Normal Earth Human Shoe For Clipless Pedals?

I have wondered for a long time, back since I first considered whether to get a set of Cyclebinding
pedals, whether some enterprising manufacturer would make clipless-compatible shoes that look like,
well, shoes.

I'm not talking walkable vs non-walkable shoes here (non-walkable I dismiss outright as non-shoes),
but rather a clipless-compatible shoe that an adult of reasonable judgement would see fit to wear to
a nice restaurant or nightclub or to keep company with the in-laws. Plain is fine but a goofy
Nike-alike is not acceptable.

It occurs to me that there are a lot of people, myself included, who never own a dumb-looking jock
shoe unless it's free. I'd rather stick with flat pedals than submit my feet to ballet slippers as
interpreted by a Japanese sci-fi toymaker. Yet it seems that for every fifty kinds of cycling shoes,
forty-seven are exactly that, one's a skateboard-shoe lookalike, one's a cross-trainer lookalike,
and the other is styled to resemble a Walmart-quality hiking boot.

How about one that looks like a real shoe? Any advice? Is there anybody else who would buy such a
thing if it were available?

For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107

Chalo Colina

 

"Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
> http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107

Assuming you're not pulling our legs, my question is what you'd be dressed in while riding with
shoes like that. Seems to me that if you're riding far enough and hard enough to benefit from
clipless pedals, you'd want to be wearing clothes that would look rather silly with wingtips.

RichC

 

27 May 2003 19:16:40 -0700,
<[email protected]>, [email protected] (Bluto) wrote:

>How about one that looks like a real shoe? Any advice? Is there anybody else who would buy such a
>thing if it were available?
>
>For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
>http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107
>
>Chalo Colina

I know what you mean about the selection of cycling shoe styles.

I've been toying with the idea of hacking a cleat mounting plate into a pair leather soled dress
shoes and then stiffening the inner sole with carbon fibre and epoxy.
--
zk

 

Tue, 27 May 2003 22:25:04 -0400, <[email protected]>, "Rich Clark"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Seems to me that if you're riding far enough and hard enough to benefit from clipless pedals, you'd
>want to be wearing clothes that would look rather silly with wingtips.
>
>RichC

Conversely, if your bike is fitted with clipless pedals and you occasionally wear suits on short
trips, it might not be a bad idea to have a pair of dress shoes fitted with cleats.
--
zk

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Bluto) wrote:

> I have wondered for a long time, back since I first considered whether to get a set of
> Cyclebinding pedals, whether some enterprising manufacturer would make clipless-compatible shoes
> that look like, well, shoes.
>
> I'm not talking walkable vs non-walkable shoes here (non-walkable I dismiss outright as
> non-shoes), but rather a clipless-compatible shoe that an adult of reasonable judgement would see
> fit to wear to a nice restaurant or nightclub or to keep company with the in-laws. Plain is fine
> but a goofy Nike-alike is not acceptable.
>
> It occurs to me that there are a lot of people, myself included, who never own a dumb-looking jock
> shoe unless it's free. I'd rather stick with flat pedals than submit my feet to ballet slippers as
> interpreted by a Japanese sci-fi toymaker. Yet it seems that for every fifty kinds of cycling
> shoes, forty-seven are exactly that, one's a skateboard-shoe lookalike, one's a cross-trainer
> lookalike, and the other is styled to resemble a Walmart-quality hiking boot.
>
> How about one that looks like a real shoe? Any advice? Is there anybody else who would buy such a
> thing if it were available?
>
> For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
> http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107
>
> Chalo Colina

Chalo: two good choices, one I'm sure you know about: Shimano makes their famous SPD sandal. Very
nice for the summer, and if I'm smart, I should pick up a pair myself. Might be funny to wear 'em to
a race .

Second choice is to buy some BMX or casual style shoes:

http://shop.airbomb.com/site/intro.cfm?PageID=37&SKU=SH5574

Not a patent cap-toe, but suitable for all but the most buttoned-down occasions. You aren't doing
black-tie on your bike, are you Chalo? If so, I'd suggest a change of shoes. A large variety of
fairly plain, usually suede-finish SPD-compatible low-cuts are out there, though. They're usually
sold as "BMX" shoes or some such.

Otherwise, have you experimented with putting in a hard plastic sole and getting a shoemaker to turn
your wingtips into SPD-compatible dress shoes? They'd probably be fascinated by the project.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

 

On Tue, 27 May 2003 19:16:40 -0700, Bluto wrote:

> I have wondered for a long time, back since I first considered whether to get a set of
> Cyclebinding pedals, whether some enterprising manufacturer would make clipless-compatible shoes
> that look like, well, shoes.

I (marginally) get by with Shimano SH-M020, but University attire rules are pretty lax these days.
In the Summer, should it ever arrive here in the East, I use Shimano sandals.

