Originally Posted by
Nathan_S
Hi folks,
I'm pretty new to cycling, I have a Trek 7.2FX with clipless Shimano pedals. I bought a $80 pair of cycling shoes on Amazon (search Tommaso Montagna 100 Men's Mountain Bike MTB Spin Cycling Shoe Compatible with SPD Cleats Black on Amazon, I'm not allowed to post links) and although I am new to this, after using them for about 125 miles they feel quite heavy. From what I can tell on youtube, better shoes are lighter and can make a difference in terms of the effort once is putting in while pedaling.
I'm a 'order it once' kind of guy so I'd like to invest in a good pair of shoes that will be light and comfortable. I think I'd prefer the mountain bike style shoes that allow you to walk while not stepping on the cleat.
GCN on youtube mentioned fizik shoes--are they good? Can anyone help with recommendations? Don't want to completely break the bank, but as I mentioned, willing to invest in a good pair of comfortable and light shoes. They have to support the shimano style cleats. I've searched through past posts but am not finding any definitive advice.
Thanks in advance.
Nathan
You should approach bike shoes from known manufacturers like you approach underwear, fit is by far the most important criteria because quality is generally equal across major brands. The difference in price basically comes down to materials like carbon soles and high tech latching systems.
My advice is this, if SIDI shoes feel great, buy those. Mine are 15 years old and going strong. I probably have spent $25 on replacing the top strap once. If SIDI don't feel great, try GIRO, Shimano, FIZIK, etc. Even people that don't wear SIDI will likely admit they are the best made.
Also, shop clearance racks you can find shoes marked down 50% or more.
I don't think the weight matters as much as the stiffness of the sole. Good shoes are the difference between fun and misery, so going cheap is not a good idea.