queerpunk

so, i'm making the jump to cliplessness (thanks, you-know-who-you-are!). i don't have a whole lot of money to spend and i'm pretty lacking in knowledge about clipless shoes - i mean, except for, "buy sidis right, once, or buy other crap twice!"

anyway, i'm wondering about people's experiences with lower-price shoes. i probably want something with velcro - no casual look or "touring shoe" necessary, especially if it gives up the advantages of cliplessness.

i'm likely to go to some local shops and try on shoes, because i know that shoes are like saddles (everybody's foot/ass is different!), but i want a couple of ideas to start out with.

pretty much, the shoe that you've bought on a super budget (inside $50) that turned out to be surprisingly good.

additional information - about arches, firmness, level of use, how it breaks in, if you get clicking from yr cleats - would also be much appreciated.

blu3d0g

I've heard good things about the shimano and pearl izumi shoes, but have no experience with either and have no idea what they cost. I admittedly went right for sidis and I've never looked back.

monsterkidz

QP, I rock Shimano MTB ma-80's. I've worn them daily for 2 years now and they are still holding up. Comfy enough to wear all day long, cleats do click when walking on the street, but nothing like road shoes. I've used them with SPD cleats and now with Eggbeater cleats. 3 velcro straps keep them nice and snug. They were comfy since day one. I don't win any style points with them though.

SpiderMike

Been riding (on and offroad) on the same pair of Diadora Geko's for about 2 years.

Nekura

I've had a cheaper pair of Adidas that looked really nice, but were horribly uncomfortable. I've been riding with an older model of Sidi's I found online. For $80 they are amazing shoes, and very comfortable. I was pretty much set on buying Sidi's and these were the only all black ones for the price range I could find. The only thing I don't like about them is that the velcro latches inward, so my drive side velcro hits my cranks every once in a while.

I just looked on the site, and I guess they are $90, but there is another model that is a little cheaper. I'd definitely buy these again if something happened to mine.

https://www.bicyclebuys.com/Items01.a...fg&M=377&T=103

veggiemafia

On sale at the Specialized website for $42 if you wear a 36-38, 47 or 48. I have the 2006 versions, I got them for $70, I'm wearing them right now, as I often wear them all day and do things off the bike with them on. The Specialized Body Geometry shoes are some of the only shoes that I can find that fit me well. (I have really wide, flat feet.)

kyle!

i have specialized mtb shoes that fit my wide feet great. i tried on a pair of sidi doms and was appalled how tight they were. wayyy too narrow. so. from my experience, if you have wider feet, specialized are great. i have the lower end model. i dropped about $80 on them. they work. leave a little to be desired, sometimes i'll get the click.

kyle!

jinx!

baxtefer

+more on specialized Sport MTB shoes.

Retem

I have sidis and atacs but I have friends that have shimanos that aren't all that bad they last about a year of daily usage I have heard pearl izumi is a good brand from a mtb friend of mine and I have heard the same about sette(pricepooints house brand

I got sidis because the are supposed to be durable and so far they have been great
I hear pearl is wider and run a little big some times and I have been tol the settes are rebadge pearls
the shimanos seem like a good all around shoe at a good price point
I have seen lake and northwave shoes on sale at nashbar and other places for around 50 bucks I haven't tried em but they look like a good option for a shoe

The LT

I have adidas minnretts and they are alright got them for ~40$ at nashbar they fit true to size and aren't half bad looking....I do have some issues with them though. first the stock insoles that come with these shoes suck hard and second the rubber in the sole seems to wear very quickly leaving some fairly significant cleat scrape. other than that they have worked fine for me and are pretty comfortable to wear all day

Aeroplane

+1 on the MA-80's. Velcro is superior to laces in every possible way, IMHO.

andypants

I have the Shimano Ma-80s and think they're alright. The soles are not super stiff so they're very walkable. I think next time I'm going to try the Pearl Izumi Vagabonds for about the same price, around $75. I'd say go with whatever brands your shop carries, I wouldn't buy shoes without trying them on beacuse some shoes fit kinda funny.

jeffremer

I've got a pair of the Shimano M-180B - I guess they're either a '05 or '06 model, but I got them for half price at a shop that was closing. I think the '07 equivalent is the 181 ($150) but they look a bit different year to year and I think they have a different ratchet mechanism. I think my shoes rock, comfy, durable, stiff enough to do long rides, enough flex to walk around a bit in. Make sure you get a size that's pretty tight around your feet, and try to let the shop put you on a trainer so you can spin in them for a bit.

SamHouston

Don't forget Ebay & craigslist for shoes. Used shoes = gross sometimes but if you use at least half a brain you can pick up a good deal. I bought some Lake winter shoes for $35.00 once, guy had mailordered the wrong size & I presume didn't care what he was paid with no minimum bid or anything. The retailed for $300 & are still going strong in the winter.

I've never actually purchased any "gross" used shoes having half a brain and all

doofo

the blue version of this shoe will stain your socks in rain or water

dude just buy sidis once

buy em from rei so you can return tem if they dont fit

JeffS

+1

Ten years ago I bought a pair of Diadoras in a shop and they're still my primary shoes (I didn't ride all that time). A while back I bought another pair of them off ebay for $10 (brand new).

I also have a $200+ pair of Sidis in the closet that I haven't even put cleats on yet. I bought them on a whim and then decided it was pointless to bring them out until the others died.

Anyway, my point is that there are plenty of deals on ebay, and you don't have to spend a fortune to get something comfortable. Go out and learn what brands fit you correctly, what sizes you need in each, and then sit back and wait for a deal.

jimmy_jazz

Same.
They don't look so hot anymore, but they still feel fine, and work great.

caloso

Pearl Izumi Vagabond 2, bought them at Copeland's a year ago. I think I paid $40 but they were the previous year's model and were on clearance. They have been a very good deal. Not as stiff as my Sidis but just fine for commuting. They have a nice big mesh area over the toe to keep cool in warm weather. The flip side is that they can be cold during the winter but a pair of neoprene toewarmers solves that problem.

octopus magic

My Shimanos SPD-SL Carbons look like absolute hell because I wear 'em daily/do everything in them but they're holding up pretty well six months in.

Then again they're Road shoes and you probably don't want to walk in those. I've never had a problem walking in them though.

In Absentia

Dominators are narrow. That's why Sidi also makes the Dominator Mega for folks with wider feet. Luckily, I have narrow feet, so the normal ones fit me great.

fatbat

Second the sidi bullet (or whatever they're calling their cheap shoe now) recomendations.

I ran with the bullet until i wore the sole completely out. while the two-strap velcro isn't as secure as the ratchet strap on the higher end shoes, they're still pretty stiff and comfortable.

My feet are really narrow, though. I actually wear the extra-narrow size of sidis now, which you can often find discounted.

Retem

jr? is that you???? dood

oh by the way sidi dom fives with atac aliums bundle at priceoint 229 just sayin its a killer deal

maxknee

i got these, adidas el moro. great shoe that doesnt look like a bike shoe, and a sole that is stiff. and wont run you more than 70 bux

definitelymaybe

true... and that's why i have the dominator mega (amazing for wide-ish feet). sidi have a rep for fitting narrow.

when i was looking i found a few pairs going for ~$100 on ebay (same as SamHouston said... people dont get sized before they buy).

+1 on trying a bunch of different brands (and sometimes styles) before you make a decision.
+1 on velcro over laces (and ratchets over them both)
+1 on nashbar/eBay/local stores/etc having closeouts on shoes...