Originally Posted by
livedarklions
I love it when people start lecturing other people about what they SHOULD like. Obviously, you know more about other people's feet than they do themselves.
Did it ever occur to you that people have foot sizing and/or other foot issues that make trying to find a suitable pair of "cycling" shoes a fool's errand? It's adorable that you think "you don't follow the marketing labels" is a valid point for criticism.
Just because my shoes aren't "made for" pedaling a bike doesn't mean they're not better for my feet in that function than shoes that are labeled for that purpose. Frankly, those shoes were not made for my feet, and that's all I care about.
BTW, the shoes I buy and wear comfortably for thousands of miles of riding are both more comfortable than the cycling shoes I've tried and at a small fraction of the price.
Flat-soled New Balances, tried a lot of other stuff, nothing else works anywhere near as well for me.
Just because you are an outlier, doesn't mean "cycling" shoes are not generally the best option for most people. It's not just marketing, they are actually designed for the specific purpose. Whether those be cleated road shoes (definitely not for everyone, especially casual riding) or flat freeride mtb shoes and everything in-between. Some generic flat-soled trainers are okay too on flat pedals, but shoes like Five Ten Freeriders, which are designed specifically for flat pedals, are just a bit better (for most people) and they can double up as street shoes anyway. Probably not that different from your New Balance flat shoes and no more expensive.