Non-clipless Cycling shoes
 

Do any manufacturers make cycling shoes that are either not made for cleats or are slim enough to use with clips? I like bike shoes with a rubber sole that I can walk around in a bit that aren't clunky and heavy. The pair I have now are Specialized from 1987. They've got a slim profile and a thinnish midsole with a rubber sole. They kind of have the profile of a soccer shoe without the cleats. I wish I owuld have bought many pairs.

Whenever I look at new shoes the mountain models have super-thick soles and midsoles and the profile is really tall. They're like hiking boots and they don't fit into clips. Road shoes don't seem practical for walking around at all, and bmx shoes are clunky. I'd like to find a mountain shoe that has a slim profile, or a road shoe you can walk a bit in. Anyone have any suggestions? I figured I'd ask in here seeing that vontage riders probably use clips a lot more than average.

I'm a clipless guy, so I haven't really looked. But a couple of thoughts occur to me.

(1) Try eBay. They have a shoe section in the Cycling category. Once you are in it, you can search just for your size or range of sizes so you don't have to wade through 1,000 shoes that you have no chance of fitting into. I have seen old Bata Bikers for sale on eBay before, for example, so you might score something exactly like you described.

(2) Check the Shimano website. Last time I looked (2 or 3 months ago), they had one or two styles that may fit the bill for you, i.e., not wider than necessary but also not with super-aggressive MTB soles but still walkable. They will be SPD compatable, which means that the soles are thicker than you'd normally want, but the soles are are fairly devoid of massive welts and toe cleats that would only get in the way of using clips and straps. I don't think you can order them directly from Shimano, but maybe you can. Also, you can find out the model number from the website and ask your LBS to order some for you in your size.

Good luck. And if you find some shoes that you like, follow the advice of Grant Peterson (Mr. Rivendell) - buy a lifetime supply of them if you can, because when the first ones wear out you'll never find 'em again.

I just checked the Shimano website. Check out the ST-RT50 shoe. (It's in the road shoe, not the mountain shoe, section.) They say it has a rubber sole, and it looks like you can walk in it. Is that more or less what you are looking for?

It doesn't list a price (at least I didn't see one).

I checked those out. Ehh. I guess I didn't mention ideally I'd like to find something with tread on it, the Specialized I have are mountain shoes. There's a moutain shoe on there that looks OK but I think I've seen them before and they're always much thicker than they look online. My wife got some cannondale mountain/fitness shoes and they're like 4 inches thick. They literally will not fit into a steel toe-clip. I don't dig velcro either but it looks like just about everything is velcro now. Either velcro or a hiking boot.
I'm screwed!

One more for you to try. Perfromance Bike on-line. Shimmano SH-MT20. $55. Has some tread. Has laces. Doesn't look like a hiking boot. Unclear how thick the sole is. It's listed in both the "Mountain" and "Touring" shoe sections. It may do the trick. If not, eBay is my only remaining thought.

you also may want to consider BMX-style shoes or especially low-top hiking boots - these usually have very stiff soles and are great for cycling. other people have mentioned cross-country running race shoes - apparently they have a stiff plate in the forefoot.

I have a pair of Diadoras and a pair of Lakes, in which I simply did not cut out the indicated section of the sole. Both work well, but I still miss my Avocet touring shoes with the four parallel grooves across the soles.

I have a very VERY gently used pair of shimano trail/roadie/mtn biking shoes...

they are very diverse...they work quite well just to wear as shoes as well! I'd gladly be interested in selling them to you...my email is drewnolan82@hotmail.com if you're interested...

here are some pics...they are Mens size 10...not clunky at all...very light weight...I'll even include the cleets. They aren't "tall"..they are the same height as adidas indoor soccer shoes...they are quite skinny
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...DCFN0001-3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...DCFN0002-1.jpg

For old school clips and straps I recommend you find a pair of Adidas Paris(or Berlin, Munich, et.al.) lifestyle shoes. I wear size 11's and they are perfect. If you don't have any type of foot malady you can't go wrong with this shoe.

I think I've seen those MT-20's from Shimano before, but I'm not sure. What model are the ones you show there, Drew? Are they current?

I know not of the adidas shoes. I looked on their site and coudln't find anything called a Paris or Berlin. Are they cycling shoes?

Shimano M020s...here's a link to reviews and such...
http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Shoes/product_86571.shtml

I don't have dough right now, but I'm gonna see if I can find those in a shop to try on. 10 is my usual size.

I'm supprised JohnE is the only one that has mentioned the lake's so far. While I do not have a pair I think I am going to get the MX 90 (http://www.lakecycling.com/ProductIn...productid=MX90) my girlfriend has the MX60s (http://www.lakecycling.com/ProductIn...productid=MX60) and they seem to fit in her clips without trouble.

Good to know as well, thanks.

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...en&btnG=Search (berlin)

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...en&btnG=Search (paris)

There are also Tokyo, New York, London and maybe others. Try looking for Superstar instead of Lifestyle. I don't know if it's the same, but the word superstar seems to be associated with those city names. Check with the original poster if in doubt.

P.S. Those links might not be showing the shoes later, cause the eBay auctions will end and they might not be there. Regular google might still find them even if Froogle can't.

But those don't have a stiff sole, do they?

I have a well worn pair of Bata Bikers, vintage late 70's. Those things are great. I wish I could find another pair. I knew I should have purchased a couple extra pair. Bob

Unless you are going to be racing, why would you need a shoe with stiff soles? Modern cycling shoes, be they for the track or road, are designed with stiff soles for cleat support. I have an old pair of Duegi Road shoes for clips and straps, and they have a super stiff sole because of the presence of an adjustable slotted cleat. I simply prefer nice comfy sneakers when riding with pedals with clips and straps, be they Adidas, Reeboks, Keds, or whatever.

I want a stiff sole because I don't want to feel the rails of my cage-type pedals (Campy NR Strada and various toe-clip platform pedals). I don't really care about the "power enhancement" of stiff soles, Ijust don't want to feel the pedal rails gouging my feet. Racing has nothing to do with it, for me. If I had rubber tread pedals, I wouldn't care about this, but then I couldn't use metal toe clips.

I can sympathize perfectly with TimJ's concern.

Ken

I've been using a pair of old Adidas Izoard touring shoes for longer than I'd like to say, and I'm just looking for a replacement now. One possibility is a modern style sneaker, called Team Adidas. I found some in a shoestore near University of Michigan, and they look like sprint shoes. Stiff insole, trim profile for toe clips, smooth tread, and the insole feels like an orthotic, with even some metatarsal support. Far better than some Puma Romas that I tried as well.

Ken Freeman

Lowtop converse allstars. I use them with my toe clips to perfection. The rubber toe piece slides right in with no issues. Plus they are cheap. Don't overthink things. However, no cleats for MTB use. But for city use I really think they are the perfect toe clip shoe.

I wear these with clips and straps for both SR sp11 and MKS GR9 pedals. The soles are stiff but smooth. I have used mt. bike shoes but the lug soles don.t slide in and out of the pedals as well. They are also quite comfortable for walking.

Asics Hyper-Throw

Dogbait

+1 for converse allstars. Their rubber front can take a lot of rubbing from the clips, and they have holes in the sides for ventilation. Real holes.

Add

Sporting Goods > Cycling > Footwear > "avocet"

to your eBay favorite searches.

A pair turns up every once in a while, though never in my size... :(

Good luck.