Are bike shoes really necessary?
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So....I got thinking about this today and searched for and found this thread which was very good reading. I think I'm going to try a cheap pair of shoes as recommended earler and see how that goes. I'm not a power biker - hell I'm hardly a biker. I ride for fitness with my longest rides being about an hour at about 14 mph but what' I've noticed is that I'm starting to poke my big toe through the court shoes I've been using for biking. My thinking is that bike shoes might be a bit tougher in that area!
#52
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Wow! This discussion has been asleep since 2004. ZOMBIE THREAD ALERT!
Carry on.
Shoes that restrict toe poke-through are a good thing.
Carry on.
Shoes that restrict toe poke-through are a good thing.
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I know this is a zombie thread, but I'll bite....I started cycling in 2007, it's 2022. I have ridden many thousands of miles in the last 15 years and I still haven't purchased cycling specific shoes....That right there should tell you if cycling shoes are a necessity or not. Nothing to do with the cost because majority of my non-cycling shoes and boots are more expensive than cycling specific shoes.
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#54
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This may be a zombie, but it may help many people by coming back to life.
It's not toe poke that bothers me - it's pain on the soles of my feet. Bike shoes are stiffer than sneakers or running or walking shoes, for example, and that protects the foot from too much pressure from the pedal.
When I used quill pedals and sneakers, my limit was about 20 miles; with quills and touring or road shoes, I did centuries without foot pain. When I used SPDs and Bontrager low end shoes, it was about 25 miles before hot spots made me wish I were at home. I now ride pinned flats, and I've always used Five Ten Freeriders without pain, until I get tired, at which point I feel pain all over because my riding form, such as it is, deteriorates.
It's not toe poke that bothers me - it's pain on the soles of my feet. Bike shoes are stiffer than sneakers or running or walking shoes, for example, and that protects the foot from too much pressure from the pedal.
When I used quill pedals and sneakers, my limit was about 20 miles; with quills and touring or road shoes, I did centuries without foot pain. When I used SPDs and Bontrager low end shoes, it was about 25 miles before hot spots made me wish I were at home. I now ride pinned flats, and I've always used Five Ten Freeriders without pain, until I get tired, at which point I feel pain all over because my riding form, such as it is, deteriorates.
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It's not toe poke that bothers me - it's pain on the soles of my feet. Bike shoes are stiffer than sneakers or running or walking shoes, for example, and that protects the foot from too much pressure from the pedal.
When I used quill pedals and sneakers, my limit was about 20 miles; with quills and touring or road shoes, I did centuries without foot pain. When I used SPDs and Bontrager low end shoes, it was about 25 miles before hot spots made me wish I were at home. I now ride pinned flats, and I've always used Five Ten Freeriders without pain, until I get tired, at which point I feel pain all over because my riding form, such as it is, deteriorates.
When I used quill pedals and sneakers, my limit was about 20 miles; with quills and touring or road shoes, I did centuries without foot pain. When I used SPDs and Bontrager low end shoes, it was about 25 miles before hot spots made me wish I were at home. I now ride pinned flats, and I've always used Five Ten Freeriders without pain, until I get tired, at which point I feel pain all over because my riding form, such as it is, deteriorates.
Ironically they're stiff enough that they're really not very nice for walking more than a couple of miles, but for the same reason they make great shoes for pushing pedals. And I think I paid about $34 a pair. Have worn them for up to an 87 mile day so far and no doubt they'll suit a century on either the bike or my unicycle, the latter being one of the reasons I have little interest in clipping in (!)
Last edited by UniChris; 04-25-22 at 12:09 PM.
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Scratch that, another zombie thread!
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I know this is a zombie thread, but I'll bite....I started cycling in 2007, it's 2022. I have ridden many thousands of miles in the last 15 years and I still haven't purchased cycling specific shoes....That right there should tell you if cycling shoes are a necessity or not. Nothing to do with the cost because majority of my non-cycling shoes and boots are more expensive than cycling specific shoes.
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to deter unwanted people from joyriding the road bicycle, bike-clipless shoes are necessary. The last person that wanted to "have a test ride" of any bicycle I have was never, ever since installing the clipless pedals.
