The texture & structure of outdoor concrete is totally different from wood or other materials. There is a coarse finish that sidewalks have, and usually it is hand finished, and even if it is machine finished it'll be slightly uneven. Smooth finish concrete does not have the crunch, because the surface is flat like wood. Wood floors are sanded flat. Tarmac (asphalt) does not crunch because its made of solid pieces suspended in the bitumen.

And thus ends science hour.

- Andy

OP if your metatarsal arches have collapsed you may need more width to compensate. I can tell you from personal experience if you have neuromas in your metatarsal joints a tight fitting toe box is bad news. And for sure don't crank down on the front shoe straps. Another thing you can try is building support behind the metatarsals with layers of felt and tape - kind of a do-it yourself arch support that my podiatrist suggested.

The Pearl Izumi X-Alp series shoes are good for commuting since they are based on their trail running shoe. I just killed my first pair after 5 years and started on a second pair. These are are MTB shoes for use with 2 bolt SPD style cleats/pedals. I also like to use a pedal with a large platform for extra foot support.

I got rid of my SPD cleats and installed pinned platforms from Performance. No matter what I do or buy, "rainproof" shoe covers will always leak in the rain. So I bought regular Keen sandals (make sure they're a closed toe type) and they grab well to the platforms.
So if the sandals get wet, they'll be dry at the end of the day at work. This works great for the summer but I'm also thinking of purchasing warm waterproof socks from REI for winter use with the sandals. That should keep my feet warm if there's a cold rain. I spent about 8 years during my commute to figure out the problem with wet shoes on the way to work. So far it's working. By the way my commuting bike is a single speed 29er. Fitting platforms to a road bike may be another issue.

That's intentional -- smooth sidewalks = slip-and-fall accidents in wet and frosty conditions. Indoor concrete floors mostly don't have to worry about that.

I now wear shoes I can Walk and stand all day in , and am OK with getting off and pushing the bike up steep Hills.

step 1) find shoes that resolve the foot problems .. and then if a platform pedal suits the shoes , so Be It.

Birkenstocks Insoles in their cork composite material are a nice way to improve the inside of shoes ..

My daily riders have double sided pedals... the Shimano M324 is my favourite although I also have some new Wellgo M17c pedals that are working well. Both have wider platforms and are fairly grippy on the non spd side.

I like the option to wear lighter shoes (Merrell barefoot most of the time), runners, or boots.

I have some LG touring shoes and Keen Springwater shoes for spd... these are very comfortable and have Adidas mtb shoes (very walkable) for my eggbeaters and Adidas road shoes for the road bike which you can't walk in.

Shoes? Who needs 'em? Apparently we've all missed the memo.

My nominee for the Darwin Awards:
Barefoot Friendly Bike Pedals

Oh this is great. The scotch pad will rub the callouses of while you pedal.

I think you mean, "gently exfoliate and restore"

"A local resident was taken to the hospital today after severe gentle exfoliation & restoration incident on their bicycle. No bystanders were harmed, but city officials warned against such athletic beauty accessories"



- Andy

Ive had a couple pairs of the shimano touring shoes that I use to ride to work, comfy, easy to walk around in afterwards, and no scraping of the cleats. Pretty cheap to boot: Shimano SH-RT32

I use BMX pedals and boots/oxfords.....Can't even feel the pedals....I've ridden over 800 miles the last 2 weeks.My newest bike just had it's 3rd birthday.....with 31,000 miles.....shoes have been resoled once,pedals still going strong....No foot pain and I'm old and worn out...



Victor VP-569 pedal:

I use toe clips and straps on all my bikes with a variety of pedals.
I find that Adidas Samba Soccer Shoe works great, in and out of the pedals quick and awesome for walking all day. They tend to run narrow and I have wide feet and a high arch so I just went 1/2 size bigger and I am good to go.

I am very particular about my foot wear as my boots are all Wesco, Chippewa or Red Wing custom Engineer Boots.

OP: all humor aside, I have Chrome Truks for my short commute using clips/straps no cleats and find they are stiff where it counts and very easy for walking around NYC. I feel like I could wear them all day if I didn't have to dress up for the office. They also make a SPD version but my old Peugeot can't take them without retapping the cranks.

Keen Austin Commuters: are they good for one hour commuting in single digits ?

I can use regular shoes down to 30F. But need something warmer for those few single digit days.

Mine:

i use keen commuting sandals, x-alps with velcro straps, serfas mtb shoes, and giro carbides. i've broken the plate on three keen springwaters (I and II) so i've stopped buying those.

i'm gradually converting all my pedals to spd A600s (~285 gms) which are my new favorite commuting pedal.

I don't think the Keens would be comfortable in single temperatures, but I have not ridden in extreme cold.

Another vote for the Keen Commuter sandals. Great in the rainy weather we've had here the past few days.

Cold winter rain & the LL Bean Rubber Mocs are the shoe of choice (+ improved insoles )

my feet are happy with Merrell stiff smooth soled walking shoes with mini 1/2 clips no straps

the shoes look something like these and refuse to die
https://www.proadventure.co.uk/acatalog/QuartzStone.gif

I have regular tennis/hiking shoes on platform pedals with toe clips. I have a pair of running shoe insoles that fit my arch profile, and the soles on the tennis shoe is stiff enough where I don't feel the pedal. It's pretty comfortable, and probably the cheapest option suggested thus far.

the reason I went with platform is because I had a problem with hot foot the first time I got into clipless. none of the spd shoes I've tried were comfortable for even 5 miles of riding. so for casual riding, I've grown accustomed to platform pedals