A good casual road shoe?

[Jeff Potter]

When I look at bike shoes offered today I see:

*aggro mtb shoes--heavy with huge cleats, race-styling *slick road shoes--rigid soles unsuited for
walking, race-styling

Hello?

Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?

I guess you'd call them touring shoes. This should be a whole huge category, right? But I can't seem
to find it.

I'd think the demographics on who would need race-style shoes or aggro/rigid-slick soles would be
about 10% of the riding population with 90% of riders needing a quality good-looking all-round shoe.
So I guess I'm missing whole stores offering bike shoes for the masses.

A few years back I bought a pair of Nike Pedali Combo's. They've been great. However, it looks like
they don't make em 'good' like my model anymore. I see what seems like info on two different
Pedalis---they say they're made for touring, like mine, (and spinning, har) but the photo I saw
looks HEAVY and CLUNKY like a MTB shoe with massive rubber sole/knobs. I also see reviews saying the
sole is slick and hard. There's a clash here. But neither indicate a real touring shoe. The model I
bought 5+ yrs ago is LIGHT, TRIM, has a firm, proper cycling sole which is not too rigid with a
modest amount of rubber traction on the bottom. It's very comfy for walking. It also looks great:
it's a dark green with purple accent. Understated yet attractive. I did note that the year after I
bought mine they botched that next year's model by making it all black. It looks like they've
further ruined this model at this point.

I see that Performance sells a couple Shimano Touring shoes. Still too racey/geeky. Oh well. They
also have a clunky Lake.

I see that the UK offers the Carnac and Time touring shoes. There's a lady's Avocet. They're all
ugly: oldstyle, 70's-groovy or race-styled. But that's the UK.

Slim pickins.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC ski
culture, a Gulf Coast thriller folding bicycles ... with radical novels coming up! ...original
downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums!
HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Paul Kopit]

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 13:28:54 -0400, Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote:

>Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?

Shimano makes a touring shoe. The model designation on mint it T091. By now, I'd guess they are T092
or T093. The work fine for touring.

 

[Grenouil]

"Jeff Potter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When I look at bike shoes offered today I see:
>
> *aggro mtb shoes--heavy with huge cleats, race-styling *slick road shoes--rigid soles unsuited for
> walking, race-styling
>
> Hello?
>
> Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?
>
> I guess you'd call them touring shoes. This should be a whole huge category, right? But I can't
> seem to find it.
>
.........

Diadora Voyager....

 

[Pete Grey]

The Shimano MO36 (replaced by the MO37 this year) is EXACTLY what you're looking for, IMO :-]

I have used them extensively for loaded touring, work well for both riding and walking, and they're
not terribly heavy.

-pete

"Jeff Potter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When I look at bike shoes offered today I see:
>
> *aggro mtb shoes--heavy with huge cleats, race-styling *slick road shoes--rigid soles unsuited for
> walking, race-styling
>
> Hello?
>
> Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?
>
> I guess you'd call them touring shoes. This should be a whole huge category, right? But I can't
> seem to find it.
>
> I'd think the demographics on who would need race-style shoes or aggro/rigid-slick soles would be
> about 10% of the riding population with 90% of riders needing a quality good-looking all-round
> shoe. So I guess I'm missing whole stores offering bike shoes for the masses.
>
> A few years back I bought a pair of Nike Pedali Combo's. They've been great. However, it looks
> like they don't make em 'good' like my model anymore. I see what seems like info on two different
> Pedalis---they say they're made for touring, like mine, (and spinning, har) but the photo I saw
> looks HEAVY and CLUNKY like a MTB shoe with massive rubber sole/knobs. I also see reviews saying
> the sole is slick and hard. There's a clash here. But neither indicate a real touring shoe. The
> model I bought 5+ yrs ago is LIGHT, TRIM, has a firm, proper cycling sole which is not too rigid
> with a modest amount of rubber traction on the bottom. It's very comfy for walking. It also looks
> great: it's a dark green with purple accent. Understated yet attractive. I did note that the year
> after I bought mine they botched that next year's model by making it all black. It looks like
> they've further ruined this model at this point.
>
> I see that Performance sells a couple Shimano Touring shoes. Still too racey/geeky. Oh well. They
> also have a clunky Lake.
>
> I see that the UK offers the Carnac and Time touring shoes. There's a lady's Avocet. They're all
> ugly: oldstyle, 70's-groovy or race-styled. But that's the UK.
>
> Slim pickins.
>
> --
>
> Jeff Potter
> ****
> *Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
> ...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC ski
> culture, a Gulf Coast thriller folding bicycles ... with radical novels coming up! ...original
> downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums!
> HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Martyn Aldis]

In message <[email protected]>, Jeff Potter
<[email protected]> writes
>
>I guess you'd call them touring shoes. This should be a whole huge category, right? But I can't
>seem to find it.
>
>
>I see that Performance sells a couple Shimano Touring shoes. Still too racey/geeky. Oh well. They
>also have a clunky Lake.

