Road Cycling - Road Shoes v. MTB Shoes

Hi Everybody -

I would really appreciate your input on this.

I have been a MTB rider for quite a while, but moved into road riding last summer. I have a hard time finding road shoes that fit well, and have been riding on MTB shoes. (I ride a specialized Allez Sport)

I keep hearing from some of the people in my cycling club that I need to go to road shoes. About the only reasons I get from them are that road shoes are lighter and "look" better.

That being said, I am about 10-15 pounds over my ideal weight - I am working on it. Do the few ounces really make a difference, I dont think so. The MTB shoes also make it much easier for me to walk safely.

Are there any other good reasons for me to move over to a road shoe? Support?

By the way, I am in a Specialied PRO MTB shoe, so it is not the bottom of the line shoe.

Thanks,

Matt

MTB shoes are definately easier to walk in.. the weight I think is a minor factor in my opinion. But I use campagnolo pedals which have same bolt pattern as look pedals which won't go on 90% of mtb shoes.. so there is one reason not to use them atleast for me.

As for comfortable shoes have you tried Sidi's?

Generally, road shoes are more rigid. However, you do give up the ease of walking that you have with your mtb shoes. Therefore, it's a tradeoff. If you spend nearly 100% of your road time on the bike, road shoes seem to be a better choice. However, if your road rides consist of some walking, mtb shoes seem to be a better choice.

By all means though, if you're happy with your current set-up, save the $$ and stick with it! :)

I would say, check with your lbs. See if they will let you "test drive" a pair. They might, if you are willing to buy from them. If you never tried road shoes this could be a way to see for yourself.
The worst they can do is say no, and risk losing your busness.

:confused:

I have been using mtn bike shoes with Look pedals on my road bike for four years - no complaints from me or others. As far how they look goes, who really cares?? Functional is best.

The stiffness of a road shoe really makes a difference. With good shoes and pedals, it will feel as though the whole sole is the pedal. The pedaling efficiency is greatly increased.

As far as walking in road shoes, cleat covers make that more comfortable and secure. I know that there are covers for LOOK and Speedplay cleats.

Rich

Been wearing Lake Mtb. shoes w/ carbon soles and Kangaroo uppers for daily commutes as well as touring. They are plenty stiff as well as very functional. They don't look bad either.

I have used both Look and SPD pedals for years. I use them about 50-50 and I have never noticed any difference in performance other than walking issues and clipping in on a steep incline. Even on longer rides of 3+ hours I have never had any foot problems from either pedal system. Actually the Looks are quite dangerous if you have to walk anywhere with wet surfaces, like public toilets. That is one place you do not want to fall over.

So I would stick with the SPD's until they wear out.

CHEERS.

Mark

Like Stinger9oh said, road shoes are stiffer and are for a reason. With MTB shoes the sole flexes more than the stiff carbon soles of most road shoes.

Stiffness ofers a more efficient transfer of energy to the pedals. When the MTB soles flex, energy transfer is not as efficient. This combined with the better selection of pedals and the weight difference will make a noticable difference.

Of course if you aren't into racing then this is really not the issue. FYI I use specialized allez MTB shoes too but since I am into the racing scene I will be soon upgrading my shoes along with my bike. The decision is yours and whichever you choose, you shouldn't be dissapointed.
:D

Thanks for the input everybody.

I see that there is not a 1 answer fits all, but I now understand the key differences.

Thanks,

Matt
:confused:

Matt,

I had the same dilemma a little while back and settled on Sidi Bullet MTB shoes and Time ATAC Alium pedals for my bike (Allez Sport, same as yours) and am quite happy with the combo. The Bullets don't really look like MTB shoes and the soles are plenty stiff.

I transitioned into road biking slowly and used mtb shoes for some time.

You'll find that the right fitting road shoe can be as comfortable as any mtb shoe although harder to fist fight in.

As has been mentioned, the power transfer is more efficient with a solid sole and built in venting really helps on long hot rides.

A shoe that binds the ankle during a century ride could be disasterous.

Keep looking for the right shoe and take them when you find them.

I had mtb shoes for a while because they were less expensive, I could walk in them and could use them on all my bikes. But I did move to road shoes (Nike Cipressa) for climbing. The stiff soles definitely have made a difference, and I wear my Look mtb shoes for offroad. Yes, you can walk better in them but if you want to climb road shoes make a big difference. ONe of the reasons I got the nikes is that I have narrow feet and they fit really well. Hey, if they're good enough for lance!

