I have the women's version of this Specialized "Tahoe" mtg shoe. I don't ride clip less, but you can with these. These are my only cycling shoes and the sole is rigid while pedaling, however I've walked 8 miles in them in the city. I mostly wear them as my every day knock around shoe. I've had them for about 3 years and they've held up beautifully.

Specialized Bicycle Components

These might be just the ticket. Specialized are quite well represented in my little state. The main trick will be to sort out which one is right. Hopefully, there will be specimens available. Thanks Velocivixen!

I visited with our local cobbler who - after finally getting straight what I was actually asking ("Why on earth would you want stiffer soles?") - warmed up to the idea and wants to take on the challenge, also suggesting a thick piece of leather. At any rate, it should be an interesting and cheap experiment. For twenty bucks, if it works - great! If not, not really much lost in the process. And either way I've satisfied my curiosity itch.

What about a fresh pair of Birkenstock/cork footbed shoes or sandals? They're stiff and supportive walking shoes. They take quite a while to break in, but when they eventually do, are suddenly very comfortable, and will still have stiff soles.

Great, another reason for Specialized to have a machine to measure you, something you just can't ride without. :rolleyes: Maybe the inserts are good though.

This thread is timely. I used to ride in various worn-out New Balance running or cross-trainer shoes. My cycling acquaintances argued that sole non-compressibility (not sole stiffness) is important for efficiency. So a few years ago I bought a pair of Shimano SPD shoes, actually MBT shoes, which I use without the SPD inserts. They were relatively cheap and had laces instead of lateral Velcro closures. (They still don't prevent the neuroma pain I can get after 4 or 5 hours on the bike but that's not a show stopper. And the rigid sole doesn't feel well-shaped to my foot anyway.) Worse, they are heavy, about 1.4lbs for the pair. A hole is developing in the top of one so it's time to reconsider.

About Velcro closures, have any of you had a problem with the top of a toe clip catching on one of the lateral closure straps? That sure seems a likely problem to me. That's why I went with and would prefer to stay with laces.

None of the posts in this thread mention sole compressibility. Does this mean none of you think this is important? I'd love to go back to using relatively light running shoes. I've never been convinced that a non-compressible sole matters all that much.

I had a cobbler cut the sole in half of my Pony MX'77s and put plastic shanks in them. I broke three and the soles were starting to look ugly as his cuts weren't straight and not always in the same place. I gave up and went back to clipless with stiff shoes. At first I hated that but now there are FINALLY more shoes on the market for the urban crowd. I have two pairs of DZR, one pair are the original Mission Workshop green leather versions. I like them. They are pretty stiff and great around town. Serious riding the Diadorra or Shimano shoes come out. The other type of shoe that has a really stiff sole is certain climbing approach shoes that have board lasted soles. Great for biking, bad for walking. I took such shoes on a tour in Europe and the days I spent walking were terrible. These types of shoe also have rubber toe rands and the sole thins dramatically at the front and toe box is quite tight so you can actually climb in them. This means they fit into tow clips reasonably well.

I use an old pair of road shoes, with the cleats removed and a rubber sole glued onto the bottom. And yes, the left toe clip catches on the velcro strap, but usually only inbound. Once, though, I nearly fell over, unable to get out with the strap caught on the toeclip. Not a deal breaker. On the issue of compressibility, I believe it is an issue, over the longer haul, at least. I still return from the longer ride with the soles of my feet feeling like the top layer of skin has been burned off. What does not kill us makes us stronger.

Florsheim wingtips used to have a very heavy leather sole that took weeks to break in. They'd look smart (the shoe) in black with white ankle socks

http://images-partners-tbn.google.co...8L._SY395_.jpg

This whole thread got me thinking. I'm the sort of guy who saves all sorts of material just cuz it might prove to be handy some time for making something (I make a lot of stuff). One material is the sides of old black plastic flower pots. I say "flower pots" but these are the black, smooth sided, tough as nails ones about 8 to 12 inches in diameter and 8 to 12 inches tall. Good for small trees or shrubs. Anyway the sides are slabs of black ABS plastic about 2mm thick.

So I took one and copied the shape of the insoles from my sneakers (or tennis shoes or whatever I've been riding in). I could cut them out with heavy scissors and a sharp knife. Right now they are about 3/4 length - because they could be. I may cut them shorter eventually. Anyway I've ridden about 100 miles now with them on both road bikes and the mountain bike. I like them. No worries walking around in them too though I can tell the shoes are stiffer. I think that having the platform right over the pedal noticeably stiffer is easier on my feet - less tiring. Cheap too.

