Touring - Footwear

Doing a bike-treck across france and am wondering about what i should be wearing on my feet???!!??

At the moment i am wearing trainers and they are working fine but this is only during trianing, so i have no idea what it will be like a few hundred miles down the road.

Socks? Any advice/help - much appreciated.

Cheers.

I would consider staying with the shoes that you have been wearing, they should be nicely broken in ... something you don't want to worry about while touring. As for socks, I like DeFeet (http://www.defeet.com/) , they stand up to abuse, don't smell and breathe like crazy. :)

I've found that the Smarwool brand socks for cycling to be very good for riding as well as everyday wear. They are thicker than DeFeet and give a bit more "cush". Although I do wear a lot of DeFeet socks myself, if I have to be on and off the bike (walking and riding tour) and expect a long day, I prefer the slightest bit thicker. Being Smartwool they don't stink and your feet are dry at the end of the day.

The shoes i am wearing are giving me slightly numb feet after about 15-20 miles! not sure why but it is slightly worrying. Its probably cause i tie them too tight. I am wearing cotton rugby socks underneath and they seem to be ok.

You could be getting numbness because of cleat position, or, putting your shoes on a bit before you leave then re-lacing them. Your feet swell as you work them. I have this problem as well and am very particular about properly adjusting my laces and straps, if you don't have both, consider finding some that do. Three straps is ideal. Oh, DeFeet are very thin.

If your current shoes are a bit floppy, you may want to consider some stiffer-soled ones. Some trail /hiking shoes have a good stiff sole which is obviously good for off-the-bike activities.
Shimano leisure shoes are also quite good even without clipless pedals, and I have walked comfortably for miles in them.
Nylon mesh is good for hot summer cycling. Avoid chunky soles and moulded side-bits.
I wear short cotton/coolmax tennis socks. Cycling in knee-high socks is so very 1970s.

I use a trail/approach shoe which works well with clip pedals however on my last trip I started getting real sore toes near the end most noticable walking on pavement .I was using a thin coolmax sock and next trip and going to try two pair or thicker sock like the smartwool if they dry as fast as the coolmax.

I just tried to reply but it wouldn't let me....let's go again

I just met a guy who's done cross-usa (3700 miles) in 9 weeks. He swears by cycling sandals (eg shimano do some - they have hard soles and spd option). He says they are best in both the heat and the rain, as they don't get sweaty, and take seconds to dry if it rains. I guess you can take socks in case you get cold ankles etc (I do). Also, you get tanned toes!

I use shimano hard soled shoes wthout spd's and my feet do also get numb in the afternoon. They also smell afetr a while. I'm gonna try sandals next time I go (possibly with 'Fame!' style ankle-warmer things to keep my ankles good...)

Oh - where you going by the way - I just got back from Brussels to Paris...

The plan is to start up in Halifax them down through england catch the ferry at Portsmouth through to Le Havre then make our way down towards Nice area! Should be a good laugh as there are 6 of us with no pressing deadlines!! Am going to enjoy sampling the various wines etc!! :beer: (What is it like cycling with a Hangover :( ??)

Are these cycling sandels any different to normal sandels?? I guess they have a harder sole but apart from that are they open topped with straps?

I have the Shimano sandals and they are pretty comfy. They are kind of dorky looking I admit but good for what they are.

The sole is quite stiff and there is sort of a bend in the sole so that when you are clipped in your foot is in a good position. I wouldn't really want to do a whole lot of hiking in them.

You might want to see if you can find a pair to test try on to see if you will like 'em.

Oh, I have also hear reports from people who have gone extremely long distances in them that the sandals sometimes make their feet numb.

At $75 dollars they are kinda spendy but nothing compared to a new SIDI shoe.

Later