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#60
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It seems like your still in the denial phase of cycling. No I don't need spandex, no I don't race fit tops, no I don't need cycling shoes. Technically no you don't need them, but if you want to take your performance up a notch and become more efficient than yeah clipless pedals and shoes makes a lot of sense and frankly are a pretty good investment as long as your feet aren't growing anymore since you can move your pedals from bike to bike and biking shoes really don't ware out like walking shoes do, so you could in theory have cycling shoes for years upon year and just need to changeout your cleats.
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I grew up with flat pedals and due to an injury I really can’t afford to crash while being unable to clip out. This is a real factor, having the bike attached to your foot can make you safer as in your foot won’t slip, but it can make a catastrophic crash worse. People kept on telling me to go clipless, and even gifted me a set of pedals and cleats, and yeah they are nice. Being able to pull up can help you focus on spinning nice circles. Also they keep your foot in the correct position if for instance you got a bike fit When sprinting, especially up a hill, you can get some more watts out of the clipless system, but I bet on a TT of rolling hills/flats the difference would be negligible.
I bet GCN set up some contrived test of this haha.
also maybe this is BS but I feel like not having your feet attached to your pedals can help in something like a chain drop, or even a pedal strike on the ground. My foot has slipped off the pedal (especially during chain drops) and it’s never been an issue, and I’ve talked to people who have crashed while dropping a chain when sprinting. I bought a nice pair of stiff mountain bike shoes that don’t have clips, they are a bit better than my sneakers but nothing game changing. Toe cages are annoying for me to get in and out of but maybe I just suck at using them, I run platform pedals on all bikes.
I bet GCN set up some contrived test of this haha.
also maybe this is BS but I feel like not having your feet attached to your pedals can help in something like a chain drop, or even a pedal strike on the ground. My foot has slipped off the pedal (especially during chain drops) and it’s never been an issue, and I’ve talked to people who have crashed while dropping a chain when sprinting. I bought a nice pair of stiff mountain bike shoes that don’t have clips, they are a bit better than my sneakers but nothing game changing. Toe cages are annoying for me to get in and out of but maybe I just suck at using them, I run platform pedals on all bikes.
Last edited by LarrySellerz; 04-25-22 at 03:30 PM.
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I had many, many years or riding with toe clips and straps. The vast majority of those years were with dedicated cycling shoes, sometimes using slotted cleats, but more times without the slotted cleats. I spent more recent years using SPD cleated roadish-looking black MTB shoes that were great for riding and walking. Now I am back to toe clips and straps or platforms without clips. I was never a racer, but did like retention systems when I used them.
The single common requirement for me has always been the stiffness of the sole of the shoe for foot comfort. The various retention systems have advantages definitely, especially if you pull up and over on the pedaling, but for me the only constant in all the cycling shoes was the feature of a stiff sole. My favorite shoes were my ancient Avocet touring shoes from the early 1980s with shallow grooves in the sole for retention if using toe clips, and my sub-$100 Shimano SPD mountain shoes. Both were stiff and yet very walkable. In fact the Shimano SPD shoes were the first cycling shoes that I did not remove immediately after getting off the bike at the end of the ride. They were that comfortable. Now I am using MKS Sylvan Gordito pedals with no retention and Shimano flat pedal gravity shoes bought because they are lace-up shoes and will work with toe-clips if I want. I find those shoes have an almost identical feel and comfort as the Shimano MTB shoes. (Note: I have wide feet and have found the Shimano shoes to be pretty wide-foot friendly, but YMMV.)
In a nutshell, in terms of advancing the enjoyability of cycling, the two best buys I made were good shorts and good stiff shoes. Both were really, "why did I wait so long?" moments.
Troul in Post #59 does have a very good point. It also applies for toeclips and straps too as the average opportunist snatch and ride thief is not usually wearing clipless shoes, and with toe clips and straps the entry and scraping of the clips as they are hanging down is a possible deterrent, however minimal.
