Fifty Plus (50+) - I tried on a pair of Sidis

I need a new pair of bike shoes to replace the pair that are pinching my toes. I want recessed cleats and straps (not laces).

I was warned: DO NOT TRY ON THE SIDI SHOES.

So while at the LBS yesterday, I tried to avoid looking at the Sidis as I would a solar eclipse. They were on one side of the shoe display, and the "other brand" was on the other side. Trouble is, the bench for trying on the shoes faces the Sidis, just inches away. How could I not look?:(

I tried on 3 pair of "other brand" MTBs which were OK, but not right for me (either too stiff for my feet, or I just didn't like the style or color).

So Hubby says "Try on a pair of the Sidis just for the sake of comparision." :eek:

I tried the Sidi Dominator 5. :love:

The upper construction is soft and feels lovely on my feet. Since I wear running shoes almost every day, and they have soft uppers and rigid soles, I believe my feet are accustomed to that type of shoe and will rebel in a shoe with rigid upper construction.

I've already searched the forums and read many positive comments about this and other Sidi shoes. I also found one comment saying that the toe box in the Dominators is a little tight, and a wide size only means the shoe is wide everywhere. (I don't have wide feet.... at least, I never did!) I've also seen comments from reviewers who say that Sidis are the last shoe they tried and they will never go to another shoe because of the overall comfort that Sidis provide.

That's music to my ears, and if they were just a bit less expensive I would have bought them yesterday.

I spend $100.00 for my Asics running shoes because they fit and feel like they were made for my feet, and my orthotics fit inside, and no other shoe of this type that I've tried feels as good. With my foot issues, I am willing to spend a little more if necessary..... but only if there isn't another choice that feels as good, wears as long, and costs less.

My wife wears Sidi Genius Carbon http://www.sidiusa.com/gen6.6carbwmn_S08.html and uses Shimano Dura Ace SPD SL pedals http://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesomewhere.cfm/product/18/97/19638?g=1. Combined it is more money than most people spend on a bike but less than one pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. http://www.jimmychoo.com/pws/Home.ice :thumb:

Thanks -- I'll point that out to Hubby! :) I often remind him of the THOUSANDS of dollars he saved by marrying a woman who isn't a fashion hound.....

I worked to day with a nurse who is an avid runner. She runs a lot and goes through a pair of shoes every 3 months or so. A great pair of biking shoes should last several years. I vote for the Sidis.

Yen,
You are a WOMAN! A wall of shoes is normal. Besides, the Sidis will last forever.......at least that's what you tell the husband! "See, look at all the money I just saved AND they were on sale"! I hear that from my fair maiden all the time, it goes with the territory.
Good luck!

Of the Sidi MTBs I viewed at the Sidi site, the Dominator appears to be (unless I missed it elsewhere) the only one that includes a description of mesh inserts in the upper for additional comfort.

TWL and sojourn: Thanks! :thumb:

BTW, next month I will join a vanpool at work which will save me $200/month on gas (the vanpool fee is $10.00). The money I would normally spend that month on gas for commuting to/from work (>$200.00) can go toward GREAT shoes for my aching feet. Hmmmmmm.....

I bought a pair of Sidi Genius road shoes this winter after trying a couple of other "cheaper" brand shoes over the last couple of years that really didn't fit right. It was definitely the right choice.:thumb: I bought the mega, wider version to avoid the toe pinch that you mention. They only seem wider in the toe box.

BTW, next month I will join a vanpool at work which will save me $200/month on gas (the vanpool fee is $10.00). The money I would normally spend that month on gas for commuting to/from work (>$200.00) can go toward GREAT shoes for my aching feet. Hmmmmmm.....

I thought you had already used that excuse to get the Roubaix!!!!:innocent::innocent:

tedshuck: Glad to know that about the toe box... thanks. I'll see if the shop has a mega pair.

stapfam: :) At that time I thought I might join a vanpool but a seat wasn't open, and the savings wasn't as much as it is now (gas prices have risen at least a dollar since then, and that vanpool rate was higher).

+ 1 on the Sidi's. I tried them on at a bike store once and coveted them unitl I purchased a parr. I use the road shoe version in mega width. I thought $229 was a lot for shoes when I bought them 5 years ago and am still putting 3,500 miles a year on the them. When I was a runner I would get about 250 to 300 miles out of a pair of $90 running shoes. At that rate I would have gone thru about a dozen pairs of running shoes to the one pair of Sidi's. I say go for it you won't be sorry.

Of the Sidi MTBs I viewed at the Sidi site, the Dominator appears to be (unless I missed it elsewhere) the only one that includes a description of mesh inserts in the upper for additional comfort.