I've just got some Shimano SH-TO70s and like them.

From what you say, you might not like the look (you care about look?). They're not as loud as road
race shoes but still a bit odd with little reflective stud things that look a tiny bit sinister,
like delicate little biker's jacket studs.

Getting away from the look and assuming you plan to ride in these things, get the right stiffness to
go with the type of pedals you use. I use spd pedals that don't have a cage around and my old
cheapest of the range Shimano trainer style shoes (MO 30s I think) didn't give enough foot support
away from the cleat leaving my feet pounded after 30miles or so. The TO70s have a thicker and
stiffer rubber sole so they spread the load better but are a bit stiff and curved for walking far.

Just where do you want to balance the compromise? I'll still use the old trainer type for short
utility trips.
>
>I see that the UK offers the Carnac and Time touring shoes. There's a lady's Avocet. They're all
>ugly: oldstyle, 70's-groovy or race-styled. But that's the UK.
>
Surprised if Time make a dull shoe just for the UK or any shoe for that matter. I suppose they must
do some specific designs to match national foot sizes and how much cash there is to splash.

Martyn

Martyn Aldis

 

[Andres Muro]

I think that the Sidi mountain shoe is very good. It is expensive but has a good fit. Especially the
one with the racheting thingy. They are the lightest mtb shoe. The MTb shoe is still one of the
lightest road shoes, and you can walk in them. the road shoe is even lighter but you cannot walk,
so, to me, it is useless.

The MTB shoe is exactly the same as thew road shoe, but with a walking sole attached to it. I can
drive to a ride, ride, and have lunch after the ride with a bunch of roadies in the same, lighter
than most, sidi shoes. Not that I think that weight makes a difference, but they are comfortable,
long lasting, and you can walk on them. Light weight is free icing.

Andres

Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> When I look at bike shoes offered today I see:
>
> *aggro mtb shoes--heavy with huge cleats, race-styling *slick road shoes--rigid soles unsuited for
> walking, race-styling
>
> Hello?
>
> Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?
>
> I guess you'd call them touring shoes. This should be a whole huge category, right? But I can't
> seem to find it.
>
> I'd think the demographics on who would need race-style shoes or aggro/rigid-slick soles would be
> about 10% of the riding population with 90% of riders needing a quality good-looking all-round
> shoe. So I guess I'm missing whole stores offering bike shoes for the masses.
>
> A few years back I bought a pair of Nike Pedali Combo's. They've been great. However, it looks
> like they don't make em 'good' like my model anymore. I see what seems like info on two different
> Pedalis---they say they're made for touring, like mine, (and spinning, har) but the photo I saw
> looks HEAVY and CLUNKY like a MTB shoe with massive rubber sole/knobs. I also see reviews saying
> the sole is slick and hard. There's a clash here. But neither indicate a real touring shoe. The
> model I bought 5+ yrs ago is LIGHT, TRIM, has a firm, proper cycling sole which is not too rigid
> with a modest amount of rubber traction on the bottom. It's very comfy for walking. It also looks
> great: it's a dark green with purple accent. Understated yet attractive. I did note that the year
> after I bought mine they botched that next year's model by making it all black. It looks like
> they've further ruined this model at this point.
>
> I see that Performance sells a couple Shimano Touring shoes. Still too racey/geeky. Oh well. They
> also have a clunky Lake.
>
> I see that the UK offers the Carnac and Time touring shoes. There's a lady's Avocet. They're all
> ugly: oldstyle, 70's-groovy or race-styled. But that's the UK.
>
> Slim pickins.
>
> --
>
> Jeff Potter
> ****
> *Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
> ...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC ski
> culture, a Gulf Coast thriller folding bicycles ... with radical novels coming up! ...original
> downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums!
> HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Jeff Potter]

