shinyblue

Hi-

I am pretty new to bike commuting. I am trying to build up gear and accessories as I need them and can afford them. Up until now, I have been wearing my running shoes when I bike to work. I want to get cycling shoes, but I am not sure what kind I should get. I have a trek 7300 FX with clipless adaptable pedals.

My question is, what kind of shoes do people use for commuting? From what I've seen, cycling shoes are divided into "road" and "mtb" categories. Which do you prefer and why? Any suggestions for brands or specific shoes? I know this will be a personal preference, but I'd like to get some idea of what people like.

Thanks!

Walkafire

Seeing you live in Santa Barbara CA, (my Daughter lives in Solvang) I would go with a "entry level" shoe. The ANSWER PALISADE SHOES are great. I were a size 13.5 US Shoe (no such thing here in the US) but the Answer Shoe in a 48 is perfect for me, with a little room. 48 = 14 US Got mine on eBay for about 20.00

shinyblue

Thanks for the suggestion, walkafire.

Another question: What is the difference between mens and womens shoes? It seems there are a lot more mens styles. Any women have insight?

pinkrobe

Well, I'm not much of a woman, but my wife got women's shoes because they had a narrower heel and generally fit better than the boxy men's style. From a structural perspective, the basic design of men's and women's feet is the same. The differences are usually in terms of scale. Women typically weigh less than men, and therefore tend to have narrower feet [less bulk to support]. Women's shoes tend to be a fair bit narrower than men's across the ball of the foot and in the heel. In the past, women's shoes were often made of inferior materials, but thankfully that doesn't seem to be happening anymore.

Everyone is unique, and you may find that a men's shoes [particularly the euro models] will fit just fine. However, if you take anything smaller than a women's size 7, you may have trouble finding a men's shoe that will work.

shinyblue

Thanks, pikrobe. I've never worn cycling shoes, so not sure how they would fit me. I wear a women's size 9.5, but I have narrow feet.

Yet another thought I just had: I'd like to try on some shoes, but my lbs has very limited selection. Where do people normally buy cycling shoes? Also, do you find that different brands fit pretty much the same?

Walkafire

Carefull lil bug!

Different Companies (Answer, Shimano, Lake, etc...) will have the same size Euro but 3 different sizes US

I have found 48's is 3 sizes:
48 = 14 US
48 = 13 US
48 = 13.5 US

and so on...

There should be plenty of LBS in Santa Barbara? no?

pinkrobe

Brands can fit very differently, so you will need to try several pairs on. For general commuting, I would lean more to the mountain style, just because they are pretty easy to find, and you can usually walk in them. I wear a Shimano shoe called the M-051, which has a smooth rubber sole and is quite comfy. Have you googled for the bike shops in your area? I found this one: https://biggearbikegear.com/Pages/page01.html that might work. They carry a decent mtn shoe [Shimano M-071] that might work and is reasonably priced.

shinyblue

So, I guess this means I should try on the specific shoe I want to buy. That's what I expected. Just hoping it would be easier than that. :)

shinyblue

Yes, I like BGBG, although I haven't been in a while. They have by far the most selection of clothing in town! I should check out the shoes there.

Joe Dog

I side with Pinkrobe. Moutainbike shoes are the way to go because you can walk in them. I have some Sidi's that I love and had some Pearl's that I hated (although I like other Pearl stuff). Try as many different brands as you can - it makes a big difference. I would stay away from the road shoes, though, unless you want want to walk like a duck in the 7-Eleven as you pick up milk and bread on the way home.

tokolosh

caveat: i'm just riding in my runner-style hiking boots, with a layer of nicwax, so my experience of bike-specific shoes is v limited. but with that said -

from what other people have said in different threads, if you're riding in colder weather remember to leave room in whatever you get for the socks you might need. someone (sorry, forget who) pointed out that warmth in your hands and feet is partly to do with them having enough room for circulation. leave room for your warmth layers to trap air, basically.

about women's/men's shoes: the smaller selection might also just be a demographic thing. apparently more men than women cycle seriously enough to be buying specialised shoes, so marketer's math probably have something to do with it too.

