i got used to wearing stiff soled steel toed running shoes at my last job. Been using them 6 years now with no complaints. Very good for riding or walking on any surface, especially on rocky. My feet tend to not have the same fore/aft position. I now think of the steel toe as necessary equipment on tour and very handy. They have mesh to let some air thru, so they need a plastic cover on for wet muddy roads. Fenders just don't stop half the slop.