If he doesnt care about weight,hes not going to care about stiffness.Remember,shoes,pedals,tires,hubs,rims,your pushing all that so weight will make a difference.Do you want to pedal an extra pound with every pedal for 25 miles.The grams will add up.

shokhead -

When you said "Do you want to pedal an extra pound with every pedal for 25 miles.The grams will add up." The lightbulb finally went on for me.

With grams here and there on the bike with other items, I can just loose a few pounds, but I guess if the shoes weigh quite a bit that would add up since you are pedaling them at 90+ cadence.

Thanks everybody.


:thumbup:

I tried to do road shoes when I bought my new road bike, but they were just too uncomfortable.

To me, there's nothing worse on my bike than shoes that hurt.

I have a comfortable pair of Shimano touring/MTB shoes. I bought SpeedPlay Frog pedals, a MTB pedal that goes easy on my knees because of its unlimited float.

I'd say stick with your comfortable shoes.

it depends on what kind of MTB shoes you have
- heavy sturdy shoes with not so stiff sole
- or light stiff-soled MTB race shoes

i don't know the numbers but i doubt some of the MTB race shoes are much heavier or less stiff than your average road shoes. then MTB race shoes are not cheap... and i'm sure that top-quality road-race shoes ARE lighter...

i would think you could stick with the MTB shoes and next time you need to buy ones compare MTB race shoes (for walking) and road shoes and see the difference in weight and stiffness.

unless you have some cheap heavy "freeride" MTB shoes with a pretty flexy sole it shouldn't make that much difference (unless you're very competitively racing - say cat 3 or higher - in which case you should just buy the "right" equipment)

Originally posted by condor
I tried to do road shoes when I bought my new road bike, but they were just too uncomfortable.

To me, there's nothing worse on my bike than shoes that hurt.

I have a comfortable pair of Shimano touring/MTB shoes. I bought SpeedPlay Frog pedals, a MTB pedal that goes easy on my knees because of its unlimited float.

I'd say stick with your comfortable shoes.

Since you already have Shimano MTB shoes, did you try Shimano road shoes? After trying on a lot of shoes, I've found that Shimano road shoes are not only the most comfortable road shoes I've worn but also the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I have really difficult feet to fit. So if you really want road shoes, you will probably have to go to a number of LBS until you find the right shoes. It's worth the effort.

I have to disagree with Nathank when he says: "unless you have some cheap heavy "freeride" MTB shoes with a pretty flexy sole it shouldn't make that much difference (unless you're very competitively racing - say cat 3 or higher - in which case you should just buy the "right" equipment)" That much difference can mean real orthopedic problems with knees and hips as well as pedaling inefficiency that can waste energy that could be better used to make you a better rider. Good shoes are not just for competitive riders--and, no, I'm not a road shoe sales rep.

Rich

Um, I think he said he had a Specialized shoe!
By the way, I am in a Specialied PRO MTB shoe, so it is not the bottom of the line shoe.

And a good one at that!

I'd stick to mtb shoes, and tell the "you have to wear road shoes on your road bike" snobs to stuff it. Also, wear your Camelback and Visor on your helmet, and oh yeah, don't shave your legs either! That's what I do. I even occassionally wear my baggies!

A stiff soled shoe like the one you own will work fine for the recreational riding you stated you do. If you start racing, then maybe switch, not necessary!

More importantly, what pedals are you using?

I use Time A.T.A.C's on my mtn bike and occcasionally switch them to my road bike when I use my road bike for commuting and times when I know I'm going to be walking around. I've found the difference in my Northwave mtn shoes to be negligible compared to road shoes, except when walking!

AAMOF, the Northwave shoes are identical except the mtn shoes have a different sole (w/lugs) glued to the bottom!

L8R

I didn't see it mentioned, but IMO the most compelling reason to switch to a road-specific shoe/pedal is if you get "hot-spots"... discomfort in the area that your foot contacts the cleat/pedal on long rides or hammerfests. Road specific pedals usually have a larger contact area, and the shoe has a stiff sole that help spread the pressure over a larger surface area.

