Touring - Shoes

I've never gotten used to clipless pedals and prefer the old faithful toe clips and straps. Problem is all the shoes I've tried have been made for MTBing. They have treads on the bottom and I have trouble slipping them into the pedals. The treads catch on the pedals and don't slide in very easily.

Can anyone suggest a pair of touring shoes that slip into toe clip pedals easily? Thanks

Look for shoe insoles to give stuff arch support
and turn a comfortable walking shoe into a 'touring shoe'


You now know to look for a smoother sole, in the forefoot.

Look for shoe insoles to give stuff arch support
and turn a comfortable walking shoe into a 'touring shoe'


You now know to look for a smoother sole, in the forefoot.

That is good advice. I'd like to know what some of the other touring people are wearing. What standard shoes have a stiff arch/sole and are not too bulky to fit into straps. What are you wearing?

I've never gotten used to clipless pedals and prefer the old faithful toe clips and straps. Problem is all the shoes I've tried have been made for MTBing. They have treads on the bottom and I have trouble slipping them into the pedals. The treads catch on the pedals and don't slide in very easily.

Can anyone suggest a pair of touring shoes that slip into toe clip pedals easily? Thanks

Google "bicycle touring shoe". You'll get 39,900 hits in the shopping page. There are lots and lots of 'touring' shoes that have flat soles without heavy lugs.

Google "bicycle touring shoe". You'll get 39,900 hits in the shopping page. There are lots and lots of 'touring' shoes that have flat soles without heavy lugs.

I followed your instructions and saw a bunch of shoes for clipless and/or with big lugs. IOW, I've had the same problem as the OP and know why he asked the question.

I'm very happy with Carnac Carlits, which have been out of production for the last five years or so. They do turn up on Ebay once in a while.

Exustar has what looks to me a very good touring shoe for the application as well, and last I checked they were still available.

There's also a place in England offering what looks like a good traditional touring shoe. http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footwear/arturo-wide-fitting-cycle-shoe.html If you try them, I'd like to hear how it goes.

I like clipless pedals/cleats/mtb shoes, specifically Speedplay Frogs. They're great.

If I were to not use Frogs, I think I'd just get big bmx-style platform pedals and combine with any old sports sneaker or sandal with good ventilation.

I think toe clips are the worst option. I used these a lot years ago, and I have not missed them at all.

I tried some Power Grips a while back. They're OK but they tend to cause pedal strike in turns because the strap holder sticks out so far to the side. You almost need a MTB BB height (>285mm) on your bike to use these.

http://www.jensonusa.com/Power-Grip-Sport-Pedal-and-Strap-Set

I followed your instructions and saw a bunch of shoes for clipless and/or with big lugs. IOW, I've had the same problem as the OP and know why he asked the question.

I did that search and saw a few that look like they fit the OP's requirements. BTW, just because a shoe is designed to be used with SPD or other clipless system doesn't mean you have use them with one. Many have a section of the sole that needs to be cut out for clipless use and it can just be left in for those who do not want to bolt on cleats.

FWIW, I think that clips and straps are the worst of both worlds, but I guess there are still folks who like them. I do have to say that, having used clips and straps for years before clipless became popular, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would choose them today.

I think some sort of Goretex trail runner would work. I rode in tennies and toeclips is my misspent youth. You're looking for a relatively smooth rubber sole. Trail runners have many shallow lugs, so might be fine. You don't really want a modern road shoe with a slick plastic sole. Best of all, rat trap pedals will wear shallow grooves in a rubber sole, so after a few 100 miles you'll get that "no way can I get my foot out of there" feeling that you're after.

I would tend to agree with staeh on this one, think of all the spd type shoes there are that would fit the bill-added bonus being stiff sole and depending on model, breathe well and dry well because of materials. Here in Montreal in various bike stores there are numerous models with little tread that would work well with clips.

It seems to me there is quite a good selection out there to find a pair that fit your feet very well, as that is the most important thing for riding long periods (along with a good stiff sole)

Get thee to a nunnery and see what models are around your neck of the woods.

Shimano has a variety of shoes with the model prefix of "RT." These have a smooth sole but are designed for SPD.

