saddlesores

howdy. sandals. who wears 'em?

i've been riding in heavy mtb lugged sole shoes for years, ever
since i could no longer find avocet touring shoes.

anyways, all of my touring is done in southeast asia. it's hot,
it's humid, it's monsoony! even in the dry season in the desert,
my feets sweat so much i've got to pour out the pooled sweat
in the evening.

wanna cut some weight, find something more comfortable.
i use clips and straps on wide platforms, no need for spd but
a decent sole and wide bed is needed. size 12EE.

don't plan on wearing socks....although i am concerned about
sunburn on the tops of my feets. that freakin' hurts! in case
of cold rain or autumn in tibet, or rides to the local beach,
i'll just add a pair of black calf socks.

recommendations? i was looking at the nashbar ragsters.
hoping to find something at that price-point...or below.

ShortLegCyclist

When going clipless I use Shimano SPD sandals like these



And when using platforms I use Keen Newports

bhchdh 

Shimano SPD Shimano SD66 Cycling Sandals

Tourist in MSN

A friend of mine uses a several years old pair of Nashbar ones which he thinks were made by Exustar.

The Keen ones are the ones I am most familiar with, and they are almost like shoes with large holes instead of like sandals because of the covering over the toes. I think that I have some cycling shoes that are better vented than some of the Keen sandals.

Another friend of mine likes the Commuter III by Keen. I am not sure if they are discontinued or not. They are designed in such a way that water could pool inside them for a fraction of an inch.
KEEN Footwear

The Keen Commuter II I think would be a better choice (if you can find them) for rainy weather, they do not have a small ridge around them, so water should be able to flow out of them easier. BUT these are pretty narrow for their size. I have a pair that appears to have a size 10.5 width (my size) with a size 11.5 length, so my toes are well back from the front of the toe area. (Sorry if you need Euro sizing, I cited American sizing here.)
KEEN Footwear

I used the Keen Arroyo cycling sandals last summer for touring, very happy with them. But of the choices, these I think are the worst for drying out when wet, fortunately my tour was reasonably dry. Note that Keen makes a cycling version (two bolt holes for cleats) and a normal (no cleats) version of the "Arroyo"
Arroyo Pedal Men's Cycling Shoes | KEEN Canada

The Commuter III and Arroyo have a flat rubber sole which is nice for walking on pavement, the Commuter II had a sole more like a lugged MTB shoe.

The Keen website lists the original Commuter sandal, but I have never tried them and know nothing about them.
https://www.keenfootwear.com/en-ca/pr...s/men/commuter

If you find a great cycling sandal, tell us what it is and where you found it.

fietsbob

12EE the Shimano 2 strap can adapt .. Keen less likely.. but the toe protection is obviously better.

perhaps you can find a longer bit of shock cord? had a Keen SPD , sold them,

w/o the SPD pocket soles, the Klones, on platform pedals I wear, weigh a Lot Less. [10.5B, US] 44~46 euro..
(I wear cotton socks, With my Birkenstock sandals, I Dont. )

I didn't tour the Tropics like the OP.. stayed in northern temperate climate, like where I now Live..

mm718

I don't really see the appeal. Who wants to put sunscreen on their feet and doesn't it defeat the purpose if you wear socks? The cycling specific sandals I've see are rather heavy too.

phughes

I wear Crocs Off Roads. I had their Cross Trails for my last tour and loved them, they don't have those little holes in the top so the sun didn't get through. They are no longer made though. The Crocs stick like glue to the studs on my pedals. They are nice in rain since they will dry in a few minutes so you won't have soaked feet.

Sharpshin

My own touring attire, inspired equally by Asian grandmas and Texas roofers....

The sun is not your friend, neither is spandex nor crotch-padding. Sun block is irritating.



$10 straw hat worn over cheap cotton-blend bandanna.

$25 padded fingerless mesh riding gloves.

$30 Magellan fishing shirt 2XL. Worn outside pants to preserve modesty.

$50 REI nylon "Adventure" pants, cuffs tucked into socks.

No underwear.

Ordinary cotton-blend dress socks,

$12 Slip-on sandals.



Used in conjunction with $50 Nashbar platform pedals. Even worked well in the rain.

This get-up worked perfectly: 2,000 miles in 33 days (30 days of riding), June/July 2014, Texas to New York State. Not even a hint of sunburn.

Nylon maintains a high UPF rating even when wet, does not stay wet, and you can feel breezes right through it.

The plain 'ol department store dress socks did not let my feet get sunburnt and did not get wet from sweat, tho they would get surprisingly stinky. I brought three changes of everything, but most times I could just hand wash what I was wearing in the shower (averaged about one every three days) and it would be dry enough to wear the next morning when hung overnight.

Worked for me.

Mike

thumpism 

Where did you find all those bottlecaps?

