Originally Posted by
carleton
This velcro style of strap is a pain in the ass to use. Period. I bought a set at full retail and gave them away.
Use Toshi or Kashimax straps. They are pricey but worth it. They aren't just one band of leather (DO NOT buy those that are). The one band style are simply cosmetic and will stretch and be useless on your first ride.
The Toshi and Kashimax straps have rigid laminate sandwiched between two leather straps. This keeps them from stretching and makes them hold themselves open when you are trying to insert your foot. There are other brands, too. But, I can attest to Toshi and Kashimax for sure.
This site is run by a bikeforums regular:
https://www.retro-gression.com/collections/straps
Ditch the velcro straps. You will be happy you did.
Some pros use them, but they also have bike mechanics that lend a hand when strapping in.
How do you attach the straps to Shimano SPD pedals? I prefer the Toshi type straps, but tried the velcro ones as the pedal axel went through the strap to attach the pedal to the cleat and seemed like the easiest, cleanest way. I'm all for the Toshi style if someone can give me a tutorial on attaching them to Shimano pedals.