of instead of just the ball of your foot. Much like you do when you walk or run.

There are plenty of pedals that work with sneakers. I put about 20,000 miles on two sets of Odyssey Grandstand platform pedals and had no problems with foot comfort or grip. I’ve recently switched back to pedals with sealed bearings rather than bushings, namely MKS RMX and VP-538s on the road and MTB bikes, respectively. Both are made to work with sneakers or similar shoes. Lots of good choices.

Otto

Any athletic shoe or hiking shoe or boot that has a stiff sole is good for cycling. It doesn't have to be clipless.

The pedals I posted about are not to wide and are longer front to back so you can use more than the ball of your foot to spin the pedals. They are made for foot forward pedaling your suggestions are not. Using most of your foot instead of the just the front portion is what they are designed for. They are the best If you want to use non bicycle specific shoes.

If you ride for entertainment and/ or exercise, ignore the advice above and continue to ride in sneakers.

Why do people try to make cycling an expensive activity?

Did you miss the part where the OP complains about riding in sneakers?

I see where he wrote: “sometimes it teases me”. This statement makes no sense but I don’t interpret it as a complaint about sneakers.

I like those Adidas FiveTen Freeriders and may have to get a pair. I ride on platform pedals in sneakers as well. Sometimes I feel a stiffer sole would help. Those look like cool casual shoes to wear around too. There are a few versions. Which is everyone's favorite? It sounds like the non Pro may be good for my casual riding needs.

Yep Freeriders are a classic mtb shoe. Really comfy. The Pro version is a little stiffer and the uppers are a bit more weather resistant. But I think you will find the normal Freeriders are fine. You can definitely wear them off the bike too. The Sleuth is another option, but I've never tried those. I get the impression they are a bit lighter and softer - favoured by the jump and trick guys.

Advantages over regular sneakers - stiffer sole and way more grip on the pedals. It's the latter that really makes FiveTens stand out from the rest.

They are no more or less expensive than equivalent sneakers. They are simply optimised for riding. What's the problem with that if biking is your thing?

This depends a LOT on what kind of riding you will be doing. The best for casual riding on a beach cruiser will vary a lot from the best for road racing.

Freeriders are a lot cheaper than Freerider Pros. More important, they're mode on a different last. The Freeriders fit me fine. The Pros are too narrow. If your foot fits the Pros, the extra $50 will be worth it. Personally, I'm happy that the cheaper shoe fits me.:) These aren't the only good shoes, though. I think Chrome and DZR (?) may also make shoes for cycling on pinned flat pedals.

Just as another data point, I have pretty wide feet and still find the Freerider Pros plenty wide enough. They are not by any means narrow shoes. But sounds like the Freeriders are even wider!

It's NOT about trying to make bicycling more expensive; it's about trying to make bicycling more COMFORTABLE.

As I mentioned in a post upthread, I once rode 60 kilometers in shoes that were flexible (but not as flexible as sneakers) and before the end of the ride my feet were killing me. I bought a pair of MTB shoes that work with pedals with toe-clips and straps and can now ride 100+ kilometers with no foot pain. those shoes were LESS expensive than many running shoes yet they greatly increased my bicycling enjoyment and distances I could ride or steepness of hills I could climb. YMMV

Cheers