abstractform20

i have road shoes that i use with clipless pedals.

college semester about to start up and dont want to spend a lot, but i will be commuting there 2/3 days a week (30 mile roundtrip).

i dont want to lug around an extra pair of shoes.

so, are cleat covers a good idea?

i will not be walking more than .5 miles...most likely less. but i dont want to be walking awkwardly into classes, hallways, etc.

so...what should i do?

travelmama

Air out your dogs. What is the big deal with carrying around a pair of flip flops?

DataJunkie

We don't all live in CA.
Cleat covers help a bit but I would ponder something like switching to mtb pedals and shoe.

jbarham

^^^THIS

SPD and Time cleats are pretty easy to recess into a shoe sole of a shoe that's both easy to walk and pedal in. I have a pair of Keen Commuter sandals for summer and Shimano shoes for colder weather. It's very easy to walk in both. I use Time ATAC pedeals.

DataJunkie

No.

abstractform20

i do live in california but its in sacramento and in the fall it and winter it gets too cold for flip flops.

im using mtb pedals right with louis garneau road shoes that have both options.
the cleats are not recessed though...

does anyone here have experience with cleat covers?

really dont want to spend 50+ on shoes because i have to buy books. would much rather spend 12 bucks.

DataJunkie

I wear them with my sidis on road rides. Cleat covers do make it possible to walk semi normally. I would be hesitant to say that they are comfortable or allow you to walk comfortably any distance further than a port a potti.

Andy_K 

...says the guy in Florida.

JeffS

I'd personally rather walk a half mile in the snow in sandals than in cleat covers.


------------

Either he carries shoes or he spends money on mtb shoes.

- or I'm sure someone will chime in eventually that he could put platforms on the bike.

jbarham

This is foot/ankle/knee/hip/back health we're talking about here. Either bring an extra set of footwear or get pedals/shoes that allow you to walk they way God meant you to walk. Cleat covers are not the answer. You weren't designed to walk like a duck.

PaulRivers

Which road pedals/cleats are you using exactly?

I actually own a pair of speedplay pedals and cleat covers. I cannot comment on other pedals and cleat covers as I do not own them.

However, I find that walking around with the cleat covers on I actually forget that I'm not wearing my mountain bike shoes. In other words,
Speedplay Cleats + Road Shoes + Cleat Covers == Stiff Mountain Bike Shoes

My more "casual" mountain bike shoes that have a more flexible sole are definitely more comfortable to walk around in - BUT I wouldn't want to ride my bike 15 miles each way in them. They're just...weird. I don't ride in them very often at all, to be honest, because I find their off-bike comfort to not to be enough to compensate for their on-bike discomfort. Some people really, really disagree with me and that's fine, just saying that's the way it's been for me.

That's been *my* experience.

Schwinnrider

Dude, just buy some touring shoes. Road shoes SUCK for commuting, IMHO. I hate dealing with the slick soles on mine. Doesn't feel secure when I have to put a foot down at stops.

Shimano makes good ones. Bontrager too.

I don't know how far I'd walk in them.

Hot Potato

I wouldn't walk more that a few minutes, by choice, in road shoes with protruding cleats like on Look pedals, even with cleat covers.

I could walk a long time with MTB shoes and spd cleats. If you need to buy spd pedals to go with your new spd shoes, consider the "campus" pedal so you can use normal shoes on the days you want to wear normal shoes. (its spd on one side, regular pedal on the other)

Depending on your susceptibility to hot spots, you can get spd shoes that are about as flexible as normal shoes.

PaulRivers

My question is - for all you people who talk about not wanting to walk in road shoes with cleat covers, have you actually tried it?

It sounds like most of the responses are rather hypothetical.

DataJunkie

If you have cleat covers you will have walked in shoes with cleat covers. Otherwise, why purchase the cleat covers? I'm sorry, I don't understand the point of confusion.

turtlewoman

It sounds like you want to get the cleat covers. So, get them---buy a couple less packs of highlighters. I have walked in road shoes with cleats, although it was a thousand years ago. As best I remember it was still uncomfortable and the heels slipped anyway.

evblazer

I use road shoes with speedplay cleats. I carry a set of cleat covers to go over them when I have to walk anywhere.
Things I do constantly wearing road shoes with cleat covers
Pickup a full cart of groceries walking around a sprawling super walmart/target and then load it onto my bike and ride home
Go into a little resturant
At work walk from my parking spot to the gym and to my desk (~300 yards)
Go into all kinds of gas stations which are checkpoints on brevet routes
Walk my bike through mud when there is no road available

I wouldn't want to use them all day at work though even though I spend most of my day sitting at my desk. If your worried about the looks from other people or hooking up etc then they would certainly make you stand out walking on them

Hot Potato

Yes. With Look Keo's. Longest distance was 2.5 miles. Daily distance is 500 feet to the locker room. I have clomped around plenty of bike stores, grocery stores, and restaurants. The cleat covers were purchased mostly to reduce the wear on the cleats when off the bike. While they do improve traction, they have a tendency to pop off if you are on soft ground, sending you back-tracking to find your lost cleat cover. They do nothing to improve the ergonomics and comfort of road shoes, which stinks for walking in. I will make stops and walk around a bit, but if I were to be spending hours walking in them instead of riding in them I would make different arrangements.

I have also done similar things in spd shoes with very stiff soles. Aside from the clomping sounds because there was no flex in the sole, I could wear them all day. Kind of like wearing breathable and comfortable wooden shoes?

Vinci

I commute with road shoes and speedplay cleats. The cleat covers make it far more safe to walk around on slick surfaces (tile, polished concrete, etc.), but they don't do a whole lot to make them comfortable. They are still pretty awkward and I wouldn't want to be doing much walking in them.

abstractform20

thanks for the feedback. i will get some covers. im not going to walk far or fairly far at all.

DataJunkie

It sounds like you had your mind made up before asking for advice.