Folks,

I've got a dilemma.

I currently run a pair of Shimano A530 SPD pedals on my bike. I got them because I liked the fact that they had a platform on one side for quick rides and commuting and the SPD clip on the opposite side. I don't have a pair of shoes, but the idea was to purchase a pair for when I finally starting doing some longer rides.

However, in my ignorance, I didn't realize there were multiple types of clips (2-bolt, 3-bolt, etc) until after I started looking for shoes. Based purely on looks alone, I've become quite interested in the Giro Empire's, which have a 3-bolt pattern clip. Obviously this shoe wouldn't jive with my current pedal setup leaving me with three options:

1) Get clip adapters:
Now, I've looked around on the web and found such adapters that exist. Some adding more height to the platform than others. So, it's a viable option.

2) Forget the Empire's and get a SPD compatible shoe:
I can certainly look at new shoes, but I really like the way the Empire's look.

Are there any comparable looking shoe out there that I'm missing? I like the simplicity of the one piece uppers of the Empire's and the laces are a nice touch.

3) Get the Empire's and new pedals:
Are there any 3-bolt pedals that also have a platform on the opposite side? I've done a quick search and didn't yield anything promising.


Thanks a lot guys in advance.

Mike

The looks of the shoes shouldn't be your #1 priority. Rather the fit and function of the shoe is what matters. Have you tried the on yet?

Is the Giro Republic close enough?

I don't think I've seen a platform on the other side of a Look or SPD-SL pedal. But they are large enough surface to be ridden a few miles in 'everyday' shoes.

I have tried the shoes on. A friend of mine has them. I've got high arches and the shoe felt great once I laced them up.

If you don't have a dedicated road bike, maybe a dedicated road shoe is not the best fit at this time.

Dromarti have a handsome, retro styled SPD shoe, though. Not quite as bling as the Empire, but depending on what you like about the Giro, this may be a better option.



All that said, the folks I know with $300 shoes have more than one bike.

Don't buy shoes for looks, buy for fit.

Laces on cycling shoes are such a bad idea. It may look the best, but practically speaking it is the worst.

- Have you ever had your laces get sucked into the chain/crank interface? It sucks, and the lace doesn't win.

- Do you ever find that after hours in the saddle your shoes are slightly too loose or too tight? You want something you can reach down and adjust while riding, like a buckle or boa dials.

Just because laces freak you out or you need to adjust your shoes mid-ride doesn't mean that everyone else has the same problems. I own a pair of Empires and have nothing but good things to say about them, particularly that the laces allow the most comfortable compression of the shoe for my foot of anything I've tried on to date. I've never had the need, or want, to adjust things mid-ride...but that's just me. And I'll let you know if I'm ever daft enough to neglect tucking the laces into the tongue before a ride.

They don't freak me out any more than any other poor idea freaks me out. It's ok that you're fine with the worst solution, but I wanted to point out to the OP the flaws in the plan. I'll let you know if I'm ever daft enough to buy more cycling shoes with laces. Deal?

i prefer laces too, didn't know anybody made a decent shoe with them now. i absolutely hate that ratchet and metal loop and velco arrangement on my Sidi's. the slightest pressure and i can feel the rivet that holds the ratchet and those metal loops for the velco. left foot only. weird.

i'll be looking into the Dromarti's when the time comes.

Given that the OP is using his bike for short rides and commuting, I don't think that switching to road pedals, which require shoes (closed with buckles, laces, or magic) that are more difficult to walk in than the alternatives, is the best solution. I also think that the OP has been well informed of what to look out for with laces, whether they go with the Empires or an SPD-compatible alternative, as well as the benefits of laces. And whether they go with laces or buckles, that'll be the best solution for them.

I appreciate that you treat your opinion as infallible and absolute, rather than recognize that different solutions work best for different people

Lace-ups are needlessly tedious and time consuming for me, and having done it back in the 80's, I'm well over it. I did have a sweet pair of Avia MTB laceups I loved and recall fondly; they had a velcro-down lace cover for a cool, aero look, much like the Bonts Wiggins wore in the '12 TdF.

I also hate buckle ratchet systems.

I just thought I'd chime in: I just got a pair of Giro Republics and the A530 pedals, and it seems like the pads on the bottoms of the shoes don't allow for a tight fit (or a fit at all) for the cleats to connect to the pedals. I'm actually pretty frustrated and hope it is user error, because now both the shoes and pedals are all marked up and un-returnable because I've been trying to make them work...