Road Cycling - tempted to go with cheapo shoes -- warnings?

Hi all, I'm beginning my interest in road biking, and need some equipment, specifically shoes first.

What do you all think of cheapo shoes, like these:

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=11752&style_id=285%20LAKC52&dept_id=1&deptName=Clothing&sub_id=133&subName=Shoes&lprice=24.98&hprice=24.98&detailName=Lake%20CX%20125%20Road%20Shoe

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?productId=47699986&storeId=8001&catalogId=40000008001&langId=-1

Have any of you tried either of these? what will I lose compared to say a $80 shoe by pearl izumi that I"m also considering?

thanks!

go for that addidas shoes.. but if you really want value.. check out specialized..

What I love about specialized is that thier soles are pretty stiff, and I don't get hot spots. Shimano shoes are also pretty good. I used to have a pair.

An old training partner of mine loved Lake shoes. He had a hook-up to get them cheap and would buy 2 at a time.

He was super strong (national track team member) and never had problems with the uppers. This was maybe 10 years ago though... I don't know if Lake quality has changed in the meantime. IIRC, back then the Lakes fitted quite narrow.

a older cycling guy i once met told me a good piece of info, the two most important things when cycling are your ass and your feet.

An old training partner of mine loved Lake shoes. He had a hook-up to get them cheap and would buy 2 at a time.



2 shoes at a time!?!?! Must've had a money tree growing in the backyard!

I usually buy one shoe, then put the other on lay away. :D

Sorry, it was just too easy ;)

I have a pair of those Adidas shoes & like them. If you are looking for really cheap shoes, check out your local GoodWill or St Vincent DePaul, you might get lucky. I check them from time to time for vintage bikes (mostly for parts) & about a year ago I spotted a brand new, apparently unworn, pair of Carnac mountain bike cycling shoes with SPD cleats in among the gym shoes. $3.95 was a good buy for me & they are now my regular commuting shoes. The recessed cleats let me walk around in comfort.

I've heard good things about Lake shoes in general, but that 1-strap fastening system looks a little sketchy. Generally, more straps is better, allowing different adjustments across different parts of the foot.

To expand a little on djbowen1's post, cycling shoe fit for a is probably the most critical and difficult "fit" item for a roadie. As a starter, it won't hurt to go with something inexpensive while you get a better feel for what works and what doesn't. If/when you upgrade, get fitted at a shop by an experienced cyclist.

Man whatever you try,make sure they fit.You still might get lucky at some lbs that have last years better shoes discounted to cheap prices.Try them on late in the day and bring cycling socks if you use them.

The pair of Lakes I use have conventional laces under the (2) straps so you get a pretty secure fit. I'd prefer a second strap on an shoes I buy but at that price you can't go wrong, assuming proper size.

those arch compression straps on high end shoes are crucial... especially for someone like me with really high arches. i get hot spots all the time with my cheapo $50 diadoras.... :(

Go to Nashbar and reverse the listing by price. It'll give you a pretty good listing of cheaper shoes.

Each foot is different and you may be comfortable in cheaper shoes (I wear Nashbar's, but I'm not a competitive rider).

I also have the impression the Sidi and others may last longer. But cycling shoes seem to last a long time as they get little real "shoe" use.

Each foot is different and you may be comfortable in cheaper shoes (I wear Nashbar's, but I'm not a competitive rider).

I also have the impression the Sidi and others may last longer. But cycling shoes seem to last a long time as they get little real "shoe" use.
You might be suprised how fast they wear out.My basic shimano's hace around 3000 miles and are starting to so wear.Maybe by summer i'll start looking.

go into your LBS and try on some shoes, and figure out what size you are in euros. then go on ebay and buy a pair of used shoes for $20. it's a good way to get a cheap pair of shoes, just to get started. however you're not guaranteed that they're going to fit if you do it this way, which means you'll have to resell them and buy another pair if they don't work. i've got two pairs of shoes that both fit, and i bought them like this.

and yeah yeah, i know, i used and abused my LBS by trying on their shoes. although in my defense i was at the time trying to find a cheap pair of new shoes. but they didn't have "cheap".

when my ebay shoes finally wear out, i know what i'm going to get next time: the same shoe, but new.

I bought the Lakes and rode an MS 150 two weeks later without a single problem. Love them! Only thing is that they're pretty narrow so I had to order a full size larger to get a decent fit (even then it was a bit tight). They lace up, but I took the laces out and just used the strap. For $25, they work great! Got Nashbar's MTB pedals for $15 too. $40 to get into clipless. WooHoo!

Don't skimp on anything that directly touches your body. If cheap shoes fit and are comfortable, ok. But experiment and try different shoes and brands. Don't look at cost.
The cost of painful feet, damaged knees and other biomechanics are much, much greater.
In this case, even $250 is cheap in comparison to the alternative.
SIDI are really good for alot of people and they last for years so are actually a good value.

To really know what works for you, you must try on shoes later in the day after you have been walking around for awhile.

Good luck everyone!

but spending $250 and then finding out a week later that you don't really like the shoes would really suck. lots of people buy SIDI because lots of other people do, but there's no reason to spend $250 for a pair of shoes. there are plenty of other shoes that are much cheaper. and buying used shoes is a nice cheap way of finding out what you really want. buying a cheap pair of new shoes will possibly tell you that you didn't want a cheap pair of new shoes. buying some nice shoes that are used but have a little life left in them is a relatively risk-free way of trying them out.

spending a bucket of money is no guarantee of the perfect, injury-free shoe. but if you spend that much, you might feel obligated to keep riding with them, thus causing injury.

i bought one pair, thought they were ok. on a whim i bought another pair, and went "yes!" i knew that i'd found a better pair for my feet. at the cost of about $50 total.

of course this "budget" way of thinking is lost on a lot of cyclists (i don't mean you specifically, RacerX, i'm just talking in general :) ). if you've got to have the very best/most expensive of everything, then there's no stopping you.

