Hi all:

I need advice on choosing between two pairs of clipless shoes. Most of my miles logged are from commuting 4 miles to/from work on my Trek 7.4 fx hybrid. But I also like to do 20mi+ rides on the weekend, and I'm doing a 45mi+ soon (I've also done a 72 mi around Lake Tahoe). My commute is mostly flat, but things get hilly when I ride on the weekends through SF, Marin or East Bay hills.

I've decided to try out a clipless system (and smaller tires) to improve my biking. I bought some Shimano PD-M324s -- I do a lot of city riding so I like having the option of just using my regular sneakers when needed. But I'm kind of stumped about shoes. So I went to my LBS, and after trying out their limited selection, I bought some Bontrager Multisport SSR shoes (see link below). I liked that they are walkable, but I quickly had buyer's remorse, feeling like I settled rather than shopping around. I wasn't thrilled about having laces (I currently use some New Balance minimalist shoes for riding, but the laces have gotten all chewed up in the gears). They also are wicked heavy and stuffy compared to my minimalist shoes. And while they are more walkable than your click/clack road shoes, they are still pretty rigid.

So then I went to REI and saw these Shimano SH-CT71 (2015). These were so much lighter, more breathable, easier to walk in, came with cinch ties instead of laces and frankly were better on the eyes. I could see myself hopping up and down steps to BART much easier. So I go home intending to return the Bontragers, but then I notice something... the Bontragers are MUCH more rigid. The Shimanos definitely are more rigid than your typical pair of sneakers, but nowhere as rigid as the Bontragers. And here's where I need advice. Does rigidity make the bike shoe? In other words, if I go with the Shimanos, am I forgoing the very advantages of getting bike shoes in the first place or somehow selling myself short?


Bontrager: SSR Multisport (Model #10989)
Shimano Click'R CT71 Bike Shoes - Men's - REI.com

Rigid soles are nice on longer rides -- they help prevent hot spots by spreading out the contact area. To keep your laces from getting caught in the drivetrain, there are a couple things you can do. The most basic is to double-knot them and then tuck the ends into your shoes (some SPD shoes like my Giro Rumbles have an extra loop on the tongue for this). Another thing is to lace your right shoe so that the knot is to the outside. Welcome to BF.

Ian's Shoelace Site - Introduction

Thanks, I do double knot my laces and tuck them into my shoe. But sometimes they slip out while I'm riding. The Bontragers have a velco strap across the top that I could tuck my laces into. I'm mostly curious though about how the rigidity of each shoe will impact my ride.

As the previous poster said, rigidity is more relevant in longer rides. I have five pairs of bike shoes... for commuting to work dressed casual in good weather I use Chrome, stealth, stiff enough and comfortable for walking, for a dressy/formal situation I use Dromarti's, which are beautiful more stiff and clunky for walking a lot, lastly for commuting with bad weather/cold I use the Giro Alpineduro's which I love, similar characteristics as the Chromes but more comfortable and the bended/arched sole makes them very easy to walk on, sometimes I forget I have bike shoes on. All of these use laces and I find them perfectly fine and wouldn't disregard any shoe because it uses laces, I have been eying giro's top of the line which use laces.... All of them have a sling in the tongue where you can tuck the laces, so they have no chance of getting caught in the chain.

My other two shoes are for long distance (half centuries, centuries) and faster riding, my favorite are the fizik M1, carbon sole, ultra stiff, somehow easy to walk on although slippery, but more comfortable than any other shoe I have owned. To answer your question, stiffness does make a huge difference but comes with sacrifices, price and walkability, decide on how you plan to use them, but if you are only using them to ride then I would try to go for stiffer, as long as its comfortable, of course!

We all have opinions,
Personally I don't think road shoes provide any real world benefits for anything other than all out performance riding with few stops regardless of distance. For short and more relaxed rides, the stiffness of cycling shoes is nice, but choosing pedals wisely can be just as beneficial.
I have Shimano M324 pedals on my primary bike, and mostly wear Shimano CT-80 shoes. In all honesty, on longer rides they're no more comfortable than my other bikes with Wellgo magnesium BMX pedals, wearing Chucks, or Chrome Truks.

The only way to know what will work best for you is try different things.

Everyone has an opinion or any experience, for me I found that to non-rigid of a sole combined with a clipless system gave me knee pain. No clipless and regular shoes was fine, clipless with a rigid sole was fine (well, I had a different knee issue only on one knee for that). They sell a lot of them, so I assume it's not the same for everyone else though.

Switching from sneakers to stiffer-soled-shoes to clipless pedals with bike shoes, I never could really tell any difference in performance. It's not like my speed picked up 2 mph from each upgrade or anything. It's more about convenience, fit, comfort, etc. The stiffer soles tend to spread the load over more foot, but a foot applying loads to a pedal is pretty stiff already.

Thanks everyone. I've decided to stick with the Shimanos. I like their lightness and comfort.

If I find that they're uncomfortable for long rides, I'll look into a more rigid shoe.

I have to say, between going down from 700x32 to 28s and adding clipless pedals, it's surprising how more efficient my ride is. I'm not sure if I'm going faster, but I definitely feel less tired from my commute.

Cheers!