Froomewannabe

Any recommendations for inexpensive good road shoes, say under $75 dollars. Anything in particular I should want in a pair, i.e. is there significant difference in carbon bottom vs nylon? Currently using tennis shoes on flat pedals. Like to see any links welcome to any good deals online. Thanks

mcours2006

Sometimes CRC had some clearance stuff for cheap. MTB shoes are cheaper too, I think.

tagaproject6

https://www.backcountry.com/giro-tre...w.gearscan.com

https://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/st...99_-1___204700

Dave Cutter

I bought some Venzo cycling shoes from Amazon. About $50. They have a bad out-gas plastic smell... but it has faded a bit. They are well vented on my feet and extremely comfortable. Cheap shoes... but worth every penny.

MagicHour

These Garneau milans are pretty nice if you don't mind laces - $49.99
I tried these as a backup pair of shoes and liked the way they looked, but unfortunately fit didn't work for me personally.
https://www.performancebike.com/webap...400034__400034

Check out Nashbar and Sierra trading post too they may have some lower priced Giros and other options.

Carbon soles come in at a higher price point, >$100. Will be stiffer and lighter -smal marginal improvements over decent nylon soles especially if you're coming from tennis shoes and or just starting out.

beanbag

Are you still going to use flat pedals?

seau grateau

+1 to these. I use them and they're an excellent value. Exustar makes some decent budget shoes too.

CliffordK

I'm a big fan of E-Bay. So, I'll snag a pair for $30 or so on occasion. I do SPD (not SL).

I did get some nice LOOK CF SPD shoes, but mostly I'll ride typical Shimano shoes. I have a pair of Specialized shoes that I've been wearing lately. Comfortable, but a bit thick, and heavy, and I've managed to break the plastic sole reinforcement It still works, but pops when I'm really working.

Unfortunately, buying shoes online carries some risk as shoe sizes tend to vary a bit from company to company, or even shoe model to shoe model in the same company.

I find Euro sizes most representative... size 46 = somewhere around an 11.

J.Owen

I can second these. When I first starting riding again I purchased these as a cheap entry back to clipless, with the idea that I would upgrade when they fell apart.

a year of riding later and they are still going strong and have held up surprisingly well for the cost.

wipekitty

Yes - this. I snagged a sweet pair of SIDIs, new in box, for around $50.

But if you go this route, it can be helpful to read reviews, forum posts, etc. to learn about sizing differences and other features that vary between brands and models. My online shoes fit perfectly - but I specifically looked for SIDI because I read that their road shoes tend to run narrow (I have skinny feet and usually need multiple pairs of socks with various shoes). I also determined that their Euro sizes can be a bit small; I went up a full Euro size from what I normally wear.

GGDaddy

Got the second cheapest shoe sold by Specialized at a local bike shop this Spring to get back into cycling. I forget the model/price, but definitely under $75. Have put 1,000 miles on them so far, and they still look like new. Very comfortable. My feet are cool enough in 90+ degrees and warm enough under 50 degrees.

Dirt Farmer

Bontrager shoes are nice.

kcblair

Just bought a nice pair of Specialzed shoes for $30 (ship included)
https://www.artscyclery.com/Closeout...LETILERD4.html

Froomewannabe

Switching to clipless. Bought a bike that is coming with Look pedals and cleats.
Thanks

beanbag

Darn. I was hoping you'd get SPD pedals so at least you can still get shoes which you can walk normally in without the clacking and slipping hazard of having a big ol cleat stick out.

Anyway, most important is comfort, so you may as well go to a bike store / REI and try out a bunch of shoes. And then you can cheap out and order the same thing online. You will need to get shoes that have three holes on the bottom.

shelbyfv

OK, I'll bite. This is called "showrooming" and is a despicable bottom feeder practice that should not go unchallenged even if it is a troll.

kc0bbq

If you've got feet smaller than Art's size chart goes those Vittorias for $29 are beautiful. Not sure what sizes 36 and 37 work out to in US sizing. 5 and 6? They're like salesman's samples.

canklecat

Depends on the manufacturer. Some, like Five Ten, don't routinely undercut meatspace retailers, so the price is about the same whether you buy in person or online. There are a few blowouts for discontinued models.

Ditto, Serfas products, most stuff sold by Specialized, Bontrager and a few others. Some manufacturers/suppliers support their meatspace outlets, some don't.

I'd buy Five Ten shoes from REI because that's where I tried a pair. I bought my Serfas saddle bag from my LBS because they let me test fit several models on my bike. I wouldn't save any money buying online.

But if the local shop is charging 50% more than the online vendors for the same new stock item, that's a problem with the manufacturer/distributor not supporting their meatspace retailers. It's a losing cause expecting consumers to overpay for everything, however honorable the cause.

shelbyfv

Absolutely. I generally buy online and just suck it up if the item isn't exactly what I expected. Or return it if I can't use it at all. I'm old enough to remember the arrogant take it or leave it attitude of small town merchants with no competition. What I'm characterizing as wrong is going in the store, fondling the merchandise, trying it on etc, then buying online because it's cheaper.

beanbag

It's very low, isn't it?

pvillemasher

I don't think the reference was to buying online, but was going into a store and taking sales people time with no intention of buying at the store, then buying online.

WhyFi

Yay! Finally I didn't have to call someone out for this! If you want the online price, you deal with the online service.

Back to the topic at hand - fit is the make or break of a cycling shoe and many manufacturers have a similar, if not identical, fit up and down their line-up. It's usually things like sole stiffness and closure systems that differentiate a $120 shoe from their $300 shoe, but the fit will usually be the same. Go to an LBS, try on the brands that they carry, see what fits and see if they have version that comes in at a price that you're comfortable with, whether it's full MSRP or a closeout from last season.

FWIW, my preferred brand was Specialized, but they done changed their fit so I'll have to find something new the next time I'm in the market.

canklecat

Yup. Just pointing out that some manufacturers circumvent that problem with pricing that supports meatspace retailers. So the only advantage to buying online is to avoid sales taxes, which I consider unethical if we also expect healthy infrastructure, schools, etc. AFAIK, all the online retailers I buy from collect our state sales tax, which is fine with me.

I do buy about half my stuff online, but often it's stuff I can't find locally, or if a local retailer was willing to order it they'd need to charge a premium to make it cost effective. So I'll buy what they already have in stock if it's what I need and the price is reasonable.

Pertinent to this thread, I'm also in the market for road shoes but am torn between a very squeaky tight budget -- which favors shopping online -- and having hard to fit feet, long and narrow, which favors fitting and buying locally. So if I do buy online I'll need to be sure the item can be returned or exchanged cost effectively if it turns out not to fit. Usually I prefer to buy shoes locally where I try them on for size.

jrporter

Louis Garneau Nickel Cycling Shoes....$40 Louis Garneau Nickel Casual Cycling Shoes

Froomewannabe

Thanks for all the responses/insight, especially this link. I just ordered up a pair of the Specialized Elites $39 and picked up my first log sleeve jersey for $16 for the change in season.

Looks like they offer free returns, so if either/both don't fit I can return w/out issue.