Robvolz 

I know there used to be a Santa Cruz company called Retrofitz that sold a plastic inner. Seems they went under.

I am somewhat inspired by a kid (in his 40s) who first asked what my down tube shifters were. Then he noted my Dettos looked like bowling shoes.

followed by a visit to a local vintage shop what sometimes has vintage wool Jerseys. There I saw actual bowling shoes, in my size even. With the size displayed on the back.

got me thinking.

anyone make their own?

79pmooney

I have seriously considered making the old fashioned slotted cleats for toeclipped pedals only with a LOOK compatible bolt pattern, not nails but Exustar beat me to it. (And did a very nice job.)

There's a local cobbler I'd trust to make cycling shoes but it wouldn't be cheap. (I'm guessing he'd bid too low, find they took a lot of thinking and effort, do a nice job and tell me the next pair will cost double based on what he learned.)

Robvolz 

I agree on the slotted cleat / toe strap style.

Shoes unless designed for “lift up from the sole” could fall apart quickly unless stout from the start.

unworthy1

for a while the "retro tweed-y" crowd were buying really stout all-leather dress shoes from thrift stores (quality "Brogues" with or W/O wingtips, extra points if made by an English shoemaker!) and getting oldskool slotted cleats nailed on.
They probably cleaned out all the high-quality shoes in Portland, Brooklyn and BayArea in a matter of weeks. So that fad went quickly.
I guess if the shoes also had spring-steel sole reinforcements (steel shanks) they might be nearly as stiff as some genuine Cycling shoes (with leather soles but not the wooden-soled jobs) plus they were certainly really HEAVY over-all!

79pmooney

I rode the LL Bean Ranger Oxford moccasins for decades. Thick smoothish rubber sole with a steel shank. Toestraps gripped (and didn't scar) the uppers well. The tab on Leotard Berthet pedals made a groove n the sole so straps pulled tight, I could ride my 44-17 up anything my legs were good for. (Seattle's N65th Street to Aurora from both sides.) When sole replacement time came, Bean's would repair the stitching on the leather rolls at the tongue base that took a beating from those climbs. Sadly, they went to a lugged Vibron style sole. Impossible for fix gear pedal pickup. If they went back, I'd go back to them in a flash. Best everyday, fully bike worthy shoe I've ever owned, by far.

squirtdad

https://www.instructables.com/High-h...ss-bike-shoes/

droppedandlost 

unworthy1

"she did everything Fred Astaire did but backwards and in high heels"

Bad Lag

Detto Pietro is still in business selling leather-soled cycling shoes.

On two separate occasions I tried to order a pair, to no avail. I sent messages in English and Italian but got no responses. I tried to order online, too, but the order would not go to completion. I gave up.

The cleats, if you want them, are the easy part.

79pmooney

After my last post I went to the LL Bean website and searched for those Range Oxfords. Not to be seen. But, the Allagash Bison Handsewns, Oxford are the same construction and not too different sole. No steel. But stiff foot beds exist.

And that sole could be modified easily to accommodate my shorter right leg. (Never an issue in my past. I was clueless.) That heel is deep. 1/2" ground off would be easy and leave plenty. Grind the lugged portion (by sight roughly 1/4") off the left shoe. Then fill the sole grooves in the right shoe with 3M 5200.

I'd do needed repairs on a few of my other cycling shoes while I am at it. The stuff is expensive. The grease gun tube from West Marine in black was $25 5 years ago. A tube's worth is a lot. You have 5-7 days to use an opened tube before it hardens. Takes nearly that long to set up on the shoe. Messy, requires harsh solvents to clean up. But permanent, durable, strong and very adhesive. We used to use it to glue sailboat decks to the hull. Yes, with bolts every 6" but ... once set up, you could remove the bolts and pick the boat up by the deck. A 30 footer with lead keel - if your fiberglass laminate was up to it. The 5200 won't go anywhere. Being part of a shoe sole is child's play for that stuff. (And walking on it is no different than the rubber it is applied to.)

Robvolz 

I’m at a co-op today.

I noticed shoes in the $5 bin. I see no reason I can’t dremel out the inner foot bed and use them.

I’ll post results

Colorado Kid

Office shoes or stiff Oxfords fill in the gaps nicely. They are stiff and looks good. The best are from L.L. Bean but other big brands are almost as good. I bought a pair of Rockport's 2 years ago that I bough off of E-Bay. Lower price and works great.

Manny66 

I also have a pair of the red/blue bowling shoes. I once thought of removing the soles off some cycling shoes and gluing the Bowling shoes onto them.

I had to reglue some old NOS cycling shoes back onto the soles they came with as the adhesive had dried out., even bought some hi grade glue. It wasnt too difficult to do so i figured getting some donor shoes and doing the blowing shoes would be easy.. I did have to make some Clamping Jigs to get full pressure on the soles as i had to deal with gaps. But they look good.