I got a pair of those touring shoes from SiDi, features a stiff sole.
but not so great as a walking shoe..

sole stiffness has the foot's heel ride up with every stride ..

Just have to bear in mind the trade off..
they are good on the bike though, due to that stiffness.

touring to me is getting off the bike and being another tourist,

sightseeing, snap-shooting.. etc.

There are plenty of BMX and stiff-soled skate shoes out there that don't have lugs or excessively pronounced treads. They're OK walking shoes and come in a variety of colors and styles, from very subdued to parade-float gaudy.

Adidas Sambas work really well with non-clipless pedals. The sole is flat and somewhat stiff, and they are narrow in the front, so they fit in and out of toe clips really well. I'm using them with mks touring pedals, clips and straps.

Thanks I just looked them up. Look nice in white or black. And also the Samba originals white with green strip are on sale for 44 at the big online shoe vender. Thanks.

On my recent Northern Tier tour, I used my New Balance trail running shoes with Superfeet insoles for stiffness and I couldn't have been happier. I used SPD shoes for many years and switched back to toe clips because of all the hiking I do when I'm touring (not to mention the cost of cycling shoes). They work fine in the rain because they don't absorb much water and they dry out so quickly.

(not to mention the cost of cycling shoes)

Not so sure about that one. Good cycling shoes on average do cost more than running shoes on a per pair basis, but...

My trail running shoes never last very long, while I find that my Sidis last a very long time. I spend a lot on trail running shoes (2-3 pairs per year), while my bike shoes last for quite a few years.

The best shoe for this that I have found is made by a company called 5-10. They make climbing shoes. Recently, within the last 2 years they have started selling bike shoes. I dont own any but what I have seen of them looks good. I have a couple of pairs of climbing shoes from them and they really seem to hold up well. They have a website fiveten.com.

Not so sure about that one. Good cycling shoes on average do cost more than running shoes on a per pair basis, but...

Yeah. I have bought a couple of pairs of Shimano MTB shoes over the least several years for not that much. The first pait I bought probably 5 or more years ago. The only reason I bought a second pair last year was because the first pair was getting somewhat long in the tooth because I used them not only for tourijg but also for daily commuting, errands, etc.

Not so sure about that one. Good cycling shoes on average do cost more than running shoes on a per pair basis, but...

My trail running shoes never last very long, while I find that my Sidis last a very long time. I spend a lot on trail running shoes (2-3 pairs per year), while my bike shoes last for quite a few years.

I know what you mean about going through three pairs in a busy year--that can get expensive, and it bothers me to throw that many shoes away.

But bike miles are much easier on footwear than trail miles. If you ran in your cycling shoes, you'd wear them out too. When I cycle in my running shoes, they last a long time. 7000 bike miles so far this year and hardly any wear on my trail runners. On the trail, I'm lucky to get 750 before they blow out.

kinda sums up running vs biking for wear and tear on knees and such. Id be a good long distance runner, but just never liked the bang bang bang...

But bike miles are much easier on footwear than trail miles. If you ran in your cycling shoes, you'd wear them out too. When I cycle in my running shoes, they last a long time. 7000 bike miles so far this year and hardly any wear on my trail runners. On the trail, I'm lucky to get 750 before they blow out.

The best choice will vary depending on your preferences and just how much hiking you do on a tour. Me, I very much prefer to ride in cycling shores and clipless pedals. I find that I don't mind hiking shortish distances (a few miles at a clip) in cycling shoes. If I am planning to do a lot of hiking or if I expect the hiking I do to be especially demanding, I just take a pair of ultralight trail runners in addition to the cycling shoes. Even for a gram counter like myself it is not a huge deal to carry a 16 or 18 oz pair of shoes if the off bike activities warrant it. Heck I still managed to have a base weight of about 10 pounds last trip even though I had an extra pair of shoes, a water filter, and a GPS.

The best choice will vary depending on your preferences and just how much hiking you do on a tour.

Absolutely. Another factor, in my case, was looking in my closet once and seeing a separate pair of shoes for every activity. I wanted to downsize, and the bike shoes were the first to go!