Patriot

As I prep my new XC machine for the local trails, I'm still scratching my head as to what I should go for in the line of shoes. I've dug through the Performance brands, Nashbar deals, Jenson, Cambria, Beyond Bikes, Blue Sky, etc, etc , etc. I'm on a major budget for shoes right now, so nothing over $55, unfortunately.

Anyway, I found two at Price Point that I like. However, they are two completely differant animals, as far as I can tell.

The first is their Element shoe. It appears to have a solid Nylon sole, similar to a road shoe. This design I am used to, as I ride mainly road bikes. However, the second is the Enduro Suede shoe, one that I also like. It has a rubber sole with a nylon mid-sole for the cleats. I kind of like this idea, in order to be more casual for general wear, and walking trails, if I so desire. I honestly am not too sure which would be the better route to take.

I have read the MTBR, and both shoes have fairly decent reviews. I just can't decide on which would be best. Have any of you used either type, not necessarily the exact shoe, but the solid nylon vs rubber sole type? And which do you think is best for your situations, and why?

All your opinions would be more than helpful. I keep going back and forth in my decision making, and it's driving me nuts.

apclassic9

I would hold off & look for something in red. Red is fast.

gattm99

Well I'd say that you would notice some considerable flex with the bottom shoe, but it would probably be much better for walking. I've never used a real stiff mountain shoe since a substantial portion of my trails are unrideable.

kandnhome

I recently bought a pair of Sette Rival II shoes (very much like the Enduros, but more "street" appearing) and I use them for trail riding. I've spent 2-3 hours at a go in them several times already and my feet were very comfortable. There was some more flex than in my road shoes, but it wasn't a tremendous amount of flex (and I'm a big guy who really loads the pedals). There's a tread on the bottom of the shoes, but there's a thick nylon plate under the tread (which the cleat anchors to) and runs the length of the shoe, making it quite stiff.

It definitely wasn't uncomfortable. I actually found the flex was useful in maneuvering the bike and feeling the trail underneath me -- not the "dead" feeling I had with my road-type shoes before. I also have big feet -- 47s in this shoe/12-13 USA street. I imagine smaller sizes would be even less flexy.

Anyway, for $40 even if you don't use them all the time they're a deal. I use mine all the time so far, and love them.

Patriot

Another option they have is the Answer Speeder. MTBR has no new reviews on this new design. Have any of you tried it, or have any reviews on it? Just curious.

salsa

go to ebay then go to cycling type in sidi mtb shoes they are the best there is and there cheap on ebay.

Peek the Geek

Patriot,

I do both road and mt biking. I've got a pair of Sidis I use on the road and a pair of casual/sport rubber soled shoes like the suede ones you mention I use for mountain biking. I do a lot of XC singletrack riding, and the rubber soled shoes I wear are more than adequate. I haven't found a need to switch to stiffer soles at all.

A nice bonus is that I can use the rubber soled shoes for tooling around on my road bike if I plan on doing any walking without looking like a duck (shoes are compatible with both the Crank Bros Candys on my mtb and Crank Bros Quattros on my road bike).