Ken Cox

I ride clipless with a mountain bike shoe.
Contemplating the coming summer, I think I might like to try riding in sandals for the coolness and because I hear people report easy walking in bike sandals (Lake or Shimano).

However, I did a search of this forum and I could not find an instance of a fixie rider wearing sandals.
Some of this could have to do with the fixie culture, but it could also have to do with the greater demands put on shoes by riding a fixie.
I mean, I blast up hills because I can really pull on my pedals; and, could I do that with sandals?

Anyway, if I don't hear of a fixie rider successfully wearing sandals I'll probably save the money.

Cynikal 

My friend has the shimano clipless sandals. He lives in them.

neuron

i ride in birkenstocks sometimes.

yeah. i really do. i didn't even know that you could buy clipless sandals! too funny.

auroch

the shimano clipless sandals are part of the de facto uniform of a pro-RAGBRAI-er.

jeff

svwagner

i do it with lake sandals and eggbeaters or candys.

i don't feel as connected as when i wear my SIDIs, but that's ok because my feet are coooool.

it's like everything else fixie-related. you find your groove.

there's a time and a place for everything.

Ken Cox

Svwagner wrote:

"it's like everything else fixie-related. you find your groove."

I like that.
Sounds like a good T-Shirt:

"Find your Groove"

or

"Got Groove?"

Seriously.

yonderboy

I wonder if Chaco would put a cleat plate into their sandals if you asked them. I wear mine for approaches that usually involve a lot of scrambling or slick rock, and they seem to hold my feet fairly well at all angles. They'd be kinda like toe clips over your entire foot.

hyperRevue

cycling sandals? can i see a pic?

stronzo

my friend (biff) used to ride the shimano sandles on his fixie; i think he said they eventually broke at the cleat plate. still, he's a pretty big guy, very prone to destroying bike clothing...or components....or frames...

biff

haha - i am the destructor. for reference, i'm 6'4" - 175lbs - so not that big, but i ride hard.

yeah, i've gone through a pair of Shimano's SPD Sandals. The first pair's velcro ripped apart from the straps, i had to sew the straps to get them to stay together, and the cleat plate cracked into about 5 pieces. epoxy was a no-go. I did ride with them a ton though. Brakeless. They probably weren't designed for that.

I'm on my second pair right now (2nd generation model) - and they already needs some shoe-goo lovin'. The rubber sole is cracking in several places.

I probably WON'T buy another pair.

Cynikal 

Here is the Shimano sandal Click Me!!!

the pope

75 bucks is spendy, imho

emayex

especialy from nashbar...i expect better from them

as for RAGBRAI....i reallllly wanted to do that this summer....but i had no idea registration closed so early....bah!

noisebeam

I have used Shimano Sandals exclussively for over the past year on a geared bike, 4000miles, thousands of unclip/clips (on the 2nd pair of cleats). You can get them very snug if you tighten the straps, but I also like blood flow thru my feet. They are not as stiff or solid as a good road shoe though. I love 'em. I now have about 100 miles on them with fixed. I can get more than enough pull from them for good skids. Mine haven't worn out yet and as I plan on not skidding/hard slowing regularly (I use front brake) I hope not to wear them (or my knees) out too fast.

Al

chimblysweep

Um, that's never stopped anyone before. i rode it unregistered in 2003, and it was awesome fun.

delay

I am registared...for what its worth I will be riding geared and not in sandles. I was going to ride with my brother, but he didn't get "selected in the lottery" so now I am not sure what to do.

As for sandles, my dad has a pair of shimanos and loves it. He rides about 20 miles a day in Saint Louis and has never had a problem with them.

karmical

heck i ride my fixed conversion barefoot with the old school fat rubber platforms in the summer, though only for cruzing to and fro....

with sandals....my only question is with socks or without.....

something about sandals with socks that has never quite sat right with me.....

could just be me...

mrballistic

pricepoint has a set of spd sandals avail for ~30 bucks. i just ordered a pair; review soon.

t

drolldurham

so the shimano sandals fall apart under hard fixie use... what about the lake?

noisebeam

I really don't know if you can conclude that without a larger sample. I wear my shimano sandals every day, even when not cycling, have hiked in them, and worn them daily in hot temps on pavement, etc. They show no signs of cracking or unstitching, tearing. Yes hard braking on a fixie puts a lot of upward stress on them and I haven't done a lot of that, but have often pulled hard up in a high gear.

Al

the.me

I've had a pair of the shimanos for about 7 years. the first pair I had delaminated so I took the offending shoes back to the shop I got them at and they warrantied them and I havent had any problems since. I used to wear them all day almost daily when I was working in a bike shop (I mistakenly thought it made me look cool or something...), but then I got some birks and now just wear them, well pretty much never. they seem to be holding up rather well though.

SpiderMike

I have thought of getting a pair. I noticed that the Lake sandals have the exact same sole as the Shimano. Conspiracy? if so a lame one.

What about some of those cool cycling socks in Hi-Vis neon green?

BlastRadius

Hehe, the good ole, sock or no socks with sandals debate.
Remember, socks with sandals are the SEX.

48x16

Chaco doesn't make custom Sandals. Instead you should ask them to make a line of cycling sandals. I don't think they're big enough in the cycling world to consider it though.

48x16

No.