MichaelW

Commuting shoes need to be walkable so racing shoes are not advised. If you have racing shoes you could use them but leisure/touring and some of the less aggressive MTB shoes are better because the cleats are recessed.
For summer riding, mesh uppers are popular because of the ventilation. In winter, this can be a disadvantage.
Specialized make some good women's shoes. The Sonara is a nice general purpose, walkable model.
Cycling shoes give some advantage over trainers but mainly if your ride is long and fast. Stiff soled trail or approach style shoes are good for just kicking around on a bike.

phillybill

For commuting oyu really need that ability to walk some distance if there is a problem. Wearing road shoes is fine as ling as you do not have a breeakdown and have to hoof it. I have been doing this for a number of years since the late 70's and back then I would use a touring shoe nost days. MTB shoes are very good and can be had in almost the same stiffness as a road shoe. FOr the summer I use a Pearl Izumi Vagabond with their 'I-Beam' sole construction and have found them very comroftable for commutting and rides as long as 50 miles. But because of the mesh upers they get cold this time of the year. For a winter commuting shoe I have gone to the Cannondale Roam.....they are more of an all around touring commuting shoe, but they keep the wind out amd still fit my booties if necessary.

gear

I think any type of road riding (commuting or fun) requires you to be able to repair problems in a breakdown or carry enough money to call a cab if you can't fix the problem. I've walked four miles in road shoes when I "took a chance", once and while it was dooable, it wasn't my idea of fun. That being said, I still use road shoes on my commute because I commute through mostly suburban roads and don't stop on purpose (to go into stores). Road shoes are easier to ride in and offer better cleat (and pedal) options. I can keep clothes at work, which is also a consideration. If I commuted on urban roads or needed to walk into stores, I would wear my Cannondale Roams instead.
Have you looked at the new Nike shoes? I recently saw both the road and MTB versions and was impressed. They both had carbon soles and lots of "walking" pads. Next year when I purchase a new pair of road shoes I will give those a lot of consideration.
I have purchased about half of the shoes I own through mail order (bike shops just can't stock a lot of models and sizes) and always make sure they have a good return policy first.

DataJunkie

I have also been looking into converting to clipless. One of my options is an SPD sandal with multiple sock layers in winter. Maybe I am blind but no one seems to have mentioned this option. Mountain shoes are also another possibility I am looking into. Road do not seem appropriate for my commute. My family has one car and I tend to stop on the way home on my bike to run errands since my wife usually has the car. Mountain does looks more comfy to walk in.

Anyways, I do not have much to share. Just a little research.

huhenio

DJ?!? not clipless yet??!?

I got the bottom of the barrel shimano MTB SPD shoes ... outdated, not in production anymore, size 48! , black with two straps.

I got more compliments wearing those shoes with street clothes than with any other pair of shoes I ever had before. Cool, discreete, sleek looking shoe.

Shimano 520's or something pedals. In and out.

How to buy shoes?

Go to LBS ... try every single pair there is. Walk around the store. Carry your socks and a extra insole if you have skinny feet like I do. It does wonders for properly fitting shoes*

*A trick I learned from the ski shop.

ahpook

I do exactly this -- Shimano SPD sandals with Sealskinz waterproof sox over my normal cycling sox. If it gets really cold a layer of hiking sox in between might work. But so far I've just gone through some 50 deg rain and stayed warm and dry.

My normal shoes are PI Groove+ which look like normal kicks and are quite walkable, but have a hard sole and cleat recesses.

DataJunkie

Lovely heating bills have thrashed my budget. That and my sister in-law and her crew living with us....
4 extra people.

I am desperately hoping for a christmas bonus. please please please please....

That upgrade is directly after panniers. Hopefully, I can do both.

shinyblue

Wow, thanks for all of the suggestions! I think my next step is to get out and try on some of the shoe types recommended. Once I do that, I'm sure I'll know a lot more about what will and won't work for me.

For those who use sandals, do you use them year round?

Thanks!

dbuzi123

sandals are on sale at nashbar too, 30 bucks off. In SB I think you could easily use sandals year round (maybe with some socks), it doesn't get that cold.

huhenio

get some size 13 sandals ... and use them with your regular shoes.

Clipless + Straps ... or clipless traps ... whatever ... that is actually a cool idea!

I wonder I I can make a nice "cage" adapter for road style pedals, to to have straps (for regular shoes) attached to a slim, stiff platform with a SPD cleat on it.

MMMMMM .... best of both worlds for shoe selection!!!

I would get sandals 4 size bigger than mine ... but I am size 13 already.

ken cummings

I know that need vs afford. So I went with toe clips and platform pedals. When I have the $$$ I'll get a proper pair of laced up touring shoes that I can wear all day and walk in. Down one step would be MTB shoes with or with out clipon stuff. The velco type closures on Real Bike Shoes still seem a bit odd to me.
Try this question on the touring thread.

capejohn

I take my clipless pedal off in the winter and go with the toe clips. That way I can adjust footwear to match the weather. From work boots to sneakers (sometimes with rubbers).

sngltrackdufus

This is a pretty good shoe for warmth & one can walk easily with cleats with no slipping