I still use toe clips and wear a pair of shoes made specifically for toe clips. I got these shoes in the mid 1980's (made by Specialized) and am still wearing them. I fear that they will wear out and I won't be able to replace them. I have used clipless and am proficient using them, but I prefer toe clips as for me, they perform equally well and the toe clip shoes are much comfortable for walking around. However, without these shoes, toe clips would probably suck. The design features include a stiff smooth bottom sole and leather over the toes. I think if shoes like these were still available, more people would be using toe clips. Anyway, does anybody know where I could get a spare pair? Does anybody have an old pair in the back of the closet that they haven't used for decades? Please let me know. Thanks.

Sounds a lot like some bowling shoes? I take it you aren't using cleats with your clips.

I use mountain biking shoes with clips and they work fine, for me. The sole is stiff (enough) and they are comfortable for a long ride. A smooth sole would be great though and smooth they ain't. REI ? Top-Brand Clothing, Gear, Footwear and Expert Advice for Your All Outdoor Adventures These shoes look fairly smooth, but I don't know about their stiffness. Might be worth a look.

It sounds like you've got touring shoes. I've been looking for a pair, too, without luck. I settled on the next to lowest-in-the-line Bontrager road shoe, and I just haven't attached clips. I'm trying to decide between road pedals and having a shoe repair guy put more thin rubber on the sole.

Out of the box, these shoes are pretty much like touring shoes, except: 1) they're very slippery on the ground (hence the possibility of adding a full rubber sole), and 2) they take both 2-hole and 3-hole cleats, and the 2-hole fittings slide around inside the sole unless cleats are fitted.

Recently I've hard that Five-Ten and Chrome make rubber-soled shoes that could be used as touring shoes.

I'd stay away from mtb shoes - the soles are too thick to be usable with toe-clips, in my brief experience.

Years ago found touring shoes stocked in a Dublin Irish Bike shop. I never see that shoe type stocked in the States .

Its Competition Road or MTB shoes over here.

a shoe sole which is smooth will let your shoe slide in the opening under the strap & TC, there are arch support stiffened insoles
that can make a Lot of shoes Cycling adapted.

A few years ago I hung up my old leather cleated road shoes. I didn't really want to go clipless, so I decided to find a shoe that had a relatively smooth sole, but stiffer than a typical walking/tennis/skate shoe. I ended up with a Specialized Sonoma shoe. I have used them for a few years and they work well with toe clips and straps and I can easily slide them onto the pedals and slide them out when needed.

Mountain bike shoes will not work as well with toe clips and straps, they are fine with platform pedals without the clips.

Specialized doesn't make the Sonoma anymore but they do make an RBX Sport shoe with the same sole. Bontrager makes a shoe called the Solstice that looks similar. Both of these shoes are walkable.

One word of caution... the toe clips will scrape up the shoes, but it has not been an issue with me.

They are not he old ones you were looking for, but they are actually more comfortable than the old Specialized touring shoes I had in the mid-80's.

John

I pick the oldest pair of shoes I own and use them until that pair begins to come apart and then switch to the next oldest. I use strapless toe clips on all of my bikes/trikes. They are not expensive shoes, just run of the mill comfortable shoes sold by mass merchandise stores. The wear point is just forward of the laces where the shoe flexes as I pedal. Eventually either the top or sole cracks and then I get the next pair.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Maybe I'll find a pair that works as well as the pair I have.