BTW...I would point out that once you commit to recessed cleats, you are essentially stuck with SPDs. Like the Sidi shoes, once you try an SPD SL, or Look Keo, or Speedplays and etc, you will throw rocks at the SPDs, just sayin.:)

Buy the Sidi's and never look back. I tried cheaper shoes in the beginning- spent more on trial & error and insoles, not to mention a nasty bout of plantir facitis (sp?). I don't consider myself to have wide feet, but the mega-sizing has really worked out well for me and I wouldn't even switch brands if they were free.

I love my Sidis. Yes, I do. Even the road shoes work with both types of clipless.

http://www.sidiusa.com/images/Genius51_BlackBlack_m.jpg

I love my Sidis. Yes, I do. Even the road shoes work with both types of clipless.

http://www.sidiusa.com/images/Genius51_BlackBlack_m.jpg

Note the red heel pad. It is replaceable and shops carry spares. I have replaced three of those due to walking - no problem. I use Kool Covers over the road cleats.

I am very happy with SIDI and yes, they are expensive.
I own several pair of SIDI MTB shoes. I have been around people who have lesser (cheaper) shoes and they seem to have issues which I do not. SIDI behave well if they get very wet. There are other shoes who are like a sponge.
I hear of feet burning. I do not know what that is. Caution: I do use top of the line sole inserts for added cushioning.
My biking involves occasional mile long walks. Therefore the MTB.

I bought a pair of SIDI Zetas on sale a few weeks ago and I love 'em to death.
I was using PI Vagabond R3s -which are not bad shoes by any stretch- with SPDs, initially, then with Zeros.
The PIs were fine with the SPDs and "OK" with the Speedplays.
But when I moved the Speedplay cleats over to the SIDIs, it was like heaven.
I don't know what I'll do when my Zetas wear out if I can't find another pair on sale.
For me, there is no going back (though I *am* using my PI+SPD combo with my LeMond)

Sidi makes a great line of shoes, but they may not be for you. Remember that every shoe manufacturer uses their own last for their shoe construction, and they are all a bit different. You did say you use orthotics, yes? Is the orthotic something you'll need in your cycling shoe? Will it work well with the Sidi? Folks are right about the cost being worth it... IF the shoe works for you. One final comment, I learned the hard way that a shoe that feels great while seated on the bench at the store, may not feel very good after 2+ hours in use on the bike. For me, the fit of the heel cup is a critical element, if there is any play at all, I'm in for some painful riding after about an hour. In one sense cycling shoes are just like bikes... it's only good with the proper....you guessed it - fit.

If you like running shoes then you should try the Specialized Pro Carbon before you buy the Sidi. The Specialized design is very much like a running shoe and as comfortable ----- no kidding. I was sold on the Sidi and that was the shoe I intended to purchase. However another froum member gave me a heads up on the Specialized shoe. One of the best tips I have ever gotten here at BF. Just my 2. Lp

If you like running shoes then you should try the Specialized Pro Carbon before you buy the Sidi. The Specialized design is very much like a running shoe and as comfortable ----- no kidding. I was sold on the Sidi and that was the shoe I intended to purchase. However another froum member gave me a heads up on the Specialized shoe. One of the best tips I have ever gotten here at BF. Just my 2. Lp

+1 I didn't want to say this in my earlier post, because my point was that not everyone will do well with a shoe, even if it is very good one. But, the Specialized shoes are the first pair that hold my heels in place and are comfortable all day.

I'll add another plug for Specialized. I have the BG Comp Road shoes and I think it's a great shoe for $135. If you feel the need to spend more, there are pricier versions. If the Sidis fit you better, by all means go with them.

My Sidi's are fine for rides less than about 50 miles. Anything longer and my toes start to hurt. After the ride I can hardly walk. I switched to Shimano wide shoes (M225SE) and they are great for longer rides. They also seem more like a running shoe. Guess I should try the Sidi wide.

I love my Sidi Dominators. My feet are wide, so I bought the Mega's. It took a long time, but I eventually found a great deal on ebay on brand new shoes the right size.

We returned to the store this afternoon. This time, I wore my super-comfy broken-in running shoes with orthotics and my feet were already good and swollen from today's bike ride and walking barefoot around the house today. I tried the men's Dominators with and without my orthotics, and found they are best without. I wouldn't need them in these shoes anyway, since the shoes do offer pretty good arch support. I tried on different sizes until I found the one that felt just like my broken-in running shoes. I walked around the store and the shoes felt great. With the store's 10% coupon on accessories, I paid a 20% deposit on the shoes.

When I get them home, I'll wear the right shoe around the house with a big sock over it and see how my foot feels after a couple of hours walking on it. That's the amount of time it took for my other shoes to hurt my foot. If it hurts, I can return them (the sock will keep them new) and try something else.

I appreciate all your comments, including the suggestions to try the Specialized shoes.

