Peletonpete

Hi
can anyone advise me where I can obtain a pair of men’s vintage (1980’s style) cycling shoes for toe clips. I need a size US10/UK9/ EU44, don’t mind paying for a decent pair. Have checked EBay and there’s hardly anything available against these
shoe sizes.

cheers
PP

AJI125 

Budget? Slotted cleats or flat? Or modern 3 hole road/ 2 hole SPD?

A few classic look options that I've saved are here, never tried any of them:
https://steel-vintage.com/clothing/c...-cycling-shoes
https://www.classicsteelbikes.com/pr...ategory/shoes/
https://hnbshoe.com/
https://www.etsy.com/listing/6677390...ca-merckx-true
https://www.dettopietro.com/en/scheda_prodotto.php?ID=6
https://vittoriashopus.com/23-1976-series

T.W.O.

Pete,

I’ve been on a search for the perfect “vintage” bike shoe since my 1980’s Diadora’s went belly-up a few decades back. Here is what I have tried:

Yellow Jersey cleats on “modern” three-bolt shoes - Yellow Jersey sells their blue cleats that are made to be used on modern road shoes with a typical 3-bolt sole. Bicycle Shoe Cleats for Toeclip Pedals $29.95 at Yellow Jersey Quite a few years back I installed these on a pair of Lake CX100 Road Shoes that had laces under a lace cover and a wide Velcro strap. I cut the stitching that attached the lace cover and strap to the shoe, removed those parts and they are now a pair of well ventilated, lace-up cycling shoes with vintage cleats. The only problem that I had with the Yellow Jersey cleats was that the slot for the pedal cage was too narrow for some of my old pedals. A little work with a file corrected the issue. It might be interesting to try these cleats on a modern, vintage style, road shoe like the Giro Empires but I went a different route.

The Vittoria 1976 Series - https://vittoriashopus.com/23-1976-series The converted Lake shoes mentioned above worked acceptably well but they didn’t look like a vintage cycling shoe to me. When Vittoria came out with their 1976 series of shoes some years back, I bought a pair of the cleated, nylon sole, version. These look great and work well but.. the shoe upper is synthetic, not leather. The lack of leather slightly offended my “classic” sensibility but not a lot.

I find it interesting that the Vittoria cleats (which are available separately for about $18 USD) are almost identical to the Yellow Jersey cleats. I see no reason why the Vittoria cleats couldn’t be used on any cycling shoe with a 3-bolt sole, provided the shoe fit into the toe clip/strap. I have not tried this though.

Prooü Cycling Shoes - https://proou.com/product-category/retro-cycling-shoes When I ride a vintage bike I am usually just out for a relaxing spin and I don’t need the maximum efficiency that cleats paired with clips and straps provide. A flat soled cycling shoe, cinched into clips and straps works almost as well as cleats. In addition, with cleated shoes the positioning of the cleats has to be just right or you can experience knee soreness and my knees have become increasingly problematic with the passage of time. Finally, every cyclist that has ridden on old-school cleats knows the challenge of walking, clacking, clattering, and slipping, into a cafe for a mid-ride coffee.

I decided that I wanted flat soles and went looking for a vintage style cycling shoe that had a flat, touring sole, a leather upper, and classic good looks. I found the “Mendrisio Touring” model sold by Prooü and bought a pair. They met all of my requirements but I found that the sole is a bit too soft for comfortable riding on a quill pedal if you travel any distance. They might be OK with a platform pedal.

Back to Vittoria - Vittoria also makes a version of their 1976 Series that is compatible with the SPD style of clipless pedal. This model comes with an insert that bolts into the sole, filling the cavity that is there for mounting the SPD cleat thus providing a continuous flat sole. I liked the stiffness of the Vittoria nylon sole on the cleated shoes so I recently bought a pair of the SPD shoes. I have accepted a non-leather upper and this is the shoe that I am now using when I ride an older bike with clips and straps. I am still trying different insoles but I think I’ll stick with this combination for awhile. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,
Steve

Peletonpete

Many thanks folks, appreciated all your help.

