Commuting - socks + sandals ??

I have my first clipless system now and my first clipless shoes are Lake sandals that I found lurking in the clearance bin at my LBS for $20. I figured they'd be great for the mixed mode commute in the summer since they are walkable. I hear tale of winter bikers loving them with neoprene booties or sealskinz...

My question now though - do any of you wear sandals for longer summer rides and do you use socks with them? I'm a sweater (like a pig on spit) if that makes any difference.

I would not ride a bike with open toed shoes.

But that's just me. I want to protect my tootsies.

My feet get really hot and sweaty in the summer, so I picked up a pair of Lake sandals about a month ago. Been considering them for a while and finally made the plunge. I love them. :love:

My feet get cold during the cool/cold months, so when cool weather comes back, they'll go back in the shoe box and the regular shoes will come out. :o

Socks with sandals?

Try it. If it's more comfortable for you, go with it.

I don't, but your feet are not my feet.:)

I have a pair of Shimano sandals and wear low-cut athletic socks. Like you, I do sweat a lot and the socks help with the comfortable wearing of the sandals. They also help keep your feet cleaner.

I wear socks with my cycling sandals. And eubi, what are you protecting your tootsies from? Sounds like a hazardous cycling environment.

I would not ride a bike with open toed shoes.

But that's just me. I want to protect my tootsies.

Do you fall a lot? Run into things alot? Maybe your blind and ride thru the gravel piles instead of avoiding them? :p

I wear sandals all year round in pacific northwest, and commute every day 50km. Ive never had anything fly up and hit my toes.

I wear wool socks in the morning commute. Sockless on the way home. And wool + gortex socks + thin overbooties in the winter.

Wear whats comfortable for you.

I was wearing some bottom dollar spd sandals last summer/fall, was great. No socks. My feet were truly heinously filthy on any very damp day (which there were a lot of; no real change, I was wearing only tevas before I got clipless pedals anyway). Fall, I switched to brand name shoes, and they were so much more comfortable (footbed design?) so I haven't switched back to those particular sandals when it warmed up again here (February-ish). Unfortunately, I don't know if I am a massive pronator or what, but the upper of the right shoe is now deformed past the plastic footbed, so my foot kind of sits on the edge of the footbed, sometimes. No support there whatsoever. I don't actually walk in them much, switch to other shoes I leave at work, so it's not a huge issue. But it is annoying. I might be saving up now for some lake or shimano sandals, though.

Can anyone recommend a good place to buy cycling sandals besides Nashbar/Performance & Pricepoint?

I ride with kids, so I don't want my feet attached to the pedals. I bought some Keen's that I like, and some Smartwool ultralight wool socks, keep my feet cool dry and comfortable. The socks are (were?) on sale at REI online. I've tried the regular lightweight socks (non-ultra) and I thought they were a little warm. I actually did a comparison walking around the house with one ultra-light sock on and one with no sock, and the foot with the sock on felt cooler. My understanding is that wool will wick the moisture when it's still in a vapor state, rather than waiting for it to become a liquid like the man made fabrics will. I don't know if that's true or not, but it feels like what's going on to me.

I just wear regular rockport leather sandals on really hot days. It's pretty nice to feel the breeze between your toes. Just watch out you don't them on the road, that would be kinda painful...

I'm looking forward to getting some SPD-enabled sandals when I start commuting again. The Sealskinz + sandals method sounds like a brilliant solution to cold rain (warm rain, just get wet!).

Can anyone recommend a good place to buy cycling sandals besides Nashbar/Performance & Pricepoint?

I ordered mine from Kozy's Cyclery (or something like that) in Chicago. They were on sale because the new year's sandals were just in and they had one pair left of the former year's in my size.

Always. I only don't wear them when it's gonna rain. I hate wet socks. Otherwise, it's sandals year round, and always with the socks.

Koffee

If my normal cycling shoes are still drenched from the previous night's rainy commute, I swap to the sandals. If it's a cold ride, I pull on the knee-high socks.
If these two things coincide, all well and good. I am a fashion statement for the ages :D

I would not ride a bike with open toed shoes.

But that's just me. I want to protect my tootsies.

I agree 110%. I lost all the toe nails on my left foot riding in flip flops as a kid.
My foot slipped off the pedal while riding to school one day and jammed my foot
,toes down, into the pavment. If I'd had shoes on I'd got by with no damage to
my foot.