Lake has a few that look somewhat like shoes. Some of the space-boots are at least black, which
would hide them from the casual observer, but they sometimes also come with reflective bits,
spoiling the effect.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or _`\(,_ | that we are to
stand by the president right or wrong, is not (_)/ (_) | only unpatriotic and servile, but is
morally treasonable to the American public. --Theodore Roosevelt

 

"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Tue, 27 May 2003 22:25:04 -0400, <[email protected]>, "Rich Clark"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Seems to me that if you're riding far enough and hard enough to benefit from clipless pedals,
> >you'd want to be wearing clothes that would look rather silly with wingtips.
> >
> >RichC
>
> Conversely, if your bike is fitted with clipless pedals and you occasionally wear suits on short
> trips, it might not be a bad idea to have a pair of dress shoes fitted with cleats.

Wouldn't it make sense to just use a pair of "tennis shoe adapters" (platforms that temporarily clip
into the pedals) under those circumstances? Then you wouldn't have to walk around on your cleats all
day. Be cheaper, too.

Also, a dress shoe with a sole thick enough to recess a cleat would look a bit odd, for a
dress shoe.

RichC

 

Performance sells something called Instep that can turn a pair of normal shoes, or even bare feet if
you want, into SPD or Look shoes.

GH

 

Rich Clark wrote:

> "Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
> > http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107
>
> Assuming you're not pulling our legs, my question is what you'd be dressed in while riding with
> shoes like that. Seems to me that if you're riding far enough and hard enough to benefit from
> clipless pedals, you'd want to be wearing clothes that would look rather silly with wingtips.
>
> RichC

The OP's post did not point to "wingtips" it pointed to "bluchers". And what's wrong with wanting
what one wants? Vive la difference! Bernie

 

"Rich Clark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> > For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
> > http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107
>
> Assuming you're not pulling our legs, my question is what you'd be
dressed
> in while riding with shoes like that. Seems to me that if you're riding
far
> enough and hard enough to benefit from clipless pedals, you'd want to be wearing clothes that
> would look rather silly with wingtips.
>
> RichC
>

I dress in street clothes whenever I'm riding transportationally, which is almost every day. Around
here people do it all the time, I don't but I've seen many very dressed up cyclists, suits and all.
I'm also on the lookout for a street shoe styled spd. (Although the one shown is not exactly what I
had in mind)

 

Tue, 27 May 2003 23:27:13 -0400, <[email protected]>, "Rich Clark"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> Tue, 27 May 2003 22:25:04 -0400, <[email protected]>, "Rich Clark"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >Seems to me that if you're riding far enough and hard enough to benefit from clipless pedals,
>> >you'd want to be wearing clothes that would look rather silly with wingtips.
>> >
>> >RichC
>>
>> Conversely, if your bike is fitted with clipless pedals and you occasionally wear suits on short
>> trips, it might not be a bad idea to have a pair of dress shoes fitted with cleats.
>
>Wouldn't it make sense to just use a pair of "tennis shoe adapters" (platforms that temporarily
>clip into the pedals) under those circumstances? Then you wouldn't have to walk around on your
>cleats all day. Be cheaper, too.
I was unaware of such a device. Something like that sounds like it would make sense for short hops.
>
>Also, a dress shoe with a sole thick enough to recess a cleat would look a bit odd, for a
>dress shoe.
>
True enough but those RedWings looked like they have a thick sole and still might be passable in an
office or dimly lit club or restaurant.
--
zk

 

I guess it depends on what you like. Check out the new Specialized Sonoma which is fairly casual <h-
ttp://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?section=12959&browselevel=shoes&JServSessionIdroot=9r75h-
ywtg1.j27004> or the Diadora Police shoe <http://www.gitabike.com/cgi-bin/shop/sc_searchz.cgi?user_-
id=68824&database=dbase_shop.exm&template=sr2_shop_di.htm&0_option=1&0=di-patro-bk>

Todd Kuzma Heron Bicycles LaSalle, IL http://www.heronbicycles.com/

 

"Rich Clark" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > For those who haven't seen a regular shoe in a while, here is an example:
> > http://www.redwingshoes.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=107
>
> Assuming you're not pulling our legs, my question is what you'd be dressed in while riding with
> shoes like that. Seems to me that if you're riding far enough and hard enough to benefit from
> clipless pedals, you'd want to be wearing clothes that would look rather silly with wingtips.

They're not wingtips or dress shoes of any kind. They're just shoes.

Odds are I'd be wearing bib overalls, since that's what I almost always wear.

I really gotta wonder about folks who can't straddle a bike unless they're wearing lycra and shoes
that render them unable to walk normally. What do they think people rode bikes in before
injection-molding or synthetic fibers?

Clipless pedals are good for enhancing maximum power output, but they are also good for maintaining
an ideal foot position over the pedal and for preventing slippage. They also encourage unweighting
the back pedal instead of using the front leg to lift the back one. All except the first
characteristic are applicable to any intensity of riding.