$250 on shoes is,well its the holidays so i wont say it.You can get a very,very nice pair for way under 250 bucks.If ya dont race,you really dont need to spend that kind of money unless you want to look like LA.

I don't think you guys are understanding what I'm saying.
If cheap shoes are comfortable, I'm all for it. I am saying don't let cost limit your choices for the sake of comfort.
I am also saying $250 is not bad considering the high quality shoe will last many years. The more miles you put in, the more crucial fit and comfort become.
This is not just for racers.

I've heard good things about Lake shoes in general, but that 1-strap fastening system looks a little sketchy. Generally, more straps is better, allowing different adjustments across different parts of the foot.

They have full laces underneath. The strap is for arch support and to keep the weed flap down. Lake makes great shoes.

-s

How about this:

I spend as much on cycling shoes as I do my regular shoes. Most of the time I choose comfort and quality over most other factors.

If you wear Dollar Store canvas shoes all day I doubt a pair of sidi's are going to make much difference.

But remember-you young whipper snappers, you only get one set of teeth, and one set of feet. Both get plenty of use and should be taken care of.

Don't skimp on anything that directly touches your body. If cheap shoes fit and are comfortable, ok. But experiment and try different shoes and brands. Don't look at cost.
The cost of painful feet, damaged knees and other biomechanics are much, much greater.
In this case, even $250 is cheap in comparison to the alternative.
SIDI are really good for alot of people and they last for years so are actually a good value.

To really know what works for you, you must try on shoes later in the day after you have been walking around for awhile.

Good luck everyone!

I completely agree.

If you are out to save, shoes are not the place to do it.

I completely agree.

If you are out to save, shoes are not the place to do it.
Stiffness and some carbon and 2 vs 3 straps.What else is there.I think it comes down to the more you spend,the stiffer the shoe.

But remember-you young whipper snappers, you only get one set of teeth, and one set of feet. Both get plenty of use and should be taken care of.

And that statement could apply to a whole host of other body parts, some of which I will not mention here! :D

Stiffness and some carbon and 2 vs 3 straps.What else is there.I think it comes down to the more you spend,the stiffer the shoe.

Mainly fit and material, not so much sole.

The material plays a big role in the fit. Cheaper plastics and what not make for a harsh, unforgiving fit.

Obviously, this is only my oppinion. I have ridden a fair few shoes over the years and it seems the higher end shoes all had a better fit, albeit different. Coincidence? Maybe... but I don't think so.

I have a pair of AXO mountain bike shoes I bought 4 years ago for 80 bucks that still fit better and feel better than any shoe I have. I wish I had bought a dozen of them.

I buy SIDI's now and they are just about as good a fit. Best I have bought in recent years but they are around 190.00 per pair.

Mainly fit and material, not so much sole.

The material plays a big role in the fit. Cheaper plastics and what not make for a harsh, unforgiving fit.

Obviously, this is only my oppinion. I have ridden a fair few shoes over the years and it seems the higher end shoes all had a better fit, albeit different. Coincidence? Maybe... but I don't think so.
Not so much the sole?Then how do they make them stiffer?They use that carbon fiber on the bottom for some reason.

I bought the Lakes and rode an MS 150 two weeks later without a single problem. Love them! Only thing is that they're pretty narrow so I had to order a full size larger to get a decent fit (even then it was a bit tight). They lace up, but I took the laces out and just used the strap. For $25, they work great! Got Nashbar's MTB pedals for $15 too. $40 to get into clipless. WooHoo!

The problem with going to a larger size for width is that you now are wearing a shoe that's too long, and you could get a front to back motion of your foot inside the shoe that causes the "hot spots" when your feet perspire and rub inside the shoe. That's why Sidi's are popular, they come in wide widths.
I have a good fit with the Wellgo MTB shoes I found at Performance, and bought two pairs. I haven't even put the cleats on the second set, though.

And if those $250 shoes you didn't like happen to be size 42, be sure to drop them off at your local GoodWill! ;) Don

Not so much the sole?Then how do they make them stiffer?They use that carbon fiber on the bottom for some reason.

You misunderstood me.

The difference in sole stiffness will mean nothing for most people. The average cyclist is more interested in comfort (more particularly, lack of hotspots).

I have heard many stories of buyers being sucked in for a carbon sole in a lesser brand rather than spending the same money on a plastic sole equivalent in a Sidi or Time.

uh... can someone please explain to me how cycling shoes "wear out"???

walking on the heels? (I know I've had to replace the
heel counter thingy on my Sidis.

I started with cheap Shimano shoes, not bad but not
great. I upgraded to Sidi Genius and there is a world
of difference. Look for older Genius 2's on closeout.

Marty

uh... can someone please explain to me how cycling shoes "wear out"???

The lining on my Specialized mtn bike shoes (which I use for road biking) has come apart, and the interior foam is coming loose.

These shoes are bout 5 years old with 8,000 miles.

Botton line as it always is:You get what you pay for.try roadbikereview and see what they say on shoes,go out and try some on and go from there.