Who makes the best toe straps?

I like fine leather but it can be too soft. My Velo Orange straps are too soft. They collapse down on themselves leaving no opening for easy foot entry.

I remember having some laminated straps that were awesomely good. Leather inside and out with a layer of something in the middle to prevent tearing the leather. Does anyone still make such a thing?

C&V pop quiz - What were the brand names for toe straps in the 1970's?

Soma

Christophe
Alfredo Binda
Ale

Lapize is another brand, but not sure if they were ‘70’s vintage

BITD the only laminated straps were Binda Extra or Ale/Avocet

How about these?
https://www.retro-gression.com/colle...gle-toe-straps

FWIW Lapize and Christophe are the same thing.

I can't quite get my head around how this is happening. Do you keep the strap ends tucked in and the straps permanently set at a certain opening? Or do you open up the straps when you stop, and tighten when you are underway?

Personally I usually hate laminated straps because they cut into my feet and don't hold as well as plain leather, at least for me. Regular Binda were my fave BITD. I did try and like the VO straps a couple years ago though.

Heavier grade Binda are nice. Believe on one bike I have with Binda, has extra leather pad on the strap. For new or old, prices are absurd.

Highly recommend excellent custom straps from eBay seller oh.wheelie

Thick leather, cut to length, etc., reasonable priced.

Boulder Bicycle sells Mikashima laminated straps at a good price:


MKS FitA Tan Toe Strap Pair

Lapize, Alfredo Binda, Patraud come to mind.

I krafted some together a couple of years back. I bought scrap leather at a local Tack & Saddle and used the hardware from some thrashed nylon straps. Worked out great.

Bad Lag -

I use Christophe and Lapize both of which are made by Zefal. The Lapize is a slightly thinner leather but both told themselves open and don't deform or collapse allowing the foot to slid in easily unlike nylon mountain straps. My brother used Bindas and I found them somewhat floppy by comparison.

You can add Balilla to the list.

I have been using a pair of Balilla straps on my Cilo for several years. They work well but the chrome doesn't hold up especially well (at least not with my heavy level of sweat and proximity to the ocean).

.
...there was someone selling the brightly colored plastic ones from Pake on e-bay for a while, but I can't fine them any more. I think they stopped making them, but if you can find some they work very well. My main source for a laminated toe strap at an affordable price used to be the leather ones from Performance, but those are also history now. I don't even know who made them for Performance. Those Mikashima's are the best i know of in current production, but I wouldn't want to buy them too often.

The OP had ask for the best toe strap but no specific era or type, so I'm going to suggest Salmo USA. Sorry, not leather.

Robust, no stretch, retains shape, impervious to water and rough weather. Color options.

Patenaude, also in the silly price range.

I just put these on my Schwinn Passage a couple of months ago.
I like them, and you can't beat the price!
Real leather, and they come in 3 colors.

https://www.benscycle.com/vp-compone...le_682/product

I have VP Components on a few of my bikes. I like them because they stay stiff making it easy to slip your foot in.

That's right, now that you mention it, same maker but they're slightly different. I think the Christophe buckles are a little nicer also. It's like Dodge vs Plymouth, or something.

I may have seen some before that were branded 'Zefal'. The French can be mysterious and arbitrary in their branding.

I have the original Binda straps on my ‘77 Colnago Super. I don’t dare tug on them so as with all my clip/strap bikes I keep them set at a tightness when I can draw a foot out quickly if necessary, yet still have a snugness for function.

I looked at the prices of Binda straps and decided patina was cool.

KKT made some really great laminated straps.

Actually the "Forte" house brand "Courier" model straps, from the now gone, Performance Bike Shop were quite good quality straps. I was really surprised when I bought a set after being frustrated about how much good NOS straps (Just won't pay the crazy big bucks for something like NOS Bindas!) cost and find out how good they were. They were thick and strong and well finished. Plus, they were not expensive. Today's straps from big makers like Christophe look and feel cheap in comparison. There might still be some of those PBS straps still being sold by private sellers at eBay.

I have my original, (no longer) white Bindas on my '84 Bianchi the same way; I really don't mess with them. I agree, patina had its benefits!

I love the current Zefal straps just fine,always have, hold shape, weather the weather well, priced right, plenty of C+V cred and cool, so glad they are still around.

Need to stock way up on them just in case they lose their place in the World Global Effenconomy.

These are the straps I was think of - Alfredo Binda, "Binda Extra". Note the three layers of the laminate.




Binda Extra toe straps 1970's
Italy
Named after Alfredo Binda, the legendary winner of five Tours of Italy, including 41 stage wins and three World road championship titles. Binda Extra laminated leather straps were the gold standard of toe straps. Made exclusively for
Cinelli by Bianchi Dino.

Careful when buying NOS laminated straps. I remember buying NOS laminated straps made by Silva of Italy, and they delaminated on me when I tried to thread them through a pair of pedals. It seemed like the glue holding the leather and plastic layers of the strap just dried out from age and gave up the ghost, the moment any stress was put into them. Felt really bad as the straps looked really nice, otherwise Tried to reglue the layers back together, using all sorts of glues, but none of them worked to keep them together and the straps just delaminated again, after I tried to reinstall them. They must have used a heat activated glue and a high pressure press back then to glue them together.....

Yup, glue gets old. You'll want the right animal glue (and pot?) No Vegans!