Way down the list is the fact that you will be a leper in the eyes of the roadie fashion police. :eek:

After trying a quite a few different road shoes I finally settled on Carnac Legends. Mine are quite a few years old and are still going strong. They have carbon soles and Kevlar straps. Mine lace under the straps but I'm not sure about the newer models. The pair I have are so old that they have Greg Lemond's signature on the straps. They used to be called Lemond Legends. They don't stretch much so make sure that they fit when they are new. The main reason I bought them is they have a wider design for us larger footed types. I have walked in them but only when absolutely necessary. The soles do not flex at all. I also still use the old SPD road pedal system with the tiny pedal to shoe contact area and have never had any hot spots. From my personal experience, I will never buy bike shoes that are a little tight with the hope that they will stretch with use. Tight shoes suck!

I use Specialised Comp MTB shoes which I can (just) walk in. Very very stiff stiff soles.
(as stiff as road shoes)
The weight issue is minimal. If you forget to have a cr*p before you ride, you'll have more than compensated for the weight difference :)

Think, if you take a dumper as well, than you are ultra lite :)

Don't forget that if you are not used to road shoes and have been riding in mountain bike shoes, that the first time you try to push off from a busy intersection while one foot is down can be a life altering experience. At least it was for me. It's much easier to get started in a hurry with mountain bike shoes on slick pavement.

Okay - I see, there is definately not one right answer.

I think I may begin slowly shopping for some road shoes this weekend. I have a gift certificate from my LBS that is burning a hole in my Jersey.

Matt

Okay -

It only took me 2.5 months to make the jump.

I ended up with Look Pp357 pedal and Specialized Pro road shoes. Soooo much better.

I found a pair of Sidi that I loved but did not love them enough to spend an extra $100. My LBS had the Specialized Pro Road shoes on sale for 59.99 - nice price.

Matt

Good job.Now go ride.

For what its worth, Specialized markets a "road shoe" for those of us who went with MTB shoes for their walkability.

If you go to www.specialized.com look up the '03 Sedona shoes at $60 direct.

They don't look too bad.

Being that my LBS's did not carry shoes that interested me, I ordered a pair of the Sedonas to use with my Egg Beaters.

This will be my first time using clipless pedals, so I do not have any other shoes to compare them to. Prior to purchasing my new road bike, I relied on cages.

If anyone is interested, I will provide feedback on the comfort, stiffness and walkability of the shoes.

Be well,
Rob

Extremely stiff MTB shoes like the SIDI Dominator don't weigh but a few grams more than their road counterparts.

I've ridden in both MTB and road shoes. If I was in an all out sprint I would prefer a Look or Time or Shimano SL pedal with the big cleat. For general spinning around, my Time ATACs fill the bill.

My biggest objection to Look, TIme, or Speedplay Road Cleats is walkability, especially going down stairs with a bike on my shoulder. And yes, I know about the coffee shop covers, but that's just another item I'm glad to live without.

If you like walkability, the new Egg Beaters with pontoons seem to be a good road pedal compromise, at an extremely low weight.

Performance had the New Pearl Izumi 'vortez' on sale and I bought a pair. The shoe that in their ads - they portray the shoe looking like bedroom slippers..
Wish I had rode my bike with look pedals into the store , so I could have tried them on for a ride, if possible. I just tried them on and walked about. Thought felt ok.. At the time, I was on my bike equipped with SPD pedals. So I thought walking about would be a sufficient trial..
Now on the bike, the left foot is really cramped and left shoe feels a little tight. Hope it will give like some other shoes usually do.
Not sure are the shoes machined differently or my feet machined differently. Skuffed now, cant take them back.
I very much appreciate the stiffness of biking shoes.. I sometimes put in a Dr. Scholls insert to make them a little more comfortable. But, without that stiffness- the pedal stroke would certainly suffer, I feel..

I use a Shimano mtb pedal on my road bike with 1 side clipless and the other a platform. With this I use a Shimano mtb shoe. I find I can walk more easily with this type of shoe. With the two sided pedal I can just jump on the bike if I want to tool around the neighborhood.

I just got the R535 pedals and i had the 73 shimano road shoes.With the cleats comes a bracket with little rubber feet that goes on with the cleats.Makes walking no problem.

I tried to do road shoes when I bought my new road bike, but they were just too uncomfortable.

To me, there's nothing worse on my bike than shoes that hurt.

I have a comfortable pair of Shimano touring/MTB shoes. I bought SpeedPlay Frog pedals, a MTB pedal that goes easy on my knees because of its unlimited float.

I'd say stick with your comfortable shoes.

Same as Condor AND I ride a Specialized Allez Sport!