Ideal Commuting Shoes
 

Hello I am new to this forum but I have been commuting for a while on road and MTB shoes for some time. Now I am looking for ideal shoes that are efficient on the bike and comfortable off the bike. Personally I don't like "skate" or "hipster" style shoes such as DZR or Chrome types that are thick and heavy. Any recommendations on a pair of sleek and walkable shoes for all day use? P.S. Preferably semi formal due to my work environment.

Personally I use new balance athletic shoes because my feet hurt too much otherwise. But then I am an old guy. Big platforms make it so u can wear most any shoes. Personally I prefer lambdas.

Yes platforms are more accommodating and you may still ride at a pretty good pace with them.

Yep, I switched my shimano mtb pedals on my commuter to platforms a little over 2 years ago. I ride in my new balance running shoes during warm and dry conditions. I ride in waterproof hiking boots in wet and colder conditions. It's worked out well. I have a wide foot and have found many more options in running shoes/hiking boots vs. cycling shoes. I've also found the cost to be less than cycling shoes.

I've been wearing hiking boots - bike or no bike. Low-top breathable ones most of the time and mid-top waterproof ones if it's cold or wet out. These are ok where I work, where a range from dull sneakers to business casual leather sneakers to cheaper dress shoes are typical. But those types of shoes have soles that are too soft for my liking. We in the engineering office sometimes need to put on steel toed boots to go play in the factory, and some people just wear those all day, so having boots doesn't raise an eyebrow. In past summers I've worn Teva sandals but they're pretty soft and wide for cycling and I'm going to find an alternative this year.

I found these in my REI purchase history:

https://www.rei.com/product/781640/o...ing-shoes-mens

https://www.rei.com/product/828479/m...ing-boots-mens

why have you tired of MTB shoes? those seem ideal to me & I aspire to buy some, some day

if they are fine for biking but not fine for work, maybe you can store a pair of work approved shoes in some storage area at work? desk drawer? cardboard box w your name on it?

For clipless MTB pedals, I really like the Giro Republic. For platforms, I just wear office shoes (as long as it's dry).

And like [MENTION=134410]rumrunn6[/MENTION] said, I always keep office shoes in my file cabinet and did the Mr-Rogers-switch when I got to the office.

I have wide feet, so this is a problem for me...

I like sandals...particularly the Keens sandals (warning - pricey). If you don't mind looking like a dork, these pearl izumis have been pretty good to me (in summer they're too warm). I've had much better luck with the widths of Pearl Izumi in comparison to most brands.

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Izumi-X...S1BFFZ1QBYYDE6

I personally don't believe any shoe used while on a bike should have laces, but YMMV.

+ 1 to all of this. Platform pedals are the way to go and lambdas rock even if they are ugly.

Keens cycling sandals.

The ones I'm going to wear for 8 hours, standing on a concrete floor.

How about New Balance Post office Mail route walker's shoes?

I've tried many times, but I haven't found a shoe that works well for both walking and cycling. I've worn my current cycling shoes all day and even hiked in the woods with them, but they're not great for walking or hiking. They're loud, too.

I keep a pair of walking shoes in my office and change.

Just want to throw this out there... What if there is a pedal/shoe system for people who prefer clip in pedals that can hide your cleats so you can bike and walk all day. Keep in mind that it is proprietary and most likely won't be compatible with existing platform types.

My bikes have clipless pedals(SPD type on folder, Speedplay on roadbike).
I just leave a few pairs of shoes at work and swap when I get to the office.
One time I couldn't access the locker room, swipe card system malfunctioned.
Had to work in my Scoot Tour shoes the whole day. Didn't even notice that
I had cycling shoes with cleats on them after a while:

Ideal clipless cycling shoes for walking do not exist. If your commute is such that you don't need to change when you get to work, maybe you don't need to clip in and should get some platforms and half clips. https://static.modernbike.com/256/main_2126215704.jpg
https://static.modernbike.com/256/ma...0125035540.jpg
If you are changing when you get to work, change your shoes.

I've been very happy with Crank Bros Eggbeaters or Candy. The cleats fit nicely in all MTB shoes, I've never had the cleats be an issue with 4 or 5 different MTB shoes, from many manufactures. I like the Eggbeater for commuting since you can quickly engage from any side; very helpful when starting-and-stopping in traffic.

I change my shoes at work because I really don't like riding while wearing steel toe boots, so I wear SPD shoes or boots when commuting, but use campus pedals so I can also wear normal shoes when I want to.

I think I'd pass. Too much compromise to be good.

You mean compromise in terms of structural integrity/practicality?

Speculating: Stiff soles for biking vs supple for walking or spongy for standing. Very thick tread to hide the cleat. Expensive due to low production and lots of features. Limited style selection because it's proprietary.

Sorry for terse prose. Left hand is holding a baby

Gotcha, thanks for the response.

I don't totally disagree with [MENTION=326413]darth[/MENTION]Lefty, during my years biking to an office (I moved to a home office), I tried an number of different options. I know you said you don't like the Chrome Kursk looks, but that was my bike/office shoes for a couple years and I liked it. Also, I have a pair very old Shimano MTB shoes I can wear comfortably all day. But most bike shoes have a stiff sole making them less then comfortable to walk. That said, my job is a desk job with little walking, so I could live with that compromise. However, rainy days still require a dry pair of shoes when you get to the office. This brings us back to the solution I used until the end of my office-day: one pair of office shoes stored in my file cabinet. If you have a place at work to store a pair of shoes, I'd call this the best solution.

Since I've started to wear Keen sandals daily, I'm thinking that my next pair of cycling shoes will probably be sandals too.

I wear used vans- if you can find a pair that is in good condition, they'll last you quite a while even though they look like they're falling apart. They look good too and if you're place of work allows tennis shoes I think they're the most economical option.

got lucky w a sale late summer/early fall. lucky I have big clown feet cuz big sizes sell last. wore them for a big bike ride later last fall and really enjoyed them! I think if you pick a sock wisely, it's not too old man-like. no?

http://i.imgur.com/pvH8uJO.jpg

I've been using Giro Rumble VR's for my commuting for the last couple years. I'm a big fan of them. Up to 60 mile event days and commuting days of 20 miles. They are also comfortable for walking around in, but if you need to stand for hours on end the lack of cushion does start to hurt.

Have you looked at the Quoc Pham shoes? Since you're looking for something that can be worn at work they might be worth looking at. They make shoes for flats and SPD's.

Just keep work shoes at work. Or, switch to good pinned platform pedals and ride in anything (except perhaps high heels). The key is a wide platform distributes pressure.

https://www.rivbike.com/pages/the-shoes-ruse

Personally, I gave up on clipless, and I wear a crappy old pair of sneakers for riding, and keep my work shoes at work. (Which also happen to be a slightly-less-crappy pair of sneakers...)

Any specific reason why you choose sandals?

Yeah I am looking at the Rumbles, Quac Phams are nice to look at for sure.

Thanks for the article. I will test it out.