Road Cycling - Diadora or Sidi

I am going to be buying a pair of look pedals as well and I was looking at either Diadora or Sidi shoes. I cant get any discount on Sidi but I found a nice pair of them for $205 CDN. The model of them is Sidi Genius 4. Does anyone know if these shoes are any good. Are they a narrower shoe, a normal width, or a wider shoe. I need a narrow shoe. If these shoes arent worth the money then what kinda Diadoras should I get that fit what I need. I am looking to spend $200-$250 CDN. If i get Diadora, I dont pay tax as that is the way my store and the allies do it if you pay cash. As for the Sidi, I gotta pay 15% tax as im getting them retail. So the Sidis are 235 after tax. Any advice would be helpful.

I wear Sidi Energy shoes on the road and Diadora Chilis on my cyclocross bike. I find both to be excellent quality, comfortable shoes. The fit is a similar, though Sidis seem to run a little small .

My main complaint about the Energy is that the closure system is probably unnecessarily complex. The rotating buckes are fragile and seekm ptone to lose parts on ride. Spare parts are available, but they are pricey. If I had it to do over again, I would go for the Genius 4, which is basically the same shoe without the high-zoot gymcrackery. The Genius has one feature -- the top buckle, which is the same on the Energy -- that I really like. This allows you to tighten or loosen the fit of your shoes on the fly, which is a big plus when you come up to a sprint after 100 km of easy spinning.

The bottom line is that both Sidi and Diadora make excellent shoes that are comparable at pricepoints. Try them on and buy the ones that fit the best. Comfort is a BIG part of buying road shoes. When you [i]do try them on, let them sit on your feet for ten minutes, or so. Road shoes should fit snug but not tight.

yah i was looking at the genius 4. they are 200bux.

I've had both Sedis and Diadora shoes over the years, ( 3 pair Sedis, 1 pair Diadora?). My favorite so far is the Sidis Genius Mega (wide last). Both brands are very good, just get the one that FITS BEST.
My first two pair of Sidis were "Titaniums" made from Kangaroo skin, very comfy stuff. The "trick" in those days was to soak the shoes in water with your feet in 'em and ride in 'em till they dried, to form the shoes to your foot!! I still have them and use them occasionally when I ride one of my older bikes.

Ride Comfy
Pat

Does Sidi make narrow road shoes. Are the Genius 4 narrow?

I wear diadora elites (I think) there were a mere $40 USD on sale, and are actually quite simple and nice fitting. the straps are velcro and the shoe is made from a leather/mesh mix. my only complaint is that with look pedals it is hard to walk on them since there is no rubber heal to get grip, but none the less they are very nice :)

I have tried some sidis and they are also a very nice, some people swear by them, but they may be a bit high in price. I think you will be very happy with either brand.

i dont like the elites. dont like how they look and they dont have a carbon sole. i found these diadoras which are 430bux. they are yellow. i can get them 50% off so..

I own a pair of Sidi Dynamics that you can get in the US for about $115US.

I love them. They are Sidis entry level shoe but they are more suitable for established riders. Very stiff Genius sole, two straps and are made of leather with mesh ventilation points. They also have a replacable rubber heel contact point so you dont have to destroy your cleats....especially those bulky Looks.
When buying them I looked at the higer priced Genius models but I could not justify spending another 60 bucks for a third strap. The Dynamics are a great shoe.

Sidis are generally a bit narrower than most shoes sizewise, and are definitely on the pricier side.

Originally posted by WorldIRC
ithey dont have a carbon sole

I'm not quite sure that a carbon sole is going to benifit you all that much, all road cycling shoes have a hard sole for power transfer, the carbon sole may be there to reduce weight or reduce road bumps. then again I have had no experience with carbon sole shoes.

yup i know.. fortunately, i can keep my shoes that i got now.. i was just given some eggbeaters which i am already enjoying on my road bike.. even though they are MTB pedals i love them.. they work great..