Thanks for the tips. None of these seem like very good touring shoes, but some are pretty close. The
Sidi MTB probably has an overly 'aggro' look with huge rubber cleats on it. I saw some Shimanos but
missed seeing the MO's---they seem a little 'gortexy' in style. It just seems like the makers
haven't tried very hard to please the MODERATES who need a good style as much as anyone.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC ski
culture, a Gulf Coast thriller folding bicycles ... with radical novels coming up! ...original
downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums!
HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Andrew Lee]

"andres muro" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I think that the Sidi mountain shoe is very good. It is expensive but has a good fit. Especially
> the one with the racheting thingy. They are the lightest mtb shoe. The MTb shoe is still one of
> the lightest road shoes, and you can walk in them. the road shoe is even lighter but you cannot
> walk, so, to me, it is useless.
>
> The MTB shoe is exactly the same as thew road shoe, but with a walking sole attached to it. I can
> drive to a ride, ride, and have lunch after the ride with a bunch of roadies in the same, lighter
> than most, sidi shoes. Not that I think that weight makes a difference, but they are comfortable,
> long lasting, and you can walk on them. Light weight is free icing.

I have a pair of Dominator 4's, but they aren't what I would call good all around shoes. The plastic
sole is good in mud, but uselessly slick on harder surfaces when hike-a-biking (stinks for walking
or climbing over rocks) or even walking around in town on certain surfaces like tile. I bought them
because they are one of the lightest mountain shoes, but they are still heavy. My US 10.5
equivalents are 14.5-14.6 oz each with cleats. Compare this to my trail running racing shoes at 8.7
oz each or my trail running shoes at 11 oz each. Both of these have much better traction than the
Sidis. I'm sure that someone could design something similar to my trail racing shoe, but with a
moderately stiff plate (graduated so it is stiffest over the pedal and thinner elsewhere) and SPD
cleat mounting in the 10 oz. range for my shoe size... that would be ideal for me. I don't believe
sole stiffness helps with pedaling efficiency significantly - if it were up to me, the goal would be
just to eliminate pressure points from the pedal, while making the rest of it as flexible as
possible with good transition in stiffness. I'm a runner, and I don't see how using my foot as a
lever wastes energy between my heels and the balls of my feet. I also don't understand how people
could tolerate running in these things for cyclocross, though they get good reviews for it. I also
think that the ratcheting strap is dumb - it is harder to get out of the shoe with one hand, sticks
out and is more damage prone. The only reason I got it was that the velcro version only has two
widely spaced straps, which left a gap and wrinkle on the tongue when I tried it out in the store.
Plus, Potter is looking to avoid the racer look.

 

[Tbgibb]

>Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?

Consider Shimano sandals

Tom Gibb <[email protected]

 

[Fred Roses]

Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Can anyone give me a pointer to a bunch of decent all-round bike shoes?

Specialized Sonoma? Here's their hype: All new shoe for 2003. Designed to be a comfortable, walkable
shoe with enough serious cycling features for spinning or century riding. If you've compromised and
bought mountain bike shoes in the past to get a comfortable shoe you can walk in, then this is the
shoe you have been looking for.

http://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?section=12959&browselevel=shoes&JServSessionIdroot=vati-
ssjhgc.j27001

 

[Peter Cole]

"Andrew Lee" <whatsupandrewathotmaildotcom> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I have a pair of Dominator 4's, but they aren't what I would call good all around shoes. The
> plastic sole is good in mud, but uselessly slick on harder surfaces when hike-a-biking (stinks for
> walking or climbing over rocks) or even walking around in town on certain surfaces like tile.

I have the same shoes, and agree. I think they're not too great for MTB use, I bought them as an
alternative to standard Sidi road shoes for weekly club & long distance riding. The shoes I like the
best for casual riding is a the Diadora "Cayman", a low, sneaker-ish (like "skateboard" sneaks)
shoe. My wife has a similar shoe in another brand. The soles aren't as stiff, which makes them
better for walking, the soles are grippy, which makes them better for hike-a-bike, they don't look
too much like bike shoes, which makes them better for errands/utility biking. Not a shoe for a
century or beyond, or for really hard, fast, club rides, but other than that, great.

 

[Fred Roses]

"Andrew Lee" <whatsupandrewathotmaildotcom> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I have a pair of Dominator 4's, but they aren't what I would call good all around shoes.