Who knows what I'll do after 1000 miles but, at this point, I think it's an improvement. Oh, the shoes are a tiny bit tighter but I just loosened the laces a bit and let out the toe straps a whisker. Nice improvement. YMMV.

FYI: I used another slab of this stuff to make a new stiffener for my Cannondale Trestle handlebar bag. The original foam insert had pretty much aged out already (34 years??). Worked great.

I tried all kinds of stuff, including stiffening a pair of old-style Adidas track and field running shoes with thin plywood and Shimano plastic soled cycling shoes with keirin cleats. A pair of Rockports were OK, but they're too wide for my MKS Sylvan light pedals. The best solution ever for me: preppy style Florsheim penny loafers. I had a cobbler apply the thicker version of the Vibram street sole to two old pairs I had in the boot locker. I just can't fault them. Mind you, I do not do centuries, nor do I haul camping gear around on a touring machine. Best of all, they are versatile.

Carbon Graphite Shoe Plate - Flat
 

Even though this is an old thread, I'm posting this to demonstrate availability of new products.

I own 2 pair of Sidi Genius MTB SPD compatible shoes for commuting and touring - one low cut, the other a winter booty. They are incredibly comfortable to wear and walk around in, but even with my custom full length orthotics inserted in place of the original insole, I would like a bit more stiffness when pedaling. I am not about to invest in new shoes - my feet are really happy with the SIDI fit.

However I am willing to give a pair of these a go, under my orthotic; I will post how well they work:

https://www.myfootshop.com/carbon-gr...hoe-plate-flat

:giver:

You need a special shoe when your pedals look like this:

http://media.nashbar.com/images/nash...ut-quality=100

You need some foot protection from the pedals when they look like this:

https://static.westernbikeworks.com/...e/mlsvt2-1.jpg

I don't think you need a special shoe or stiffeners if they look like this:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDIyWDUwMA...ZfWf1/$_57.JPG

Heck, a pair of sandals will get you 60 miles on gravel roads if you have the right pedal:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4393/3...141ff9e4_b.jpg
[MENTION=447897]johnnyace[/MENTION] 's bike from Saturday's Epic Trask Run.

Choose your shoes or choose your pedals, but make sure they play well together!

Go to a ski shop that has experience in ski bootfitting. You may have some luck with a Bontex boot shim. It goes between the midsole and the insole. It comes in two widths 1/16" and 1/8". It is made from a fiber composite material. Keep in mind that adding one of these will eat up some volume.

Dennis

Hey, I'll be very interested in hearing your experience with this product. I love the VP-001 pedals, but running shoes could use a little bit more stiffness even with them.

I think it's be easier to just buy some cycling shoes with stiffeners built in, but I must say I've considered this too. I think thin steel is a good bet. Could be sandwiched between insole and outsole. Ti would be good. PITA to work with though. Acrylic would break. Plywood probably would too, unless it was pretty strong stuff and relatively thick (10mm?). Kind of bulky unless you're making a full length sole. At that point you are almost making your own shoes.

FWIW regular leather dress shoes are fairly stiff and tend to work well for cycling, except for being hot. I really can't stand riding bikes in running shoes myself. Way to soft and squishy. Vans etc are OK.

Also, there were the old nail on TA cleats that had a long piece of spring steel. Those were meant to add some stiffness (and a cleat) to ordinary shoes.

My Merrell shoes are very comfortable for walking but the soles are too soft and flexible for efficient pedaling. I've added full length Dr. Scholl's insoles with full length arch support, a stiff plastic. The rest is the usual flexible gel stuff. I wish the stiff support extended almost to the toe. However since I use platform pedals with my feet nearly centered over the pedals the insert does help.

I just dug my old Eastland deck shoes out to try next ride. The soles are very flexible but thin so they don't compress much, unlike the squishy Merrell soles. Theoretically, that should be more efficient.

I also have some Deer Stag wing tips with soles that are so stiff they aren't very comfortable for walking so I wear them maybe once a year for dressy occasions. But they might actually be fairly efficient for pedaling, and would look spiffy with a tuxedo pattern cycling jersey.

If I'd kept my old Detto Pietros I'd probably continue using them without the cleats. With toe clips cinched down just a bit they'd be efficient without full foot retention.