Call me old-fashioned if you will, but I have always toured using soccer training shoes and toe clips. The situation at the moment is that my trainers are a health hazard and the bearings in my pedals are just about worn out. I visited my locall bike shop recently where they suggested I buy Shimano shoes with funny looking pedals. I would like to know whether there are makes of shoes and pedals that will not only be useful on this summer's tour but also for the rest of the year. I cycle to work every day and in the winter I have to wear hiking boots. When I am touring, I sometimes like to get off and walk. Any suggestions as to which shoes/pedals would fit my lifestyle? Or do you suggest I stick to the trainers and toe clips.

Check out Lake mountain bike shoes. They look like normal footwear and are very comfortable. I've used them for thousands of miles of cycling in just about every imaginable weather condition, and I've also logged quite a few miles of hiking and walking in them.

In the winter, just put a pair of booties over them and off you go.

There are double-sided pedals made by Shimano. One side has the mechanism for clipping in (yeah, I know, clipless pedals, but you still clip in), and the other side is a normal platform that enables you to ride with ordinary shoes or boots.

Get some booty covers for winter riding.

I tried clipless for a while but didn't like the idea of having to wear special (cycling) shoes every time i wanna ride my bike.The flipflop pedals are ok but you can't really attach a toe clip.Soccer shoes are by far the best and most comfortable option,they're just as good for walking and socializing.Cycling shoes in my opinion are more flashy than practical.

I am beginning to move away from clipless and back to toeclips for touring. The effiency gained by the clipless pedal is no longer as important to me as is the convinence and comfort of being able to wear a shoe that is comfortable all day along. I am also tired of payng $60-100 for shoes that I seem to only get one season out of before the shoe comes apart.
I like the soccer shoe idea,I didn't realize they have an eva midsole.

I also like the efficiency of clipless shoes. I've logged thousands of road/touring miles and many touring/commuting years using clipless. However, I almost always put my clips back on for winter (I went down a couple of times this winter in the snow-clipped in). Sometimes I put the toe clips on when riding the Katy Trail.

The older (and slower!) I get, the more going back to toe clips and straps seems like a good idea for me, too.

Terve, Pekka!

(rest in English): I personally dislike being clipped in in the winter. I use pedals with a platform on one side and a Shimano SPD-compatible mechanism for clipping in on the other. In summer I ride with Shimano shoes, which are reasonable (not good, but reasonable) for walking too. In summer I use winter boots and platform side of the pedal.

--J

My first tour was with clipless and my cycling shoes failed and the replacement shoes also failed. My third major tour I went clips with cycling shoes and my new cycling shoes also failed! Recently I bought two pairs of shoes for city ridding for their comfort and practical looks. So now I have two pairs of cycling shoes and two pair of street shoes that I use for cycling and I find the street shoes a lot more comfortable. I am just in the process of building a new touring bike and I am stuck at what to do about pedals!