The single common requirement for me has always been the stiffness of the sole of the shoe for foot comfort. The various retention systems have advantages definitely, especially if you pull up and over on the pedaling, but for me the only constant in all the cycling shoes was the feature of a stiff sole. My favorite shoes were my ancient Avocet touring shoes from the early 1980s with shallow grooves in the sole for retention if using toe clips, and my sub-$100 Shimano SPD mountain shoes. Both were stiff and yet very walkable. In fact the Shimano SPD shoes were the first cycling shoes that I did not remove immediately after getting off the bike at the end of the ride. They were that comfortable. Now I am using MKS Sylvan Gordito pedals with no retention and Shimano flat pedal gravity shoes bought because they are lace-up shoes and will work with toe-clips if I want. I find those shoes have an almost identical feel and comfort as the Shimano MTB shoes. (Note: I have wide feet and have found the Shimano shoes to be pretty wide-foot friendly, but YMMV.)
In a nutshell, in terms of advancing the enjoyability of cycling, the two best buys I made were good shorts and good stiff shoes. Both were really, "why did I wait so long?" moments.
Troul in Post #59 does have a very good point. It also applies for toeclips and straps too as the average opportunist snatch and ride thief is not usually wearing clipless shoes, and with toe clips and straps the entry and scraping of the clips as they are hanging down is a possible deterrent, however minimal.
Last edited by Bill in VA; 04-25-22 at 03:49 PM.
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#63
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Comfort and avoiding workout-related injury is the #1 reason to wear bike shoes when riding a bike.
The same thing applies to flat pedals too. Get flat pedal shoes for that.
The same thing applies to flat pedals too. Get flat pedal shoes for that.
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Those cramps have subdued (mostly gone away) once going 100% clipless. I attribute that due to the lessening chances of shuffling the feet around & changing the muscle usage. whether you pigeon toe, try to keep it straight line, or kankle out the foot position, until you can maintain a consistent foot position at the pedals, you'll always be turning on & off which leg muscles your ride will require for effort. Keep it steady to isolate the muscles group.
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#65
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Thanks for all the input folks. I do lots of cross-europe riding (I live in Germany). I am looking at getting the Lake MX 155. They don't look goofy while off the bike. Does anyone have experience with these? Are the good for long tours with a lot of off-bike as well?
What are clips and cleats and straps and platforms???
What are clips and cleats and straps and platforms???
#66
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In my youth I used Cinelli block cleats on Addidas Eddy Merckx shoes. Talk about being locked into the pedals. And I used Binda Extra toe-straps. Replaced the toe straps about once a month because they didnt hold firm anymore. I was obsessed with the most solid attachment of my feet to pedals.
Now as an old dino rider I use MTB shoes but no cleat attachment. Just ride my Atom, Union, Lyotard rat trap pedals without clips, straps, cleats, nadda. Still do rides with some fast pacelines. I like being unattached and able to move my feet about on the pedals.
Now as an old dino rider I use MTB shoes but no cleat attachment. Just ride my Atom, Union, Lyotard rat trap pedals without clips, straps, cleats, nadda. Still do rides with some fast pacelines. I like being unattached and able to move my feet about on the pedals.
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The stiffer bottom helps. I have ridden with clipless, with toe clips, and cleats old school, with flats. It depends on what type of riding You do?
I'm going to try a regular cycling shoe with just a mini-clip and see how I like that. I like the idea of at least having your foot in the right position , which is the ball of your foot centered with the pedal spindle.
I'm going to try a regular cycling shoe with just a mini-clip and see how I like that. I like the idea of at least having your foot in the right position , which is the ball of your foot centered with the pedal spindle.
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I know this is a zombie thread, but I'll bite....I started cycling in 2007, it's 2022. I have ridden many thousands of miles in the last 15 years and I still haven't purchased cycling specific shoes....That right there should tell you if cycling shoes are a necessity or not. Nothing to do with the cost because majority of my non-cycling shoes and boots are more expensive than cycling specific shoes.
I mean, my Ariat rigging boots and my Brooks Cadence running shoes cost more than my Pearl Izumis but they'd be pretty crap to wear as cycling shoes. I wouldn't want to run a marathon in my P-I's nor would I dream of wearing my Brooks on deck at work.
My Doc Martens are actually pretty good for in-town errand running and other short rides, but I wouldn't want to grind out a mountain century in them, either.
