interungulate

Sorry about my billionth post in a row, but I was casually glancing at shoes on Backcountry and found these, wanted to know what you guys thought.

These would be my first shoes for road biking, I have 105 SPD-L pedals and cleats to go with them. So my first question is will the cleats work with the shoes? I'm assuming they will. Second, how does the 'triathlon' in the name affect me? Do they work differently than normal road bike shoes? Will people lining up next to me at a race notice or care at all? There's all these little rules about what you can and can't wear, I thought I'd check to make sure. Oh, and third, just generally do you think they're worth it?

And I know I should be trying these on at an LBS, that was my original plan, but $60 versus $150+ satisfies my broke college student heart.

Thanks for the advice!

datlas 

Will work with spd-sl cleats.

My my main concern is proper sizing/fit.

interungulate

Thank you for that clarification

I'm also worried that they won't fit right, I think I'll email Backcountry and ask if they can send me some measurements or a really in-depth sizing chart. I don't imagine it would be too hard to resell them or too painful to give them away if they don't fit, either.

K100Fran 

If you like white, take a look at these Shimanos R088s, decent shoe at a great price. Only $10 more and will work with SPD-SLs and SPDs.

datlas 

See what their exchange policy is, in case the fit is not as expected.

Generally best to get shoes from LBS so you can try them in person.

Martian63

I bought mtb shoes at LBS. Perfect fit. Ordered same brand, same size road shoes online. They were larger. Suggest spending more and buying from LBS if you are concerned about the fit.

Nachoman

If?

rpenmanparker 

I used to buy road shoes online and was never happy. Started buying Spesh shoes locally. What a difference. You won't hear me say this very often, but the extra money is worth it.

indyfabz

From the product description:

The features you want in your triathlon shoes are the same as what you want in a road shoe; stiff soles, lightweight construction, and footbeds that keep your feet comfortable on long rides. But your triathlon shoes require a few additions that differ from traditional road shoes, namely a wider entrance for your foot, a simpler, two-strap closure, and extra ventilation to keep your feet dry. The Giro Women's Facet Triathlon shoes have all the features we look for in cycling shoes, with essential triathlon-specific details to make them comfortable and quick in transitions."

Bluechip

Backcountry and Competitive Cyclist (really the same) have excellent return policy. I ordered as pair of shoes a couple of weeks ago that were deeply discounted but they were too small. They offered free returns and/or exchanges. I reordered a larger size and have been very happy with the shoes and the service.

interungulate

Oh wow, yeah, I guess I could have looked at the description first Thanks for that

seymour1910

I have bought from them and had the same experiences. Great return policy.

I understand the argument for buying at a shop to get the perfect fit but I also understand someone being on a tight budget. It's one thing to say you are buying cheap because you don't want to spend the extra money, and another to say you are buying cheap because you don't have the extra money. A good amount of people posting here may be working professionals that can get whatever shoes they want. The OP said specifically that she is a BROKE college student.

Here is another option

Pearl Izumi Women's Select Road III Shoe | Pearl Izumi

rms13

The shoes will work with your cleats. Main difference with tri shoes is they are designed to be able to take on and off quickly to speed up transitions in races and designed to be more comfortable without socks then regular road shoes since you usually won't wear socks during a triathlon. Most dedicated road shoes have a ratcheting system to tighten the shoe on your foot and tri shoes just have velcroe usually. If you are not doing tris I would get road shoes but one of my friends has tri shoes as his normal training shoes and they are fine.

Buying cycling shoes on line is no different than buying any other shoes. All shoes and brands fit differently and lots of cycling shoes use european sizing so you really need to try on the specific shoe you are buying to know how it fits. I have bought two different Shimano shoes and I needed a different size in each shoe so you never now. Backcountry and most retailers will take the shoes back as long as you don't wear them outside so you can try them on and return them if they don't fit the question is who pays shipping? If they pay shipping both ways like zappos then it's fine but if you have to pay to ship back a return than that may cut into any savings you get buying on line.

newbie101

Some local shops will work with you on pricing, ie a student discount or a member of the university cycling club. Others will try to come close to matching an online price.

Also, it can be a hassle and sometimes rather expensive returning shoes from an online purchase. Especially if you have to do this more than once.