New shoes suck
 

Got a new pair of vans. 1st of all they are bigger in the toe than my last pair so I had to take the pedals off my other bike b/c they're a little bigger. They still don't let me get in far enough so I still pull out when backpedling(sp? whatever...) sometimes. But they also are really sticky on the bottom so they're hard to get into the clip in the first place and, as happened today, don't let me get out quickly when I want to. So I did a 0mph crash in front of my school on the first day of classes.
Never bying new shoes again. Just gonna keep wraping them in duct tape until they are all tape like gutter punk pants are all patches.

tim

Adidas sambas dude, narrow toe and little flap to cover the laces. Best non-bike shoes I've ever biked in.

You just have to wear the vans long enough that they get all worn and torn. Then they fit nice.

i gave up on wearing skate shoes, soccer shoes, running shoes, etc. because the soles are never rigid enough. they can fit perfectly in the clips, but when i'm climbing a 1/2 mile 10% grade hill (plenty of those in seattle), the last thing i want is bend in my shoes. i recently received a pair of these (not off ebay; i contacted him privately). the sole is very stiff and the upper is very slim. he might have some more in stock. they're pretty effin' hip, too. ;)

I just got a pair of Sambas a couple of weeks ago and am loving them for cycling, up until now Ive been wearing ratty Chucks while riding. Both are thin and slide into clips well but the Sambas have much less flex. But since they are suede and leather, I feel kind of bad messing them up riding, I already have an impression of a rivet from the metal buckle on the strap in the suede.

I wasn't sure if one was supposed to fold the flap down though, doesn't seem like it does too much good, as the laces are pretty long anyway. I haven't been folding it down.

When I was living in Seattle logging over 100 miles a week (yup all year round) I also had a decent set of cycling shoes (stiff as I could find). Now that I'm in Sacramento, quite possibly the flatest area of California and log alot less miles (due to less commute and less time) street shoes work fine. I still wear my MTB shoes on other bikes. What I would love to have would be an rigid insert for street shoes. Anyone have a clue where to get these?

I used to ride in sambas but they fell apart (after only three years. pieces of crap...). Now I'm vegan so I don't buy leather anymore. The Rowley line of vans are all vegan so thats mostly what I end up getting. The pair i had before were also rowleys but they were a newer design and, although they fit and rode well, they fell apart in less than a year. They new ones are the older style with a more durable sole. Anyway, I just ordered some MKS platform pedals and XL clips. Everyone I know around here rides the mks platforms (loytard (sp?) design) and I've been meaning to get some for a while. guess it just took a little embarasment and a skinned knee to push me over the edge.

tim

Adidas Originals makes/used to make E.M. (Eddy Merckx) Comps, not clipless, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW never tried them, but they look like they might work.