PP

noobinsf 

If you google "vintage cycling shoes bikeforums," there are number of threads on this site with great information and informed opinions on alternative shoes that folks use.

Peletonpete

Many thanks will do👍

non-fixie 

I got these from Planet X last year: the Holdsworth "Roughstuff" shoes. Inventory and prices vary wildly, but worth keeping an eye out for, IMO. Currently at GBP 199, but I am sure I paid no more than GBP 70 for mine. I really wanted the orange ones, but ended up with "congnac". No worries, they come in black as well.

Peletonpete

Will check them out 👍
Thanks

non-fixie 

If you like shoes, HNB is an Italian company to watch: hnbshoe.com.

I visited them at L'Eroica in '19 and was impressed. I tried to talk mrs non-fixie into these, and failing that getting a pair for myself, but neither scenario went down well :

Currently they have a nice pair for those into Japanese bikes:


And they make these scarpette for Faggin:

SJX426 

@T.W.O. did you find the Vittoria size was good? Reviews of the 1976 stated to go up a size. If you wear 44, go to 45. Width was another issue.

I like the look of them. Just bought a pair of Vittoria for my wife, she loves them.

jdawginsc 

Somehow, some way I lost track of my 1990 lake cleated shoes. Perfect fit though low end and comfortable. I was going to replace the insole and couldn’t find them when I started down the cv rabbit hoke.

so far all my bikes are clipless but would like to use something other than tennis shoes...

jdawginsc 

Have you ever heard of these Rider Corsa or the cheaper Diamanté shoes there?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18460173541...AAAOSwFZpf5Pfp

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18470084157....c100930.m5375

non-fixie 

No, but I do recognize the brand logos. I am not familiar with Rider, but Diamant is a well-respected Belgian bicycle brand. Maybe these shoes were sold as accessories by the dealers?



Check out the TT decal:

T.W.O.

I found the Vittoria shoes ran true to size. I generally wear a Size 44 Euro and Size 10 US. I have a medium width fore foot with a slightly narrow heel. The 44 Vittoria 1976's fit me very well.

jdawginsc 

Even the same color family...interesting. Might have to think about them...shipping is eek, but those cleats alone are $20 from bike shops online.

merziac

I have a few go to options for this, most are not actually riding shoes and no cleats as I have a very crooked left ankle that gyrates while riding and I don't ride hard enough to need cleats, just good pedals, straps and cages to keep my feet on the pedals.

AND I hate the look of clipless, so no bueno.

Here is one of my options that actually work very well and you can walk a fair bit in them if you want.

John E

I am reasonably happy with my Giros, but I really miss my old Avocet Touring I and II shoes. Best ever!

gthomson

This question never gets old and appears in the 50+ forum as we are undoubtedly the demographic for older bikes and the appropriate shoes to ride on them. I would like a plain black shoe, made of a light breathable material with a hard sole and Velcro straps. I've had the odd errant lace get caught in the crank while riding and it is not pleasant. It doesn't have to necessarily be a cycling shoe but something that will look similar but also provide decent comfort when walking in case I stop for a cafe or bite to eat.

Any suggestions?

Mr. Spadoni 

Https://www.mastrofisso.com/en/categ...tage-en/shoes/

I know you have already gotten a lit of suggestions, but I have met this guy and really like his products

noobinsf 

What are these?

merziac

They are a pair of old Vittoria's with the cleats removed and protective soles added, the soles are bomproof, wear like iron and not cheap but really make these work for if you don't want to actually be clipped in for whatever reason.

Most any regular shoe shop can do them but I looked for a shop that had at least worked on cycling shoes.

I have always had them put on my cowboy boots for traction but they also do a fantastic job of keeping the shape and integrity of the sole like new.

Again, spendy, these were $70 but well worth it to me. The guy came down from $90 when I squirmed and you can shop around but I was glad to pay for this, they work great.

Peletonpete

Many thanks, will check them out!