I use Dominators, and I agree, but the Mega-size Dominators are the only shoe I've found that
doesn't pinch my little hammer toes. So, just to add to the mix in this thread, can anybody
recommend a lighter, slightly more flexible, but still wider-than-normal shoe? The Specialized shoes
that I mentioned in another post on this thread are great, but alas too narrow for me! Fred

 

[Jeff Starr]

Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote in message > Sonoma still looks terrible. Worse
than a nurse's shoe. Some kind of modest accenting might help. <

I just looked at the Sonoma, it's not a bad looking shoe. What are you looking for? Maybe a set of
Dockers with cleats? Are you riding a bicycle or making a fashion statement? Have you considered
having a set of shoes made? Maybe find something that appeals to your "fashion" sensibilities and
take it to a cobbler shop. A good shoemaker, could probably put on a proper sole with the necessary
hardware, to mount your cleats. Or just go to toe clips and you can wear whatever shoes match your
"outfit". Well, good luck with your shoe hunt;-) Jeff

news:<[email protected]>...
> Sonoma still looks terrible. Worse than a nurse's shoe. Some kind of modest accenting might help.
> I wonder what the sole is like. It should be properly stiff but not overly so. It looks
> squishy-soft.
>
> As for the Shimano Sandals: yeah, I've heard they're great. I can see how they would be. I bet
> they really help avoid hotfoot! I can see how they would rate A++ ...for a sandal. I hear that
> Sheldon raves they're the best allround bike shoe. Technically perhaps and I might get some
> sometime. But they look...as good as a sandal. A clunky, hightech sandal, at that.
>
> These things are close but not quite there.
>
> For racing, there are probably a DOZEN models in both road and MTB that are totally SPOT ON.
>
> Why does the most popular aspect of cycling (casual riding) only get *close*?
>
> (Cute, too, how they're selling a walkable tread for spinning more than for walking.)
>
> ---
>
> Jeff Potter
> ****
> *Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com for modern folkways and culture revival...
> ...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies... ...new books featuring: XC ski
> culture, a Gulf Coast thriller folding bicycles ... with radical novels coming up! ...original
> downloadable music ... and articles galore! plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums!
> HOLY SMOKES!

 

[Jeff Potter]

[email protected] (Jeff Starr) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote in message > Sonoma still looks terrible. Worse
> than a nurse's shoe. Some kind of modest accenting might help. <
>
> I just looked at the Sonoma, it's not a bad looking shoe. What are you looking for? Maybe a set of
> Dockers with cleats? Are you riding a bicycle or making a fashion statement?

As I said before, it only seems like 'moderate' riders would get as much shopping choice as
racer-types, seeing as how there are 10X as many of them even in the enthusiast category. I'm not
asking for anything special, just for the usual choices that a huge demographic gets. It's like how
many kinds of race cars can an average person buy? How many average sedans? The selection usually
goes where the population is. That's all.

Anyway, I see that for 3 hours you can buy a set of oldstyle Pedali's at eBay. I have no relation.
Compared to all the others these seem like the best allround 'moderate' road shoe:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3616502584&category=36126

--JP

 

[John Retchford]

"Jeff Potter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> As I said before, it only seems like 'moderate' riders would get as much shopping choice as
> racer-types, seeing as how there are 10X as many of them even in the enthusiast category. I'm not
> asking for anything special, just for the usual choices that a huge demographic gets. It's like
> how many kinds of race cars can an average person buy? How many average sedans? The selection
> usually goes where the population is. That's all.
>
I take your point, but I would argue that the 'moderate' riders you talk about already have a huge
choice - they are called shoes. In countries like the Netherlands, Germany, India and China, where
large numbers of bicycles are used for basic transport, people just wear the clothes and shoes that
they would normally wear. In countries such as yours and mine (Australia), where cycling is largely
a leisure or sporting activity, still only a minority of riders use bicycle specific shoes and the
matching pedals, although these people probably account for a disproportionate amount of the
distance ridden. In our countries, the number of people who tour (in the sense of journeys lasting
more than one day) and use bicycle specific shoes is fairly small. So I think that manufacturers
understand the demographics better than you suppose.

I tour by bicycle and share your frustration with shoe choice, although I have the luxury of living
in a city with an excellent specialist bicycle touring shop, which stocks a fair range. We dedicated
tourers who ride in clip-in shoes are a pretty exclusive bunch! Unless we can persuade more people
to join us we will have limited choices in shoes although, as others have pointed out, there are
some good choices on the market.

John Retchford