Open toe is Ok for walking but that's all. Think about it ,mate.

I agree 110%. I lost all the toe nails on my left foot riding in flip flops as a kid.
My foot slipped off the pedal while riding to school one day and jammed my foot
,toes down, into the pavment. If I'd had shoes on I'd got by with no damage to
my foot.

Open toe is Ok for walking but that's all. Think about it ,mate.


Point taken but one of the major appeals with clipless is that your feet don't slip off the pedals.

Just one warning: If you use platform pedals, don't wear shoes that are too loose. I used to sometimes wear a pair of loose loafers, and one day one fell off in the middle of the intersection! :o

Not on my commuter bikes, but my long distance road bike has SPD pedals with which I use Shimano sandals. I wear ankle height socks with them. Without the socks, they feel clammy.

I agree 110%. I lost all the toe nails on my left foot riding in flip flops as a kid.
My foot slipped off the pedal while riding to school one day and jammed my foot
,toes down, into the pavment. If I'd had shoes on I'd got by with no damage to
my foot.

Open toe is Ok for walking but that's all. Think about it ,mate.

That's why I use SPDs on my sandals.

They're probably safer than regular shoes on platform pedals.

Think about it mate.

I think that socks and sandals look goofy. I dont generally do it. I have a pair of Lake Sandals and they have been ok. The sandals are a bit wide for me though.

I love the sandals in the rain and have been using them to ride through deep water.

As far as safety is concerned, I dont wear the sandals off road, there are just too many sticks and rocks that can ram up under your toe nail. Lakes come up to protect your toes a bit, but not enough for the trails.

Anyone ever blow out a pair of Lakes? I was thinking of taking them on a long trip. How about any other SPD sandals out there? Are Shimano's sandals any good?

I think that socks and sandals look goofy. I dont generally do it...

No argument here. But I also think padded cycling shorts and shoes you can't walk in look goofy. So there is a long standing precedence in the cycling world for looking goofy. Nothing new here with the socks and sandals.

That's why I use SPDs on my sandals.

They're probably safer than regular shoes on platform pedals.



For the record......
Nothing protects the foot (and toes) better than full coverage shoes. It don't
matter if the sandals have stinking SPD's or not. If you go down in sandals
your toes are still exposed to harm. Period.

In fact I wonder who the idiot is that thought up sandals with SPD's as well
as all the idiots who buy them. That could be the reason these sandals
were in the bargain bin looking for a fool to buy them.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Sandals are for walking not riding.

For the record......
Nothing protects the foot (and toes) better than full coverage shoes. It don't
matter if the sandals have stinking SPD's or not. If you go down in sandals
your toes are still exposed to harm. Period.

In fact I wonder who the idiot is that thought up sandals with SPD's as well
as all the idiots who buy them. That could be the reason these sandals
were in the bargain bin looking for a fool to buy them.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Sandals are for walking not riding.

Nothing protects legs better than leather pants. Somehow I do ok in my shorts though.
And nothing protects your torso better than full body armor. Somehow I do in my tshirts and jerseys though.

Wearing sandals is a calculated risk I'm more than willing to take. I've never heard of a foot injury caused to someone wearing clipless sandals. And I see plenty of them. I'm wearing some right now.

And wonder about the "idiots" no more. I'm one.

I prefer to think of myself as a rebel - a risk taker - living on the edge

Sandals while cycling - the freedom of the wind in my toe cleavage ... unless I wear socks.

The Shimano sandals are a little long in the toe area (when you buy them to fit the rest of your foot). I guess that's to prevent you from jambing your toes into the ground or back of the front tire.

Count me in with the rest of the idiots that wear sandals w/spd when I ride. I also always wear socks with them.

I wear Lake sandals. But of course! I'm a recumbent rider.

I do wear socks when it's colder. Otherwise, I like feeling the summer air on my feet. I found these really cool socks at a running store. They have toes. I love them. When it's colder I wear those with my sandals.

A lot of people I know who live where there is real winter swear by sandals because they can really layer the socks on thick and overall they feel much warmer. I think for riding a bike you can't go wrong with sandals. For hiking? Maybe. Poison oak on your feet? Ouch!

In fact I wonder who the idiot is that thought up sandals with SPD's as well
as all the idiots who buy them. .

I always wonder how people with obvious logic problems get thru life to your age without getting run over by a truck cause you looked the wrong way. :D