realdeal4984

Hi everyone, I just started commuting to work (about 12 miles RT) as well as using road shoes. Ever since I started using the clipless system I can't imagine going back to riding with just regular shoes. What I was curious about is if anyone has a better method or idea than just carrying my work shoes in a backpack each day, or even just leaving my shoes at work. This becomes a little tedious but isn't horrible. Any help or ideas would be great, thanks!

neil

You really have to. For daily use, you should definitely go with the extra set of shoes that live at the office. Mountain bike shoes recess the cleats more than road shoes, but even they are not comfortable for walking long periods in, so wearing your bike shoes all day isn't really an option.

AndrewP

Leave shoes, belt, trousers, towel and shampoo at work. I ride with SPD cleats and walkable shoes but I wouldnt want to walk around in them all day.

mustachiod

a few cyclists at work have a variety of shoes under their desks for this reason.

i still use toe clips because i want to be able to grab my bike at any time without being required to change my shoes. and i still have spare shoes at work because my feet sweat on the ride in.

Zap Hassellhoff

I was in the same position as you. I got sick of carrying my work shoes in my bag so I switched out my old shimano clip pedels for a set of MTB platform pedels. I went with the Wellgo MG-1, they're magnesium with metal pins, super grippy and work well with street shoes. I've used them on a 100+ mile ride and they worked great. In the end, I'm pretty happy. My commuter gear has been simplified and in general my bike is much more ridable on a daily basis.

HardyWeinberg

I have a separate pair of shoes I leave at the office. And 2-sided pedals if I want to take off mid-day w/o putting the cleated shoes back on.

noisebeam

What are the downsides of leaving shoes at work?

hillikus

A couple of guys that ride in leave sandals at the bike rack. We have a pretty secure rack so they just velcro them around the bar and use them to walk in/out and change at their desks. They used to just leave their lock on the bike rack to lock their sandals overnight but it is entirely unnecessary here.

cmherrmann

This is exactly what I do, I have an old pair of rubber sandals that I leave on the rack outside of our building. I'm still thinking about getting another set of flat pedals just for commuting and putting my clipless pedals on only for the weekend long rides. I have had a few too many close calls where I nearly tipped over because of having to make a quick stop and almost not getting unclipped in time.

Took my first spill yesterday because some butt head came flying around the corner just as I was pulling out of our parking lot and was attempting to clip in my second foot. I had to turn very sharply to the right and stop with my right foot clipped in and my left almost in. Only hurt my ego but it sure was embarrassing with people all around.

caloso

I leave my dress shoes at work and have a pair of old running shoes in my bike locker for the walk across the street from the garage. (FWIW, you can use Ultegra pedals like platforms for short distances. Just wear rubber soles, not leather. Trust me on this.)

scoatw

I use toe-clips. And I wear Keen H2 sandals when I commute. Very comfortable in the hot weather. Below 60f I wear them with socks down to about 40f then switch to the winter footwear. They have a clipless model. I keep my work shoes at work.

ItsJustMe

I rode clipless for about 3 years, using mountain shoes. They look very normal and you could wear them around work.

I switched back to non-clipless (I actually use toe clips) and honestly, there's hardly any difference IMO.

mtnwalker

Besides the shoe smelling up the office and you walking in the next day with the smell of your own stinking feet filling the air? Let.....me.....think.....

wunderkind

I leave my leather dress shoe at my office drawer. Works fine.

mtnwalker

I have the same set up. A pair of shoes in the bike locker to walk to the locker room to the office. Another pair of shoes in the office to wear for work.

prathmann

My SPD shoes are about as comfortable to walk in as any of my other shoes - and much more so than my dress shoes. So I'd usually just use those during the day. But I also kept a pair of dress shoes in a desk drawer for any meetings where more formal attire was expected.

ItsJustMe

I shower when I get to work and put on fresh socks. I've had the same pair of sneakers at work for about 6 years now, they're fine. I only ever wear them with freshly washed feet and fresh socks, in an air conditioned building.

noisebeam

Same here. Neither my shoes nor my feet stink - loved ones will agree.

es82

I have a pair of Keen Austin shoes. Recessed cleats and are suitable for office shoes for where I work (your mileage may vary depending on dress code). Comfy enough for walking around in. I wouldn't want to go on a long hike/walk with them, but going for lunch / around the office / short errands are fine.

ghettocruiser

Dress shoes, steel toed boots, and loafers all reside under my desk at work.

cyclokitty 

I wear Teva sandals with my platform pedals during the summer. When it gets chilly I wear skateboard shoes. Then in the winter I wear my monster winter boots.

trustnoone

When I lived on the Wet Coast (Vancouver) almost eveyone regardless of how they got there left their dress shoes under their desk at work as opposed to getting them ruined in the rain.

Me too, I'll ride clipless till I die or get a BMX.

JeremyZ

I have a file drawer at my desk full of three pair of shoes. I find this a lot less tedious than carrying them or sacrificing my foot comfort at any time. Another advantage to this method is that your work shoes will last a lot longer, as they won't see as much pavement. (mine see only carpet, tile, and waxed polished concrete) They last forever.

realdeal4984

Thanks everyone! I just read through all of your posts and I see the overwhelming number of you that just leave a pair or two at work. Simple, yet effective, so I don't have to worry about my sweaty feet stinking up the same pair of work shoes day in and day out. Not to mention I won't have that extra weight when I'm commuting back and forth. I love riding!

Seattle Forrest

I leave a pair of normal shoes under my desk, and change when I get in ... or sometimes forget to.

I picked a pair of Keen Commuter clipless shoes up this past weekend. There's a swimming beach about eight miles from me, which is a nice ride to warm up for a dip in the lake, if summer happens this year. I wanted bike shoes I could swim in, or at least get soaked on my way out of the lake, and a second pair in case I get drenched in a downpour and want to bike the next day. Anyway, the new shoes are less powerful in the saddle, but so much better for walking around than the Pearl Izumi mountain bike shoes.



You can see just by looking at them, that they don't grip your feet the same way, and you can't pull the pedals up with as much force as other shoes allow. But, if your job allows, you could walk around in these all day long, and forget you have cleats in them.