Chalo Colina

 

Earth Shoes don't fit into toe clips, I can tell you that.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

Zoot Katz <[email protected]> wrote:

> [email protected] (Bluto) wrote:
>
> >How about one that looks like a real shoe? Any advice? Is there anybody else who would buy such a
> >thing if it were available?
>
> I know what you mean about the selection of cycling shoe styles.
>
> I've been toying with the idea of hacking a cleat mounting plate into a pair leather soled dress
> shoes and then stiffening the inner sole with carbon fibre and epoxy.

I have seen someone retrofit a pair of US Army jungle boots with SPD cleats. Those boots have a
steel shank in the sole and tall open lugs for tread, so they seemed to be an easy if ungraceful
candidate for the transformation.

Seems like a full-length, fully shaped CFRP insole with cleat attachment hardware in it would be a
useful retrofitting device: You could just cut a window straight through the bottom of the victim
shoe and plop the insoles inside. Then when you were walking or standing, you'd still benefit from
the shoe's shock absorbtion if not its flexibility. The insert would probably have to be a very
close fit to the inside of the shoe, lest it wander around a lot when you were clipped in. Maybe
glue it in?

Chalo Colina

 

Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:

> Second choice is to buy some BMX or casual style shoes:
>
> http://shop.airbomb.com/site/intro.cfm?PageID=37&SKU=SH5574

Thanks for the link; those are the best I've seen yet. A little leather dye and they could pass for
shoes I might wear on purpose. The built-in advertising is annoying, though.

Chalo Colina

 

Bluto <[email protected]> wrote:
> Seems like a full-length, fully shaped CFRP insole with cleat attachment hardware in it would be a
> useful retrofitting device: You could just cut a window straight through the bottom of the victim
> shoe and plop the insoles inside. Then when you were walking or standing, you'd still benefit from
> the shoe's shock absorbtion if not its flexibility. The insert would probably have to be a very
> close fit to the inside of the shoe, lest it wander around a lot when you were clipped in. Maybe
> glue it in?

This got me to thinking, maybe I could do a retrofit like you're talking about by combining shoes.
Wait until my current shoe uppers are thrashed (they almost are), then transplant the sole (which
has little to no wear) onto a more normal shoe. The sole of the MTB/sneaker I'm wearing now will
look a little funky on a different shoe. But I imagine since it is the bottom of the shoe, it
wouldn't be too noticeable.

Looking around, this site http://www.freewheel.com/mvw/shoes.html says there is such a thing as an
SPD adapter to make a regular shoe into a cycling shoe. No idea where one would get one though.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g "It doesn't matter if the cup is half
full or half empty. Whatever's inside it is evaporating either way."

 

"Rich Clark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> Wouldn't it make sense to just use a pair of "tennis shoe adapters" (platforms that temporarily
> clip into the pedals) under those circumstances? Then you wouldn't have to walk around on your
> cleats all day. Be cheaper, too.

....Thereby making your fancy-schmancy, high-tech clipless pedals equivalent to old-fashioned pedals
with clips and straps.

*shrug* I'll stick to clips and straps, thanks.

I know it's not *optimal biomechanical efficiency* but it maximises the utility of my bike. The
same bike I ride to the store is the same bike I can ride to church is the same bike I can
ride...well, anywhere.

OK, so I've got more than one bike. bekah, my much-beloved and abused city bike has resin block
pedals. But I only paid sixty squid for her (shoulda waited--there was a forlorn looking cheapie
peugeout on sale here in the 'hood for twenty squid--but then, I'd have been bikeless for
longer...). In any case, putting new pedals on her is a bit of a waste.

-Luigi

 

"Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Ryan Cousineau <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Second choice is to buy some BMX or casual style shoes:
> >
> >
http://shop.airbomb.com/site/intro.cfm?PageID=37&SKU=SH5574
>
> Thanks for the link; those are the best I've seen yet. A
little
> leather dye and they could pass for shoes I might wear on
purpose.
> The built-in advertising is annoying, though.

Vans makes a few of them too -- SPD compatible sneakers.

Diadora (I think) makes some plain black SPD compatible work shoes, for police officers on bikes. I
saw them on the Nashbar site.

I share your frustration. The offerings in this area are few, and generally ugly. Hideous. Just look
at the Nashbar site, and all those ugly shoes. It's amazing. No wonder so many of them are on sale.

I have a pair of Answer Flatfoot sneakers, maybe 5 years old. They ride well, are comfortable for
everyday wear, and look OK for black sneakers. I think these are still being made, but I'm sure in
the ugly skater-kid color scheme du jour.

If I have to ride somewhere that requires real shoes, I'm most likely to wear my Sidis, with some
real shoes in my backpack.

Unfortunately, there is no escape from built-in advertising. I refuse to wear it if alternatives are
available, but these days they aren't. Bet you can't find a baseball cap without a logo!

Matt O.

 

Bluto wrote:
> How about one that looks like a real shoe?

I have a pair of Shimano FR80's which I have blackened with scuff cover and polished - they are
nearer to boots than shoes, but pass for shoes when worn with trousers which cover the ankles.

> Any advice? Is there anybody else who would buy such a thing if it were available?

Yes, yours truly.

Jim Price