Are white shoes noticeably cooler temperature wise than black shoes? I only have black and my feet get warm in the summer. Wondering if white would make a noticeable difference. For reference, 80ish degrees and full sun is where I notice it. Cooler Temps or cloudy days not so much.
Thanks for any input!

Years ago, I did some thermal testing of white vs black helmets under simulated sunlight.

With air moving at 5mph, the white helmet was 1.5ºF above ambient.

Under the same conditions, the black helmet was 2.5ºF above ambient.

Conclusion: As long as the air is moving even slightly, the white-black temperature difference is not significant.

I have black shoes and never thought they were overly warm.

If you are a guy, you have to be a real cycling stud to sport white shoes. Have no idea how that came to be but there it is.

Good point on air circulation. So now I'm thinking maybe a mesh top vs solid with tiny holes might provide more ventilation and be slightly cooler.

I have two pairs of Venzo cycling shoes, one black, one white. If there is a difference in temp, I don't notice it.

If sitting around, you will notice how quickly black shoes heat up. If you're riding, you probably won't notice it.

Ridiculous. I've heard of this but it didn't sway me away from buying white shoes. I just got back into cycling after a 10 year absence and I am, lets just say, not a stud by any means.
If while I'm out riding anyone feels the need to voice their displeasure at MY choice of the shoes I purchased with my hard earned dollars you best believe I will voice my unpleasant opinion of their ignorant outdated unwritten "cycling rule". I would also tell them they can come try and take them off my feet if they feel so passionate about it

I have both black and white shoes, the black pair are cooler as they are vented.

I have these, a bit pricy, but work brilliantly. Either in white or black https://www.specialized.com/us/en/s-...ext=61020-7236

I'm a bigger guy, and have bigger power, so stud may apply here, which means I'm qualified to go with white shoes, though I haven't yet. Question: Can black socks be worn when wearing white shoes? Because I only wear black socks, so I can wipe my dirty chain fingers on them, if the need arises due to snapping a chain during a sprint. #studlife

Doesn't your test show the black helmet 66% hotter than the white one? That seems significant...


I mostly wear white shoes, and they are cooler than black, IMO, but any benefit is less than other considerations i.e. fit, style, etc.. Black shorts are clearly hotter, but I won't be wearing white ones for a couple of reasons.

Go with red. It's neither black nor white and everyone knows that red shoes are the fastest.

The black helmet was hotter, but the 1ºF difference at 5mph air flow was barely enough to detect.

At 6.5mph air flow, the difference was less than 0.3ºF.

I doubt anyone will call you out, though they may not wave....

Get with the program, Studs wax their chains these days. No Fred marks.

Lol all good I can live with that.

You tried yet wearing one of each on your rides for science?

Excellent question! Never pondered this because I've never been a white shoe level rider. I suppose white socks might be less hot in the summer and of course you wouldn't wear the white shoes before Easter or after Labor day. If you did have to change from black socks, you could wipe your hands on your bibs, that's one of a few reasons they are black.

You need to calculate the percentage difference using the Kelvin temperature scale. Eg. 80 degree vs. 81 degrees Fahrenheit would be about a .2% difference.

I wear black socks with my white shoes every time I ride. You are good to go

Believe it or not, thin merino wool socks keep footsies cool in summer and warm in winter
color not important
gm

You mean if I wear white shoes and not being a stud, I no longer have to worry about hurting someone's feelings because I did not wave back.? Actually, the only difference I ever notice in foot temperature when riding comes from the socks material and thickness.

I'm a stud and, more importantly, the carpet shoes match the drapes helmet.

Give um a try...