climbhoser

I think they're designed for indoor spinning class type stuff...

dobber

Those Lake 101 are nice. I personally prefer the Cannondale Roam



The Shimano Multi-Purpose shoe looks interesting

modernjess

Dang, I want some! I wish they had come out with these a couple years ago.

Very hard to justify another pair of bike sandals and another pair of Keen sandals as I already have both!

My Lake sandals I really like for riding, but not as much off the bike. My keens I love off the bike but not on it, not spd.... I'm gonna wear the crap out of both this year, beat them up real good, then next winter I'll be looking for an off season deal on these. :-)

cpk0

Don't mean to sound ungrateful for the recommendations, but most of these still seem like the usual thick rubber soled SPDs shoes that I'm used to. I'm specifically looking for shoes with a sole more like a running shoe (i.e. something like a soft foam mid sole) Are any of these that? or are there any out there?

noisebeam

I don't think you will find a soft soled shoe like a running shoe with SPD. There needs to be some solid substance to attach to, an bolt hole insert in the soft sole would pull out.

Al

E-quality

The shoes I mentioned have thin soles, thinner than most shoes I've seen. I'll post the link again in case you haven't seen them...



Regarding a soft sole, can I ask why you're looking for this? The soles are supposed to be somewhat rigid so you can get some power/efficiency out of your pedal strokes. The cycling shoes that are designed to be comfortable for walking have the softest (least rigid?) soles, that's what makes them comfortable to walk in. You lose some efficiency with these shoes compared to the more rigid performance/competition type of cycling shoes. I think that a softer sole than the ones designed for cycling and walking would defeat the purpose of them being a cycling shoe and would have very little benefit over platform pedals and "x" footwear. I don't even think that the type of shoe your looking for is made. I may be wrong though.

Regardless, the shoes I mentioned have thin soles which are comfortable to walk in but still stiff enough to perform well on a bike.

JeffS

So how does this not fit that description? (recommendation posted above)





Looks like it may be time to *GASP* break out the search engine and do your own research.

cpk0

Good questions, here's my reasoning: By far the largest amount of time I spend commuting is on my fixed gear and is less than 2 miles (just getting to campus) and after that, I would say most of my riding is less than 4 miles at a time. During the winter (before things started falling off) I liked the pretty rigid Minnretts; not for power/efficiency, though, just because they were normal looking, warm, and pretty water-resistant. Since they've gone in the trash, I have been just wearing my running shoes, but getting up the hill I live at the bottom of is a pain without being clipped-in. It is nice to be able to get where ever I'm going and be able to actually run around (like play catch with a frisbee or something) and not be clunking around in heavy, hard-soled shoes. So basically, running shoes are my footwear of choice, but I'd also like to be able to clip in. I'm looking for the best compromise, and so far it seems like most options are leaning more towards the bike-shoe side than the running-shoe side. Maybe there is nothing that fits my wants.

JustBrowsing

From this post, I'd suggest skipping SPD completely and just going with some sort of platform pedal, toe clips, and whatever shoe you happen to want to wear. It sounds like you spend a lot more time off your bike than on.

cpk0

I didn't come here for your logical reasoning...

E-quality

I was about to pretty much suggest the same thing.

I'd either live with the stiffer sole of cycling/walking shoes or pass on cycling shoes completely. 2-4 mile rides are easy on platform pedals without clips. The clips will help with the climbs though. I know clipless pedals will help more but it looks like you need to find a comprimise here. I'd personally use platform pedals in your situation so I could save money and get the enjoyment out of wearing a very comfortable shoe.

cpk0

Assuming you've actually read the original post, you'll know that those are the shoes I'm trying to replace, so I won't remind you of that. Also I assume that you aren't basing a suggestion of a photo, so you've actually had some experience with these shoes that are very rigid and very uncomfortable to move around in at more that a walking pace. Given that, I'm not sure how else to explain how they don't fit the description except by restating that they are not: breathable, white, or NOT Minnretts..

pasopia

Running in bike shoes is never going to be fun, the shoe you are looking for doesn't exist. Seriously, for 2 miles just wear sneakers and toe clips or power grips.

adam12

Here ya go cool shoes

daredevil

exactly what I was thinking.

BA Commuter

These work great on the Streets of San Francisco where there are plenty of hills!

linux_author

- walkable, stiff soled, SPD cleat pattern, durable, and inexpensive:



or



$34 or $24 in your size...

(i have four pair in the closet; i'm good until i'm dead)

:-)

lns55

I just bought a pair of Shimano MT-21(SPD) casual shoes and they are working out for me so far. They look good with either casual pant or shorts.

cpk0

I guess my biggest problem with platforms is that even though I'm not covering a lot of distance, I end up going up and down a lot of hills every day. I like having the power associated with clips for going up, and being that I ride fixed it's kind of awkward to be going 25mph down a hill and have a foot slip off a pedal.

grackle

Do any of these shoes let you walk on concrete without grinding the cleat? I'm looking for a casual-looking pair of shoes for fairly short trips. I just bought a pair of the Keen Commuters, which are amazingly comfortable, but as soon as I walk outside, it's CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

I ride for exercise as well, so there's no way I'll get used to platform pedals. I AM ready to switch to a new pedal system if that's what it takes -- I would consider it money well-spent if it gets rid of the crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch....

cpk0

my old Adidas Minnrets sounded like (read: were quiet like) normal shoes for many many months, before the rubber wore down to a point that the metal started to crunch. I would assume _most_ of these would be the same, and the exceptions are those that crunch from day 1

jorgensg

Shimano SH-MT31

bsyptak

Saw those Shimano SH-MT31 yesterday in the LBS. Possibly the best looking casual MTB cleat shoe I've seen yet. I think they look better in person than in the image above. They look very similar to most trail shoes one would find at REI. I think it might be my next shoe.

pasopia

[QUOTE=grackle;6383801]Do any of these shoes let you walk on concrete without grinding the cleat? I'm looking for a casual-looking pair of shoes for fairly short trips. I just bought a pair of the Keen Commuters, which are amazingly comfortable, but as soon as I walk outside, it's CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Do you use crank brothers pedals? The cleats are way less crunchy compared to shimano. I have had a few pairs of shoes that crunch all over the place with shimano cleats, but are totally silent with my eggbeater cleats. I've had this experience with specialized sonoma, shimano sandal, and cannondale roam.

grackle

Wow, exactly the answer I was looking for. To answer your question, I use SPDs and have a cheapo 'round-town hybrid with pedals (Shimano brand, I think) that are platform on one side and SPD on the other. I haven't got much use out of the platform side. I'm planning on getting a road bike as well for my longer rides. Will the eggbeaters work for a road bike?