New guy here with a new guyish question. What is the difference between a mountain bike shoe and a road bike shoe?

I have never owned either, but I might be getting a new bike soon and am contemplating getting the right shoe.

Thanks

Chris

The cleat mounting surface is different. You'll want to get shoes that match your pedals.

Typical road bike shoes have a flat sole and are drilled for a 3 bolt, Look style, cleat mounting. Mountain bike shoes generally have a recessed 2 bolt, SPD style, mounting surface.

Mountain bike shoes and cleats are easier to walk in. Road bike shoes have a larger contact surface area and are less likely to cause "hot spots" on your feet while you are riding.

Thank you, that is exactly the information I was looking for.

Cheers!

Chris

For casual riding, mountain shoes will be much better, because you can walk around at rest stops without falling on your ass.

mountain bike shoes look cool, too (if it matters to you). mtb shoes flex a little more; this makes it more comfortable/possible to walk, but slightly less efficient when pedaling.

I use MTB shoes and pedals on my road bike.

If you are really new to riding bikes, it might be better if you skip the fancy shoes and buy platform pedals (somtimes called BMX pedals). These are plastic and have studs on each side to prevent slipping. You don't actually clip into them so there's less chance of falling off the bike when you stop, because your shoe is still stuck to the pedal.


https://mountainbike.about.com/od/buy...ike_Pedals.htm

My commuter has pedals with cleats on one side, and platforms on the other. I can ride with the bike shoes or without. I use mountain bike shoes, because they have the recessed cleats with more tread that sticks out around the cleat that makes them easier to walk in, so you're not just walking on the cleats. The salesperson at my LBS talked me into buying those instead of road bike shoes, and I am glad she did. I can see (and feel) the advantage.

I also use MTB shoes on both my MTB and road bike. Both are Shimano SPD pedals and work great in both applications. I like the ability to walk around with them. Came in handy when my MTB had a failure in the woods and I had a number of miles to walk out. Took the cleats off and they were just like sneakers. I'm not one of those guys that has a ton of excess money, so biking items that are good for both applications are fine by me. Some people are to concerned with "how they look" and need to be stylish and have road bike stuff for their road bikes and MTB stuff for their MTBs. To me that is BS. If it's functional and makes my riding experience comfortable on both bikes, it's for me!!!

And another one. Works best for my ridng style.