Opinions on these sandals
 

Hey all,

As much as I hate to admit, that Grant Peterson article of an infamous nature has gotten me kind of excited about sandals. I like the idea that he wears his for cycling all year round and I though I don't agree with his clips/clipless vs. flats argument I do like the idea of an SPD sandal that would work well on clipless or flats and walking around, too. If they were comfortable enough for MTB use on the trail during the summer then that would be great, too. In theory these could be my only pair of shoes.

I've been looking at these:

http://pricepoint.com/detail/13425-2...PD-Sandals.htm
These are the cheapest but I don't like the little bikes on the sides of the sandals (on the soles). I think they're cheesy as hell.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...FSport%20Shoes
These are a little more expensive but look to be almost the exact same sandal as the Settes. I like the black sole instead of gray (though I could hardly care less about that anyway) and I can't tell whether or not they have the cheesy bike graphics, too.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...FSport%20Shoes
These are the most expensive at $60 but I'm wondering if paying for a name brand would be worth it. I can see the padding better in this picture than the other two sandals but that doesn't mean the other two don't have padding it's just hard to see how much.

Getting up to $60 is about pushing it unless I'm really gonna love these sandals. If they were something I could wear all day hopping on and off the bike and even going to the trail than it'd be worth it.

What do you guys think?

Brett

I can't seem to open your links. I can highly recomend Shimano SPD sandals. I have worn them on short rides and centuries. I wear them with thin cycling socks in the summer to prevent chafing, and with heavy wool socks in the cooler months.

Sorry, I posted stupid links. I'll try to save the pics and post those later.

+1 on Shimano. I have tried several others, but these are the best.

I'm on my second pair of Sette sandals from PricePoint. They are great for walking around. I wear them on the bike to the grocery store and will occasionally wear them all day at work and at home. They will start to pull apart after about a year of heavy use and getting soaked. They are easily repaired using epoxy to reglue the straps to the soles.

My big stinky feet completely cover the sheesy bike logos. I honestly don't think they were designed with me in mind as far as my riding is concerned. I push and pull hard, rain and or shine commute 5 days a week with some fun rides in between. I think I got more than my money's worth. Heck, my first pair outlasted a pair of Crank Bros. Mallet C SE pedals.

Sandals are not for the faint of heart. That front tire will throw rocks and other things at your exposed toes. Those little zingers can be really distracting.

My first pair were worn for at least 500 consecutive days. I keep them in reserve .

I posted a sandal review with photos and lots of folks added comments.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=336077

The review was helpful, thanks cccorlew. How are the Sette/Nashbar sandals without socks for most people. Do most of you guys need socks or are they pretty comfortable all day without them? Anyone familiar with the Lake sandals?

Oops, finished reading the rest of the linked thread and one or two people chimed in about the Lakes, nothing too useful though.

Here's some pics...

I use the older Lake sandals because for me it fits better then the Shimano and I like the toe guard feature even though I know it won't protect my toes in a crash.

I have the Nashbar one's. They are not bad, but I don't care for the sole. They kinda irritate the balls of my feet. They are pretty comfortable though.

Irritate your feet how? How have they held up / how long have you had them?

I got them early this year. I haven't used them that much, but I do like sandles now. There is a raised ridge that is suppose to go in between your foot and your toes, but it hits me on the ball of my foot. It may just be an adjustment issue.

Ah, I see.

I use Keen Venice sandals (not SPD) on bmx style platform pedals. I've been using the Keens for about 4 months on daily commute rides, about 25 to 30 miles round trip. I like the keens a lot, they grip the pedal and support the foot real well. I use Smartwool lite hiker socks with the Keens during the the warmer months, and in the cooler months I use Smartwool hikers or any other thick wool sock. I really like the covered toe area of the Keens compared to all the other sandals I've tried before.

I really dont like the new shimano sandals. The now have 3 straps instead of the previous 2. So now instead of sandals you kinda have full coverage shoes with your toes sticking out.

Yeah, I could see buying an old pair of Shimanos on eBay but those new ones don't look like much.

I bought the Lake sandals this spring and have loved them! Last weekend I actually raced a cyclocross race in them, mostly because they are the only shoes with cleats I own! they are great in the summer, great in the warm weather when it rains, and I put a sock liner and wool socks on and am still riding them into the 30's for temps. On longer rides my toes get a little chilly, but for my commute to work, it's no problem.

Shimano spd year round.

the 3 straps make the size very adjustable, so you can go bare, thin socks or thick socks. If you don't wear socks then they can get smelly, but wash easily.

Stiff soles and comfortable to walk in. I've worn mine for about 3-4000 miles of cycling now.

I use the Lakes. They're not as comfy as my regular sandals, but they're still comfy and I've worn them on long and short rides and for hours at a time. If you ride in the rain or through lots of puddles, water will pool around your toes so you have to unclip to drain. Also, you get those wacky looking tans on your feet. I still have mine although it's faded a bit.

I wear older Lakes. The toe guard can get annoying if your foot moves around in the footbed a lot (I keep my straps loose because my feet feel better that way), and the velcro can chew into your socks if you don't carefully strap your sandals. Walking around in them is fine both with socks and when sockless: no burns, rubs, or blisters which surprised me. They're a bit heavy because of the solid, stiff sole (if you're used to wearing flip-flops or Birkenstocks), but you get used to it. In colder weather, I just wear short socks and Seal Skinz. Does the trick for me.

If you are not in a hurry to get bike sandals, apparently Keen is coming out with their own version this coming season. Me love Keen sandals and their closed toe design...

I would try the Sette sandals last, I tried a couple different sizes of them and just didn't like them much as footwear (maybe w/ something like superfeet insoles, if they could stick, they might not be so bad).

Thanks for all the responses, guys. I'm liking the idea of sandals more and more after reading this thread.

Does anyone here ride them on a fixed gear? I'd imagine braking by back pedaling would really shorten the life of the sandals.

I don't, but I know people that do.
The shimano sandals are really sturdy, they won't get worn out by back pressure on the pedals.