SlowAndSlower

I have used only Shimano SPD sandals for touring since late 1990's. I wear socks with them and depending on the weather lightweight bike socks and heavier socks up to SealSkinz's. After a rain or taking a shower shower they dry out quite well. Never have had "hot" feet with them.

When I do have to push the rig up the road, more often than I like, they work well doing that too. And I've hiked in them albeit they are a bit tricky on rocks.

DropBarFan

Interesting that in many hot/sunny countries most folks do not wear shorts & short-sleeve shirts, even if they might have darker skin. I often go on short rides with flip-flops or river sandals; on tours I keep a pair for evening use & even for occasions when bike shoes start to pinch toes.

MassiveD

It is some kind of american idiocy that maintains that socks and sandals are silly. Many cultures use socks and sandal from Brits to the Japanese. Socks and sandals are really a separate thing. I wear socks to protect my feet from the elements and minor irritants, like poison ivy, or scrapes. I also wear socks to help protect feet against blisters and other wear, though they can work against one also. Sandals are minimal footwear, or in the case of cycling sandals they are the minimal technical requirements of a cycling footwear. This works in the heat, but also with some of the same benefits as any layering system where one can segregate different functions and add more warmth or waterproofness, etc...

My favorite sandals are the Lakes, but I can't get them any more and have been forced to hoard them.

With the general availability of flypaper pedals (meaning if such a thing ever became generally available), it might be possible to eliminate the need for technical sandals, that to some extent exist to make up for poor pedal design.

Kip

I've had a pair of Keen cycling sandals for about 5 years and found them to be comfortable both on and off the bike. They are the only shoes I take on summer tours. Recently, the stitching on one of the straps starting coming undone. Rummaging around on my workbench I located some heavy Velox linen thread that dated back to the early 1970s when I had a bicycle with tubular tires. Thirty minutes later my Keen sandals were repaired and good for many more miles.

hockey

I have used sandals for many years. Shimano and then Lake for many years. I now use the nashbar ragsters and am very pleased. Not too sure how well they will hold up in rainy weather, but I will find out soon enough in Ireland!

saddlesores

you started off well, seemed pretty reasonable....at first....

....but then you undercut your thesis.


the only real cycling shoes easily available here in chinaland are plastic tour-de-doping
racer shoes and the uber-heavy lugged sole mtb shoes. selection in manly man sizes
quite limited. largest size of ANY shoe in ANY store is 43.

mtb shoes are hot and heavy. it's humid, it rains a lot, rarely gets cold. and my feet
sweat so much at the end of a long ride in the desert (forget the rain), shoes are soaked.
heavy and stanky.

sandals will be lighter, comfortablerer, and will allow the sweat to escape....even with
socks.


i've found some cool-looking sandals online here, in adult sizes even. looks like water
shoes, not sure what you'd call them. full coverage mesh uppers, lightweight soles.
think i'll give 'em a try.

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm...id=41341218949

at less than $5 delivered, how can i possible go wrong?

thumpism 

Hey, I wear sandals with socks (to the everlasting chagrin and embarrassment of my bride) and will do so on tour as well. As a concession to her designer sensibilities I only wear them with black socks if I'm also wearing long pants. No sandals with black socks when wearing shorts. Even I think that is a little weird.

Tourist in MSN

Ok, I am weird. Actually, use a variety of colors including white, but almost always wear socks.

DropBarFan

& one can even buy socks designed for thong-type sandals with separate big toe. There's also toe socks with 5 separate toes. Once on local tv news they interviewed a courier who wore sandals year-round, in the winter he wore heavy wool socks.

dwmckee

I used to use the Keen sandals with SPD cleats on them for everything but winter riding.. Now I ride Dromarti leather shoes as they are even more comfy than the sandals.

prathmann

I've never understood the issue with wearing socks and sandals - and that's my standard cycling footwear (Shimano SPD sandals). Lets me adjust the sock thickness depending on the temperature - and I even cover the sandals with booties when it gets really cold.

bikebark

I have ridden Keen sandals on many tours. I apply sunscreen to the top of my feet in sunny weather to avoid sunburns. I prefer having my toes covered for protection. Many times I have had rocks hit the toe box on the sandals.

biketourings

Another vote for the Nashbar Ragster sandals, got a pair for the hot humid climate along the Gulf Coast and I really like them. Picked up a pair per suggestion from a guy who used them to tour and commute year round in Colorado. Only SPD shoe or sandal that doesn't make that annoying clickety clackety sound when off the bike. Here's a link for a good review of the sandals.

Nashbar Ragster II *Sandals, comfortable, affordable bicycle touring & commuting footwear * by Rideon - Bike Tourings

MassiveD

I suppose it is OT, but how does the Brit thing undercut the thesis? I remember many cute pairs of british kid sandals, always worn with socks as a kid. Roughly this kind of thing:

saddlesores

brit 'culture' as antithesis to silly. methinks nought.