Touring Shoes
 

I'm biking from Boston to Seattle this summer and looking for some shoes suitable for riding as well as hiking. I have Shimano M324 pedals. Also, I'd like to bring sandals along on the trip. I was thinking chacos, or something of the sort. Any suggestions are appreciated!

I wear Lake Mountain Bike shoes. Good for walking and cycling ... and I have the same pedals.

Shimano and I think Lake make sandals that are designed for use on a bicycle with clipless pedals. I am not a fan of them -- I own a pair of Shimano ones and have worn them very little -- but there are other touring cyclists who love them, and can adapt with stuff like Seal Skinz and woollen sock to suit bad weather conditions.

I love my lake sandals, most comfortable shoes for walking I have, and great on the bike. I can't use them with the bindings because of ortho reeasons, so I use them with the straps. That is not an easy deal, but it does mean that I have more than just the straps of sandals to crank on the pedals with, and that may be an advantage.

I use Garneau Terra Vents. They're nice and airy, but they're also pretty comfy for walking.

Any old sneakers. Combined with platform pedals and toecups. :)

I have been touring and commuting with these for years. They have held up extremely well.

Amazon.com: Shimano SH-MT33L Mountain Bike Shoes - Men's: Shoes

Sneakers

The Man Who Rode to the Moon (and back) (twice) | Miles 4 Melanoma

For me the answer depends on how much hiking and how tough the expected terrain is. I insist on "real" bike shoes which to me means bike specific shoes with cleats for clipless pedals. If the hiking is fairly short distances (a few miles at most) and the terrain not too difficult, just my SPD Sidis are fine. If I require better hiking footwear for long/difficult hikes I carry a second pair of footwear. In that case I might take any of a variety choices. Racing flats seem pretty ideal, but I have used a number of other shoe types successfully.

I use:
Shimano Cycling Sandles
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=378227
Or
Pearl Izumi X-Alps
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=378228

Multi platform pedals on all my bikes used for touring/commuting...

And I take one or two pairs of Vibram FiveFingers along for hikes, town, camp, etc…...

Works well for me….FiveFingers don't take up much space when packed…..

Shimanos sandals because they adjust with straps, so, are versatile with thick or thin sox ,

and for rain there are gore tex liner sox to wear over your own sox to keep the feet drier ( or plastic bread bags . )

Walking for a long time in a SPD cleat is not good for it .. Myself a sightseeing shoe was worth packing, as I was in Europe

and not staying to rolling up the trip milage, primarily ..

haven't been touring but I only ride in my shimano SPD sandals... they will be what I use on my week long katy trail ride in a few weeks... some waterproof kayaking socks and some hiking wool socks if it gets cool.

Not a fan of laces on bike shoes, personally.

Have 1 shoe with a lace cover Flap covering them , they are discontinued long ago , so which one does not matter in this discussion.


Loose fit and supportive insoles , and by using a toe clip-pedal and a curved slot on the sole bottom

the blood circulation in my feet and the nerves were not constricted as they would be with a snug fitting SPuD shoe.
and so the riding all day was comfortable..

+1

I use a bike shoe that is efficient and comfortable on the bike.

Mine are Lake shoes similar to Machka's, but I also carry a pair of lightweight running shoes. We do a lot of walking on our tours, and it is also nice to get out of the bike shoes at the end of the day.

On one of our tours we did 40 miles of trail hiking, plus a lot of around town walking. I would not want to subject good cycling shoes to that abuse; nor would I want to subject my feet to a stiff soled cycling shoe. I'm not sure you can have a shoe stiff enough to be a good cycling shoe,and still be flexible enough to be a good walking shoe; you end up with a shoe not good for either activity.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...DSCN8179-1.jpg

Another vote for the Lake's. Unless they do something stupid with the design of the shoe, I will never own another brand.

And I would go with a pair of light weight shoes for off the bike. I have a pair of Tevas that weigh next to nothing.

Extremely poor advice. Very unhealthy for you feet. You need a stiff sole to help prevent flexing of your foot. A stiffer sole aid in power transfer too. Mountain bike shoes are even probably stretching it a bit on sole stiffness but they are a satisfactory compromise.

What's bad about flexing your foot? In particular: what's unhealthy about it? I've had a few aches and pains from riding a bicycle, but I can't say that I've ever finished a day with aching feet.

cold + rainy: bogs bridgeport
everything else: keen sandals with a toebox.

I don't find other methods tighten the shoes enough.

Specialized makes some very good "touring" shoes. Recessed SPD cleats and a flat bottom (no studs) so they work very well both on and off the bike. When I go with bike sandals I use Keen's. I just like to protect my toes.

The longest day I ever pulled fully loaded was on platforms with toe clips, and a cheap pair of shoes from payless. 164 miles over a(admittedly low)mountain range and a river valley. And about four days riding on each side of that. Its appalling that I was not crippled, but really the only people who would be appalled are marketing execs who want you to believe that you need the latest riding teck, and the riders who blindly believe the marketing execs.
Don't get me wrong, I own plenty of spds and "appropriate" shoes, and feel that if your feet do get sore then you should use a stiffer sole, a larger pedal, whatever helps you personally. But if you can wear thongs and use rattraps for your touring, then no one should tell you that you cant, unless you ask if they know of something different.

That sounds like you were unused to cycling on platforms and/or the cheap pair of shoes were uncomfortable to start with. I've cycled plenty clipped (KEO and Eggbeaters) and on platforms (with comfortable sandals or sneakers) and find platforms more comfortable over the long haul. Then again, I'm the type of person who likes to run with minimalist shoes without socks, so ymmv.

I think Shipwreck was saying that his longest day ever was with platforms and sneakers, and he suffered no ill effects.