what type of shoe/cleat system is njs approved? do they all have to wear the same thing, or can some guys use a slotted type cleat system or some hybrid of the mks pedals and clipless style that i've seen posted before? i'm just curious since you never see njs shoes offered anywhere (not that i want them, i just want to know. ok maybe i would want them if they didn't cost over a hundred bucks).

how about NJS underwear. Any NJS underwear anyone?

dude, theres NJS ANYTHING!
I scored some last time I was in Toyko and I'm wearing it rite now. (feels light and... fast)
I'll trade it some nitto track drops or a 27.0 stem.
maby I should put my other pair on ebay and watch you guys fight over my NJS stamped underwear.

Damn Dood. I gots to have me some of those.

cleats, clips, and straps only, afaik.

In all the Keirin video's I've seen, about 90% percent of the riders still use wooden sole(ed?) shoes, like Duegi, with slotted cleats and single or double laminated leather/kevlar straps. If you have ever tried slotted cleats, you can't remove your foor in any way, short of chopping it off or freeing the straps. You should be able to get them ordered for you in most nicer shops for around $190-$240.

i got a pair of NOS detto's off of ebay a while back for $25. they have wooden soles and slotted cleats. really nice shoes. the idea of a slotted cleat still moderately scares the ***** out of me.

<oldtimer>
back when i first started road racing i raced in slotted cleats and straps. as folks have said, you CANNOT get your foot out w/out looseining the strap. they're super-secure, but the straps can cause numbness on longer rides.
</oldtimer>

exactly the reason they have scary ***** potential

totally. they're great on the track though, 'cause you don't ever have to worry about putting your foot down. (they make for some spectacular crashes though; peeps still attached to their bikes flying through the air. pants-filling as you said).

great for the track! haha

I have a pair too. They are awesome.
They were very scary at first indeed.
The trick for road use with many stops is to run the straps tight but not crazy tight.
Tight so that you can force your foot into the clip just barely. To get out you need to pull up hard and then back. Once you get used to it is quite easy to get out. If you have longer uninterupted rides tighten the strap all the way.
While on the bike you will feel like a suprehero in these shoes, however once you step off the bike they don't quite make you feel that way anymore.

like bambi on ice!

Yes. Walking more that 5 steps in them is too far.

Makes me think of Takeshi Kitano's Kikujiro, when Takeshi's character is betting on Keirin and is mad because the kid keeps picking riders who fall. Several shots of rider + bike being carried off the track.

i was just watching that the other day. funny flick. some really good shots of racing in there...bell gonging.. damn those guy go fast. i think you can even make out some of the makes in close-ups.

A few riders I know content that it's only with the advent of clipless pedals that you started seeing really serious injuries in cycling.

The theory goes that now that you can unclip during a crash, you get ejected, thus breaking collar bones, etc. They say that back in the day, you would slide and have less serious injuries.