Jukas

I'm getting back into mountain biking after about a 10 year hiatus. I picked up an 04 or 05 Kona Cinder Cone in great shape off CL that has SPD style clipless peddles. The shoes that came with it are some low end specialized which work well enough other than they're at least a half size too small, so I need knew ones.

I know nothing about the actual shoes however, and would like to know the major differences in the sub $100 shoes, vs getting into the $120 - $200 price point, as well as the major differences between the major brands like Specialized, Shimano, Sidi and Pearl Izumi?

I don't mind spending the extra $$ if the shoe is going to last longer or be more comfortable etc, but I don't want to throw down 40% more just for a brand name if that makes sense? I'd like it if I could get at least a season and a half out of a pair of shoes, and 2 - 3 would be fantastic. I'm not hardcore, I'm not a racer and I won't be riding more than 2 - 4 times a week.

Lastly, I'm wondering what options are out there for leg protection? I don't mind taking minor falls, and when I was riding years ago, scratches, cuts, bruises and 'roadrash' was pretty typical, but now I'm sporting close to a grand worth of ink on my leg and I'd more pissed if I damaged it, than myself.

Michigander

I use cheap assed Shimano shoes. The set I use now is in its 5th season. I use them to MTB tour, ride single track, and ride road bikes. They work just fine for me, and I have no comfort complaints. I tried my brothers much more expensive Specialized shoes once, and ended up prefering mine.

apclassic9

Check out some of the Sidi shoes. You can usually find last year's models discounted.

hobbsc

Sidi tends to make really good shoes. My fiance has a pair of an '05 model and she loves them.

I've been wearing Answer Palisades for three years now. They cost about $75 and I've put them through hell. Most of the reviews I've seen for the Palisade were negative, but I have absolutely no complaints. Maybe I just got a good pair.

PricePoint has the '06 model for about $50 now: https://www.pricepoint.com/detail/156...=17&zmap=15642

fubar5

i dunno man, with 1k in leg ink you may be to cool for the trail. i'm thinking you need boots and a ground poundin harley.

Jukas

Thanks for the info apclassic9 & hobbsc, I'm goign to hit 2 LBS tomorrow and see if I can't find a pair I like. I'll look at the sidi's and talk to the people who work at the lbs, but without a compelling reason I think they're beyond what I'd care to spend atm.

Fubar5: I never said I was looking for ways to be cool.. in fact I said I could care less about hurting myself, but I'd rather not destroy a nice calf sleeve+ in the process. Sorry you can't comprehend that, but congrats on replying like a tool.

apclassic9

Jukas - what I'm suggesting is that you get an idea of the sidi shoe offerings & fit, and then cruise the net - last year I picked up a new pair of '03's for my son for $45, as opposed to the '06 edition for $150.

fubar5

thanks. honestly my comprehension abilities are very low.

shaggz

i would echo the sidi vote. they are an initial investment, however, soles, buckles, etc. (at least on the dominator & dragon), are replaceable. I have had the same set of dominators since '00, and they are still in great shape. one thing to keep in mind is the soles do wear quickly, which might be a PIA if you do a lot of hike-a-bike in ruggeed terrain.

as previoulsy mentioned, you can sometimes find them on closeout, but chainreactioncycles.com, a uk based web site, seems to have the best prices. they are in euro sizing, so you may want to try on a set at a bike shop to get the right size. normally, i would not advocate doing that, but you could save upwards to 30% buying them on line.

mcoomer

I have Specialized MTB Comp that I use in the summer because they're mesh. Those came in at about $100 and are pretty comfortable. I also have Sidi Dominator Mega's. I bought those because my Sidi road shoes were so comfortable I had to have a pair for my mountain bike. Those will run you about $270.

willtsmith_nwi

There is a certain threshold of quality and performance that you pass. After that, the #1 difference between pricey and cheap shoes is weight. You'll find this pattern pretty consistent across pretty much any cycling component.

Without trying on the shoe, it is really a guessing game with getting the right size. Some are sized too small, some are sized too large. I'm wearing a shoe that says 13.5 US, 47 Euro and I wear somewhere between a 12.5 and a 13. They were a little tight in width but they stretched out nicely ($25 Specialized clearance).

Since it's only a half size and you don't plan on doing much walking in these shoes, you may consider having them stretched by a cobbler. Either that or keep the lower two straps looser. So long as your toes aren't banging against the toebox, you should be OK. Something in the showroom made you think that those shoes were going to fit right.

Look for something with a hard outer shell on top of open foam. Since you'll be pedaling hard, closed foam will roast you. Dainese is the best, but there are other providers out there like Roach. Check MTBR.com reviews on shinguards to get some ideas. I got past my "falling everywhere" phase so I haven't considered using them for a while.

Jukas

Actually the shoes I had, were included when I bought the bike from a guy off craigslist.. I took them mostly for the cleats and because I didn't think the half size would be as drastic as it was. In the 10's my toes were banging and cramped up against the toebox and it hurt to wear them after about 20 min.


Thanks, I'll look into something like that!

Jukas

I really appreciate all the suggestions people gave.. I ended up buying a pair of Specialized Comb MTB shoes after spending some time in my LBS with a very knowledgeable guy who worked there. I did try the Sidi's and while I liked them, I didn't like them enough to spend the extra $100.

I went to four different LBS, one of them being Cambria, and even to REI. Of the LBS only the one provided superiour (or any) customer service.. Even Cambria was horrible, and I barely got a "over there" and a point in the proper direction. Ironically the one that provided the best service, was also the busiest and the guy spent at least 20 - 30 minutes with me without ever making me feel hurried or like he had better things to do. I spent probably 20% more than I would have buying at REI, or online and I was happy to do it and they will end up getting a decent amount of repeat business from me as well.