dirty cookie

i kinda feel like i just went to see a movie that all my friends thought was "amazing" and felt pretty unimpressed by it. high expectations, ugh.

i have had the sidi dominators for about a week and at first i was PSYCHED to get them.

problem one: last night, while unlocking my bike the pedal hit the top of my shoe and broke off half of the red release lever.

LAME

problem two: the inside buckle strap sometimes catches against my crank. i guess its only a matter of time before that snaps that off as well.

LAME

i am just not that impressed with these shoes, for how expensive they are. i am amazed tho, that i have only heard great things about these shoes from other people....

dc

roscoenyc57

SIDI has those parts on their site available as replacement. Where did you get 'em?
I bet either SIDI or the shop would replace the part for you. (maybe the shoes? give 'em a try)

As far as the extra length of strap on the inside goes... you can cut that off after you decide how long it should be.

(2 1/2 years on the same shoes)
the only part of those shoes that I thought sucked was the innersoles which were cheap and got compressed right away. I've got the Specialized BG insoles in there now and they really notched up the comfort on the shoes

dirty cookie

ahhh yes, good looking out. i saw that you can order replacement buckles, but for that price, you shouldnt have to. i will contact them...

thanks roscoe

max-a-mill

i have never trusted buckles... three velcro straps are as good as it gets for me!

one thing i noticed, compared to other shoes, the sidi sole is kind of soft.... i get hot-spots on my feet occasionally after a real intense climb from the cleats diging into my feet.

i got a supersweet deal on mine and i gotta say i wouldn't say they work any better than cheaper shoes i've had in the past.

if they fit your feet i find specialized does really good shoes for the money. and talk about stiff soles... i also really like the shimano shoes i have had!

absntr

I've been on three shoes -- the Sidi's have hands down been the best. They've retained their stiffness where others have not. The quality is solid.

Like Roscoenyc57, I too wasn't too fond of the inner sole so I replaced those with some active School insoles. Changed everything. Now they're super comfy to walk around in all day if need be.

Inner strap -- you're supposed to cut it down once you've dialed in the fit.

I got a good deal as well on closeout (about $150 after fedex two day) so I can't complain. I expect them to last for a while.

dirty cookie

i dont need to do this but, is there any way to back out the inner strap if you go to far?

and see, everyone loves these shoes!

FixednotBroken

dirty - i second roscoe's suggestion. see if sidi will fix it, or provide a replacement. i'd be sorta surprised if they didn't.

trial-sin

you can take a small flat screwdriver and gently push down the tab that's holding the strap in place.
when i first got my sidis, i was intending to use them for off-road, however after a couple of rides of catching the inner tab (after cutting it down), said tab started to tear up off of the shoe. i called sidi and they recommended finding a shoe cobbler to repair them, as the cost of the fix would be less than the cost of shipping. turns out, he was right, a $5 repair bill later, and they became my commuting shoes. no problems since, and very comfortable to walk around in.

ImOnCrank

I second Dirty Cookie's beef with the doms. I was sorta unimpressed as well. The strap catching on the pedals is a minor but noticable annoyance and I don't want to cut it because I change the length depending on sock choice for that day (they're cold shoes so for winter I rock thick snowboard or double socks). They're definitely not that comfy but I also didn't know to change out the innersole so I'ma have to give that a shot but just not overly amped with the cost/performance ratio.

Surferbruce

almost every cycling shoe out there has a 25 cent insole in them. it's pretty pathetic but across the board.
i think your broken buckle was a bit of a fluke. i've been rockin domi's on road and off for a couple years and have had zero probs. trim your strap, replace the buckle, and give em another chance.

marqueemoon

I have the cheaper Sidis with the three velcro straps. They've lasted nearly 2 years of almost daily riding. The main issue with them is the velcro is wearing out, which is why I've been considering getting Dominators next.

Fugazi Dave

I've got a pair of Sidis that I absolutely love. The insole is cheap, but hasn't bothered me enough to replace it. My main gripe is how quickly the treads have worn. When I got them, my cleats didn't grind on the ground....now they do. I've been experimenting with gluing/stapling pieces of old tire to the soles to compensate for wear. This works well, or at least it *would* work well if I could figure out a way to get them to stick well enough to the shoes.

Even with sole wear issues, I doubt my next pair of shoes will be anything other than Sidis.

dirty cookie

dave, do you have a glue gun? put some masking tape along the sole you want raised, have the tape maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch higher than the sole. fill with glue. let dry. peel off tape. they should stick on there for a good bit!

queerpunk

you can get new treads for them. some bike shops stock em.

marqueemoon

I got the Specialized Body Geometry insoles for mine because I was getting hot spot problems. I like them a lot.

neverwrite

There is a shoe repair place in SF (32 geary if I remeber correctly) that will re-sole dominators with vibram boot soles for $55. The Italian looking guy who works there cuts em out for the cleat and everything. It makes them heavier and less useful for off road road riding but much better for city use. Maybe someone in your town would do the same.

/Edit:

Some shops sell the replacement "lugs" for the sidi dragon shoes, But the Dragons are more expensive to begin with and the replacement sole lugs wear out pretty quickly for $50 a set. I say go for boot soles. They last longer and provide better traction in the rain. If anyone with small feet wants the best commuting shoe ever check out the SIDI cop shoes:
https://secure1.nexternal.com/shared...t=products.asp

wildjim

Some people should not own technical equipment.

Have you ever been evaluated using a steel ball in a padded room?

Fugazi Dave

Alas, only for the higher-end SRS shoes.

Does anyone in SF have a name/phone number for the shoe repair shop? Vibram Sidis sounds like a good thing to me...

cavernmech

I did the exact same thing to my Dominator's. If when you push on the remaining tab the buckle doesn't come loose...give it an extra tightening click, then try the release again. It works for me.

neverwrite

Anthonys Shoe Service 0.87 miles Map
Shoe Repair | Shoes - Orthopedic
30 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 781-1338

There is only one guy in the shop who does it. The thin, Italian looking manager. I can't remeber his name. He once took several weeks with a friend's shoes. She had small feet and he had problems finding the right boot soles or something...so plan on having a backup pair of shoes.

Paul And Pista

Don't know if it's true, but supposedly hitting the velcro with a hair dryer for a bit makes it "fresher".