Anyone try commuting with "Water Shoes"?
 

I'm talking about shoes which look like running shoes but are mostly mesh, like this

http://www.rei.com/product/780680

or this

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp...096816.4096842.

I'm thinking they would be great in the summer because they would be well ventilated. On rainy days the water would drain right through them.

Anyone try these?

I personally like the Shimano SPD sandals or the Sixsixone ones. Very open and they have biking oriented relatively stiff soles on them which are SPD MTB ckeats compatible and I have SPD pedals on 7 of my 8 bikes.

Keen "Commuter" sandals are designed as bike specific too with SPD cleat compatibility. They are similar open construction to many water shoes but again have biking designed relatively stiff soles and SPD cleat compatibility if desired. Very popular if they fit your feet as they are narrower than other Keen designs.

Here is a link to the three I have mentioned, on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=12734397...ls%2Ci%3Ashoes

I would think that the sole would be a bit too flexible for long distance cycling, you feet would probably hurt. There are some actual cycle shoes that have similar ventilation.

I tried them four years ago when I first started cycling. The appeal was the same as you've stated.

They were awful.

There's no stiffness to the sole, very little grip either, so my feet were always flying off the pedals. The lack of support for my foot meant my feet got fatigued after 10 or 15 miles. I wore them all summer, though, because that was all I had or could afford at the time. They're great at the beach, but not on a bike.

It depends on your pedals, I suppose. I've used Keen sandals on very hot days with my pegged platform pedals and they worked very well. I wouldn't want to use them with any other sort of pedal.

I tried Vibram Five Fingers this morning on my Shimano M324s (I don't have my shoes yet) and they didn't have a good enough sole. I know the sole on those is better than water shoes but it still was not comfortable. I changed into regular tennis shoes about 2 miles in

Whenever it's raining, i use my cheap water shoes that i bought at some beach store a few years ago. I actually really enjoy using these over my regular shoes. The grip on the bottom keep my feet on the pedals without slipping. I hate using my regular shoes when they are wet because they always slip off the pedals. Mine kinda look like #4 on the amazon link in post 2.

Same experience here. I own an almost identical pair to the first link in the OP.

Cycling-specific sandals were a huge improvement. Your feet will thank you.

If it's a little cool when you start in the morning, wear socks, then take them off as it heats up.

Riding in the rain in my Shimano SPD sandals is a joy.

I've been looking at those Salomons to replace Crocs as my shower/water fording/hiking/walking around shoe on tours. I need to pull the trigger in the next couple of days, if I'm gonna.

Understanding that they're cruddy for riding, did you like the shoes themselves for general use? Do they wear well? Dry quickly?

I wear Keen Commuters on hot days. As ugly as they are, I enjoy wearing them because my feet don't heat up and they dry fast if wet. I also wear the Five Fingers on platform pedals without any problems.

A lot of the determination of what shoes or sandals can be comfortable on a bike is dependent on what pedals are fitted.

Per reports the MKS Lambda pedals are very good for relatively thin & flexible soled shoes.

http://www.en.r-m.de/find-a-retailer/

The non cleated side of the Shimano A530 pedals is also quite good.

I'll second the votes for cycling sandals. Currently commuting in Adidas SPD sandals from several years back, they look like a road shoe with air where the fabric would usually be, just the leather and velcro upper, stiff cycling sole, SPD compatible. Before that I was very happy with Lake SPD sandals, a bit wider and more casually styled.

Sandals are great in cool, rainy weather -- they don't absorb or hold water, so they're much warmer than wet shoes. Below freezing I switch to SPD boots.

I see lots of people in the touring forum recommend these types of shoes/sandals.

I wear sandals year around, even below freezing. In the case of cold, I just put on more sock layers. The sandals I wear are not cycling specific -- I have 2 sided pedals.

Toe clips.

I wore Teva Gamma water shoes with toe-clips & straps, for *years* until switching to clipless several years ago.

Sandals in the winter ... hmmm.

I wear Keen sandals (just plain ol' Keens, not the cycling version) in the summer, but when riding on platform pedals.

Work great.

Those beachy things, though ... they'd be murder on a bike, even with platforms, I would think.

But, hey, if you've got 'em ... give 'em a try.

+1 on the Keen Commuter. I've been wearing them for a couple months now, with wool socks when its cold, and without when its warmer. I'll be using them in the rain this afternoon for the first time, and I'm looking forward to not wearing booties to keep my feet dry.

They do fit a bit narrow, but they're standard SPD, and provide a good stiff platform for pedalling.

Thanks for all the comments everyone. Despite the overall disapproval I went and had a look at the Merrell Ottawa Water shoes. Attachment 150400

These are definitely not beach wear. They're aimed at canoe trippers and the like. They seem pretty perfect for someone who uses clips and straps and doesn't want to go the sandal route. I'll fess up. I bought a pair and rode 10 miles home on them today. They were great with GR9 pedals, clips and straps. The sole is more solid than any of the various sneakers I've been using over the last several years.

I found them much better than Keen sandals (which I tried last year).. much easier to get in and out of the straps, and the toe box of these shoes is less bulky than the Keen sandals (though still a bit larger than I would like). Lots of airflow too - it was a bit too cool for them today.

My Cannodale shoes are mostly mesh - they are my rain shoes when I ride the rain bike.