Jen

Shoes that fit are worth every dime they cost you.

I'll add another plug for Specialized. I have the BG Comp Road shoes and I think it's a great shoe for $135. If you feel the need to spend more, there are pricier versions. If the Sidis fit you better, by all means go with them.

And another plug for Specialized. I have the women's BG mountain bike shoes and love them:love:

I'll put in another plug for SIDI's. I am very cheap, so it was difficult for me to spend the money, but I'm glad I did! Very, very comfortable for long rides, no issues at all, just super excellent shoes.

Even so, I wear my Lake shoes for training rides and every-day rides, and save the SIDI's for double centuries and Big Event rides (Breathless Angony, Ride Around the Bear, Death Ride), just because I am so stinkin' cheap!

Rick / OCRR

The ones I'm replacing are Specialized BG. The toe box squeezes my right toes, eventually causing excruciating pain at around 10-15 miles. This is the second pair I tried within a few weeks; the first pair was a women's design which I exchanged for the men's version one size larger. Unfortunately, a rigid Specialized BG shoe doesn't seem to be the right shoe for me. My husband has the same shoe and they seem fine for him except in the area of the bunion on one foot.

Rick, glad to read that from another cheapie.:) I agonize over purchases like this.

Last year I bought the Sidi Dominator MTB's and couldn't believe I was spending over $200 for a pair of shoes, but I couldn't be happier with them. I used to have hotfoot and horrible toe pain, and all of that stopped when I got the Sidi's. I say go for it.

The Sidi Dominator is a great shoe and comfortable for walking as well. I have several pair and have used them for years with good results.

Rick, glad to read that from another cheapie.:) I agonize over purchases like this.

True Yen,

But "agonize" is a nice word compared to the way I beat myself up over spending what I consider to be silly money for something (anything). I could blame it on my Scots DNA, but whatever.

Still, every so often, I spend "silly" money, and am glad I did. This is one of those (rare) examples!

Rick / OCRR

I love my Sidi Dominator Mega shoes.

I have been wearing a pair of lower level Sidi road shoes for 8 years and they are still going strong and are still very comfortable. I'll step up to the Genius level next time. You get your money's worth from Sidis.

I agree with all the positive comments about Sidi. I have tried some others (not high end) but always come back. They are expensive but last ten's of thousands of miles and are good in the wet, too.

PS I am currently in Cuenca, Ecuador having decided on the spur of the moment not to return directly to N. California after the Galapagos. Every time I return to the USA from Latin America I kick myself for not knowing Spanish...So I am here in a three week Spanish immersion course with a private tutor. And...I just rented a great mountain bike and will try it in the Andes on the weekend. BTW, Cuenca is a World Heritage site and I am living in the middle of it for most of the rest of the month. Pretty cool, eh?

Pictures and new thread (MTB in Ecuador) to follow in a few days. Got to get back to the flash cards.

Sidi MEGA's the only shoe for a wide foot! 4EEEE's

One more vote for the SIDI. I have the Sidi Genius 6.6 Carbon. Can ride all day and no pain. Half sizes available for better fit and yes, Mega's for wide feet if you need them. Lots of replaceable parts on them also so you can keep them for a long time. Like the Ratchet mechanism and the heel. I shopped and shopped and found mine at a major discount on the internet from Western Bike Works.

When I get them home, I'll wear the right shoe around the house with a big sock over it and see how my foot feels after a couple of hours walking on it. That's the amount of time it took for my other shoes to hurt my foot. If it hurts, I can return them (the sock will keep them new) and try something else.

Jen

That sounds like a great way to test shoes. The ones I have the most trouble hurting my feet after wearing a while are the steel toe boots I have to wear at work. I need to remember that technique for testing them.

I love my Sidis. Yes, I do. Even the road shoes work with both types of clipless.

http://www.sidiusa.com/images/Genius51_BlackBlack_m.jpg

I have this shoe in a lovely ruby color. I love the shoe. I love that the heels are replaceable. Like Hermes, I wear Kool Kovers to protect the cleats (Shimano SPD SL). If only my dress shoes were as comfortable...

So Yen, are you convinced yet? :innocent:

I have orthotics in my SIDI shoes. It makes a big difference with orthotics. I think people with flat feet will tend to stretch out and the toes hit the shoe. With the orthotics, the arch takes up some foot length allowing room between toes and shoes.

But I think you have to really do a ride with the SIDI and orthotics to experience it.

I have this shoe in a lovely ruby color. I love the shoe. I love that the heels are replaceable. Like Hermes, I wear Kool Kovers to protect the cleats (Shimano SPD SL). If only my dress shoes were as comfortable...

