Shoe help
 

Hi all,

I am looking for 2 pairs of spd shoes for my commuting. What I am looking for is a pair that provide very good ventilation for summer weather and a pair that I can wear when it rains (summer or winter).

At the moment I have one pair which I use all year round and put overshoes on when it rains. The rain does, however, run down my leg into the overshoe soaking both my socks and shoes. I wouldn't mind so much but the shoes take ages to dry.

- Are there any shoes with a plastic interior that doesn't soak up the water and therefore are very quick to dry?

I have looked at sandles for summer wear but chosen not to go for them as they are expensive for what they are, and I don't want to have to worry about putting sun cream on my feet!

- Are there any shoes with very good ventilation for summer wear that could be used in autumn / spring with an overshoe or that have ventilation that comes with covers?

- Are there any good shoes for the rain?

Or even all round shoes?

Thanks in advance

Daven

There's the old tried and true method of stuffing newspaper into wet shoes (minus the liner, of course) that works very well. I use M-076 Shimano spd shoes commuting in addition to mountain biking, and the newspaper thing has them ready to go the next morning. As to ventilation (and to a degree rain intrusion) I have found Smartwool socks to be excellent. I'm in Florida and these socks work for both summer and winter, wet and dry.

But, like anything, YMMV. Good Luck!

Spd sandals rule in the summer. Rain? Who cares? With sandals on it's like a warm bath for your feet. I've had Lakes for 4 years, love them. No matter what anyone says all good bike shoes are expensive. Wait and buy them this winter when they are on close out. You will be riding next year wont you?

+1
I ride with the Keen bike sandals. Note that the bike sandals from Keen run noticeably narrower than their regular counterparts. I damn near didn't buy them because they didn't fit like my other Keen's, but re-adjusted my perspective and compared the fit to my rigid-soled Adidas ATB shoes (which I quite like for commuting).

I love the open webbing for ventilation, but the stiffer sole and very supportive webbing upper makes the shoes every bit as secure as my regular cycling shoes.

I know you decided against them, but another vote here for the spd sandals. My favorite are the shimano ones because they are the most sandal-esque.
I'm in Houston, TX... much sunnier than the UK, and no problems with having to use sunscreen.
They are the best thing for the rain, dry uber quickly and if they are a little wet who cares, they feel great.
In the summer when I'm not using spd pedals, I wear my birkenstock sandals. It's the best way to ride.
I think you should give them a try.

I also use Keen sandals but also carry a pair of socks for those cold mornings. The Keens are great for commuting but I don''t like them on long weekend rides. For those days I use my road bike with Look Keo's.

Keen has two types of sandals out now. One with bungee cords and one with straps. the straps are stiffer but more expensive. I have the bungee cord style. These work great on my single speed commuter.

Keen newport sandals, flat pedals, sometimes thin wool socks. Got that great UK weather eh? What about a low cut, light weight waterproof hiking boot ? Not spd but a stiff sole warm and waterproof.