Road Shoe Question

garage sale GT said:

Road shoes seem to come with hard, slick soles.

My Question: Is this because you roadies are so conscious of weight and air resistance that you don't allow yourselves a few grams of rubber on the sole?

Or is it because you may lose balance and need to put a foot down to steady yourself at 20-25 MPH? If you put a foot down at 25 MPH and it sticks to the pavement, it would seem to increase the risk of a crash.

I commute on a converted MTB and my speeds have been getting up there. Do you want slick soles as a safety feature for high speed road use?

It is the first answer-weight and no need for excess material.

Actually most of the better shoes now come with a small heel and toe plug in soft rubber to help with grip when doing limited walking or when stopped.

garage sale GT said:

Road shoes seem to come with hard, slick soles.

My Question: Is this because you roadies are so conscious of weight and air resistance that you don't allow yourselves a few grams of rubber on the sole?

Or is it because you may lose balance and need to put a foot down to steady yourself at 20-25 MPH? If you put a foot down at 25 MPH and it sticks to the pavement, it would seem to increase the risk of a crash.

I commute on a converted MTB and my speeds have been getting up there. Do you want slick soles as a safety feature for high speed road use?

#1. The rubber on the sole provides a soft cushioning to the veins and cappilaries in the feet not allowing for efficient blood flow. IOW the heart rate will not go up as efficiently as it should.

I have once tried using shoes with rubber soles and my speeds went down there...way down like 5mph on a 1hr ride. :o

I have a cheap pair with hard plastic soles. The rigidity really helps hook up the power and you don't have to focus on keeping your foot firm. However, I always thought they could add some traction to them if they wanted. I have seen those road shoes with small rubber pads but was unaware if they were a compromise design for low speed hybrid users or something. Thank you for the help.

Use a hot glue gun and spooge on a glob of the stuff at the heal and toe.

Yeah but that won't help my circulation.....:p 😉 :p 😉

It's a serious question. What if your front tire blew out?

warrenIsAnIdiot said:

#1. The rubber on the sole provides a soft cushioning to the veins and cappilaries in the feet not allowing for efficient blood flow. IOW the heart rate will not go up as efficiently as it should.

I have once tried using shoes with rubber soles and my speeds went down there...way down like 5mph on a 1hr ride. :o

😕 Perhaps if you were talking about a shoe with rubber on the inside of the sole, but even then, I do not think the effect on the circulation in the feet could have any difference on heart rate or cardiac output. You must have been using shoes with flexible rubber soles, as opposed to rigid soles with rubber on the outside to have that much effect on your speed.

What the OP asked is why road shoes could not have a surface with more traction on the outside of the sole, and not why the soles do not flex like walking shoes do. The answer is that unlike mountain bikers, most roadies do not get off the bike and walk any distance. Therefore, anything put on the shoe just to improve the ability to walk is unnecessary added weight. I was riding with a fellow last weekend who left his shoes clipped to his pedals when we were at a rest stop. I, on the other hand, like to go for long rides, but do not care about speed. I have mountain bike pedals and shoes on my hybrid, and will use them on my road bike when I get it.

garage sale GT said:

It's a serious question. What if your front tire blew out?

Heels out and stay loose.:eek: It's pretty rare that putting a foot down during a road crash is going to make a difference one way or another.

I have once tried using shoes with rubber soles and my speeds went down there...way down like 5mph on a 1hr ride. :o[/QUOTE]Come now. You can't attribute the drop in speed like that to shoes.

Mountain bike shoes have soft soles primarily because you do at time have to get off & push the bike or climb over obstacles.

Road shoes don't need it because you rarely need to walk. Why put on what you don't need.

There are plenty of touring shoes that are a bit of a cross between the 2 shoes.