Originally Posted by nightfly
How are the MKS steel clips and Christophe leather traps in comparison to the Soma clips and ALE laminated straps?
The MKS clips vs. the SOMA clips:
MKS are cheaper, come in multiple size, are NJS
Soma have double gate for easy entry, more expensive, one LARGE size
ALE vs. christophe straps:
ALE are laminated, stronger, stiffer, have superior hardware and buckle guards, come in a variety of colours, cool
Christophe are a single strip of thick leather, cheaper, more supple, and black
I have a feeling though (from personal expereince) that a good pair of non-laminated toe straps will last better through commuting, crud and abuse, although the performance of laminated toe straps is noticably better. The problem with laminated straps and commuting (taking your foot in and out of the pedals all the time) is that if your shoes aren't old school cycling shoes, the rubber soles are likely to catch on the inside piece of leather on laminated straps and progressively delaminate them until they are useless.