I have different footwear that's better suited to different jobs and conditions, just like I have multiple, different kinds of bikes for different kinds of rides; otherwise, all my bikes would be steel-framed single-speeds.
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I bought a pair to try last year. Previously I was riding MKS Urban pedals and straps. My thoughts:
I bought some used 2 sided pedals from my local CL. SPD on on side flat on the other. Then I went to REI and found a set of shoes that fit in their returned goods section. Start out with 1 foot clipped in and the other on the flat side. Ride around and practice clipping the foot in and out. Switch feet. Rinse and repeat. Do this until you become comfortable clipping in and out. Go for some real rides this way. Eventually it will become 2nd nature.
As for the before and after? Not that much of a difference. The clipless smoothed out my pedal stroke some. Less pushing down and more circular motion. Not pulling up, though. More comfort and less pressure on the soles of the feet. Beyond that, not much else. It didn't suddenly make me a climber. It's enough of a difference though, to make me stay with them on a bike or two.
I bought some used 2 sided pedals from my local CL. SPD on on side flat on the other. Then I went to REI and found a set of shoes that fit in their returned goods section. Start out with 1 foot clipped in and the other on the flat side. Ride around and practice clipping the foot in and out. Switch feet. Rinse and repeat. Do this until you become comfortable clipping in and out. Go for some real rides this way. Eventually it will become 2nd nature.
As for the before and after? Not that much of a difference. The clipless smoothed out my pedal stroke some. Less pushing down and more circular motion. Not pulling up, though. More comfort and less pressure on the soles of the feet. Beyond that, not much else. It didn't suddenly make me a climber. It's enough of a difference though, to make me stay with them on a bike or two.
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#70
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Now if you’re not going to use them as designed, no, they aren’t worth it, but if you want to go faster, longer they are a must!
#71
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I wore sandals with flat-pedals today. I may never be able to walk properly again. For some reason it is all in my left leg.
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Bicycle shoes are only necessary if your pedals require them. I have rubber-block pedals on all of my bicycles because I prefer minimalist footwear that have mostly smooth tread pattern.
I do 50-mile rides with extremely flexible shoes/sandals without experiencing any fatigue in my feet.
It's all about what you're accustomed to.
I do 50-mile rides with extremely flexible shoes/sandals without experiencing any fatigue in my feet.
It's all about what you're accustomed to.
Last edited by Nyah; 04-25-22 at 09:48 PM.
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May be a better question is are any shoes worth the money. Brand name shoes seem to be starting at 80 to 100 USD and that's just regular old shoes. Bike shoes even more. But then again bike specific shoes have never been cheap.
Even my ChiCom knock off Indoor Soccer Turf shoes are going for more than 50 USD... Ha
I use Rat Traps and prefer Warmart flat soled "Indoor Soccer" shoes. They are light weight, have fair support, and are not to bad if I gotta walk home with bike in tow...
Even my ChiCom knock off Indoor Soccer Turf shoes are going for more than 50 USD... Ha
I use Rat Traps and prefer Warmart flat soled "Indoor Soccer" shoes. They are light weight, have fair support, and are not to bad if I gotta walk home with bike in tow...
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#74
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I'm late to the party here but to me, I felt I needed (mountain biking shoes) them to help protect my feet as I have neuropathy and worry about injuring my feet.
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It seems like your still in the denial phase of cycling. No I don't need spandex, no I don't race fit tops, no I don't need cycling shoes. Technically no you don't need them, but if you want to take your performance up a notch and become more efficient than yeah clipless pedals and shoes makes a lot of sense and frankly are a pretty good investment as long as your feet aren't growing anymore since you can move your pedals from bike to bike and biking shoes really don't ware out like walking shoes do, so you could in theory have cycling shoes for years upon year and just need to changeout your cleats.
Some of us do some pretty serious long-distance riding staying in that "denial phase."
I've ridden tens of thousands of miles in flat-soled New Balance sneakers as they best fit my terrible feet. I rode 178 miles that way in the last 3 days. I made the mistake of buying cycling specific shoes once, and they were awful for my feet (5 10s, btw). Telling other people what they need in footwear is ridiculous. People's feet vary way too much to identify a "normal".
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