So Yen, are you convinced yet? :innocent:

I'm convinced! :)

I realized a day or two after I tried on the shoes that I didn't try on the left shoe. My right foot is 1/2 size larger, and it's the one with the pain in my other shoes, so I wanted to be sure that foot felt good, figuring the left foot would be fine (as it always is). But then, I thought that I should be sure the shoe isn't too big for the left foot. So we went back yesterday and I tried the same pair on both feet. Ah...... perfect. They feel like gloves on my feet.

Now I'm still in a quandry over which pedal......:twitchy:

I'm convinced! :)

I realized a day or two after I tried on the shoes that I didn't try on the left shoe. My right foot is 1/2 size larger, and it's the one with the pain in my other shoes, so I wanted to be sure that foot felt good, figuring the left foot would be fine (as it always is). But then, I thought that I should be sure the shoe isn't too big for the left foot. So we went back yesterday and I tried the same pair on both feet. Ah...... perfect. They feel like gloves on my feet.

Now I'm still in a quandry over which pedal......:twitchy:

Look pedals work for me if you like the SPD-SL type. Much less effort to release than the Shimano version. The Look Sprint is easy on the eye and the budget.

I'm convinced! :) ...
...Now I'm still in a quandry over which pedal......:twitchy:

Which pedals are you considering? I thought you had said you wanted a recessed cleat, so SPD or Crank Bros. or Frogs or ATAC would be the choices.

If you are considering a true road shoe, Look Delta, Look Keo, SPD-SL, Speedplay and Time are the major players.

If you are unsure which type of shoe you want, get a pair of Genius and a pair of Dominators and swap pedals according to what you prefer that day. :D

I'm getting the Sidi Dominators which are MTBs shoes (recessed cleat). So, I'm trying to decide between Shimano or Crank Bros or Speedplay (Frogs, Zeros, Quatros) or whatever offers SPD/SPD-compatible pedals. I'm still reading comments and reviews and have not yet come to a final decision.

My advice is to stop agonizing over the decision. Pick one and buy it. They are all good.

It's not a matter of how good they are. I want easy in, easy out. It seems that as soon as I've got them narrowed down to one or two, I see a review or comments about them in which the person says they switched to another one because the others didn't unclip easily enough, not enough float (or too much), etc. Yet other reviewers say the same about switching to the one the person switched from!

My new Sidis.... complete with an instruction manual(!!) and a zip-lock bag with a small wrench and screws...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8d906b3127ccec4e26d41a37d00000040O08Eas2TVu4cg9vPgQ/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D480/ry%3D320/
I wore them around the house yesterday evening (with big socks over them for protection in case I need to return them) to check the fit.... even after a few hours, they still felt like slippers on my feet. :love: Not so with the other ones that hurt.

I may take them for a test ride tonight.

Now I just need to pick the pedals.....

Good choice of shoes! I've got the same ones!

I've found that the trick in choosing pedals is that because of the differing geometries, weights and strengths in our bodies, pedals work differently for different people. You really just have to try one and see if you like it. Some pedals are easier for me to get into and out of. Others find them more difficult. I like Time pedals, my son likes Shimano. Others like Look, Speedplay, etc. etc. etc. I have not had good experiences with Look pedals, but others have. Many of us have tried other pedal systems before settling on one we like. Fortunately, unless you buy the very top of the line, you won't be out a whole lot of money and even if you don't like the pedal you choose first, you can probably either 1)trade it in for another or 2)sell it off on craig's list for a substantial percentage of what you paid. Almost everything about cycling is the same way. Some saddles will be comfortable for you and miserable for me, and vice versa. Likewise pedals. If you want clipless, I'm afraid you'll just have to jump in the water armed only with the best information you can collect. Fortunately, the water is warm and shallow.

Best of luck. You already have some great shoes and a great bike!

-soma5

Hurrah! Now to decide on the new hybrid. I wish you and I were the same height and in the same town so you could borrow my Trek 7.3 FX to see how you like it. Poor thing has been collecting dust since getting the Ruby. :(

It's not a matter of how good they are. I want easy in, easy out. It seems that as soon as I've got them narrowed down to one or two, I see a review or comments about them in which the person says they switched to another one because the others didn't unclip easily enough, not enough float (or too much), etc. Yet other reviewers say the same about switching to the one the person switched from!

Exactly. Pick one. They are all easy to get in and out of when set up correctly and when you learn how they work. Reviews can be helpful, but as you can see, the quality of the amateur reviews ranges from pretty good to worthless. Mostly people try to justify the choice they made. Don't fall into the analysis paralysis trap.

I have ben riding with SIDI's for about 30 years, my first pair had hard leather soles and you nailed the cleat in place, this was before clipless pedals were invented, I know I am old. I have tried other brands but nothing else works as well for me. I also have 3 pair of motorcycle boots by SIDI and they are the best :love:. They aren't cheep but will last forever and you really do get what you pay for with this brand IMHO.