Are Expensive Cycling Shoes Really Better?

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#cycling #bikes #bicycle

[@markphillips5800]

I wear the Shimano indoor cycling shoe because it has a mesh upper that conforms to the bunion on my right foot. No rubbing or irritation and no pain. For clarification - I don't use them indoors, they are my regular outdoor shoes. I tried several other shoes and nothing has been this comfortable. I pair them with Time ATAC pedals - lots of float - and my feet and knees are VERY happy.

[@florenzebg]

This is not meant to sound eliteist but if you have a certain fitness level you absolutely can. I have an FTP of around 330 Watts (I know, not very representative) but I can even tell the difference between a mid- and a high level carbon shoe. I also have a carbon shoe which has lasted me 30000km and its still stiff while a plastic sole in another shoe has only lasted me 1 season because I can now feel the pedal pushing through. So in my opinion my 300€ shoes were worth every cent and I actually think compared to other upgrades it is decent value

[@danielrussell9416]

The only thing that works for me is Lake wide shoes. I don't even have very wide feet but everything else feels like a torture device.

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

Improve contact points and cycling becomes an addiction. I also got the Lake wide shoes and the other amazing upgrade was to buy Canyon/Ergon leaf spring seatpost.

[@Renegat59]

My super old Shimano cheap SPD were completely worn off this year and I had to buy new ones. It's super hard to buy cycling shoes in Poland as shops normally don't have them on shelves. It's basically ordering, trying and sending back. I tried probably 8 or 9 models in total with prices ranging from 70 Eur to 200 Eur. The only ones that actually fit me, didn't cause pain and didn't move on my heel was one of the cheapest models from Giro. I paid 75 Eur and I'm super happy with them. Unfortunately the time spent is enormous, because of trying and erring waiting for deliveries etc.

[@interpolpirate]

Cheap alternative is clip in pedals with a larger platform rather that some of the higher end ones that are just a cleat on a stick. That way the shoe is supported by solid metal and can't flex.

[@chairthrower]

I went from a pair of "cheap" Shimano plastic soled shoes to the base Lake carbon fiber sole shoes and my foot pain and cramps went away. I would sometimes cramp on the bike which is pretty surreal. I also got Lakes with reflective uppers figuring I'm super bright if I'm out late.

[@muratmustafa4532]

I have 4 pairs of cycling shoes and the sole is changing from flat pedal rubber to stiff carbon spd. I can tell the difference in power transfer between all of them. I can tell the difference in power transfer between the two spd rubber sole shoes with varying stiffness. So there is certainly a noticeable difference between the shoes if you use them long enough. A good strategy might be buying different shoes for different purposes. For instance my flat pedal rubber shoes is for my Brompton where I run daily errands in the city. The softer rubber sole shoes with SPD is when I do longer rides with my Brompton and I know that I will be walking a little (i.e. less than a km). My stiffer rubber sole SPD shoes are waterproof and I use it on all of my winter/fall rides. Carbon sole shoe is for summer and non-rainy days which I bought for 1/3 of the retail price. So I do not think there is one pair of shoes that works well for all situations. My advice would be trying of getting various kind of shoes from the sales. The retail prices of my shoes is three times higher than the prices I got them for. So instead of buying £300-£400 shoe at retail price, perhaps wait for the opportunities and buy several pairs for different purposes.

[@DoNuT_1985]

I just got Fiziks (Tempo R4 Overcurve) because I thought they look cool and it turned out they fit pretty well, only in extremely warm conditions I get some pain on the outside of my right foot (not sure what to do about it), but even that has gotten better over the years. I'm not changing shoes because 95% are good enough, that's why I'm also keeping the in-house-brand original saddle of my Ridley even though I want a fancier one. My overall fit just works and I don't want to mess with it.

[@SonnyDarvishzadeh]

The best upgrade I've made in shoes was to go wide! I got Lake MX177 and then Fizik Vento (each ~140 euros). Measure the width of your feet before deciding on material!

[@runningwithshemp]

I use full custom made to order shoes from Don Lamson out of Green Valley AZ. Pair with orthotics few if anything will some profound impact on the quality of your ride

[@stuartdryer1352]

Carbon shoes also mean you can run your cleats farther back without problems. Two Boas are a big plus too.

[@znicho]

Carbon soles were a gamechanger, cannot go back to plastic now.

[@karlj711]

I bought some cheap shoes online from Decathlon during the covid lockdown, the finish inside was shocking, to the point they were unwearable. There was sharp edges in both shoes that dug into my feet in several places on both feet.

[@anarchocyclist]

My nimbl air are literally the most comfortable shoes I own. They are 250 grams lighter than my bonts, and the power transfer is insane.

[@savagepro9060]

Perfect, Perfect, topic and suggestions. Wow! If yu find something that fits properly, instantly buy more than one!

[@mathewrose2951]

all three pairs of Sidi shoes in my collection validate this: 15 year old road shoes assigned to trainer duty, MTB shoes, and a new pair of road shoes this year, all built on the same last and a perfect fit for my foot.

[@whynotride327]

How does one measure whether a carbon soled shoe is better/stiffer than some other sort of plastic? Hint: None of us can tell a difference but we want to justify spending a lot of money. BTW, I found Adidas shoes on a great sale and liked them so well that I bought two more pairs. $64 a pair and they work great.

[@florenzebg]

If you just cruise around with 100 watts (nothing wrong with that) you cant. As is often the case with cycling upgrades you need some power to spot the differences

[@whynotride327]

@@florenzebg You are making some very sweeping judgements in your attempt to justify spending more money. If you are happy with that, great. However my point remains for probably 99+% of all riders. Using your logic, the only people who might be able to "feel" a difference have their shoes provided to them. IOW, they don't pay for them.

[@florenzebg]

@@whynotride327 I know a lot of people who produce a lot of power and dont even race. So I dont agree with your 99%. How much you ride is the biggest factor imo. My plastic sole shoes made me feel the pedal through the sole already after 4000km. So many cyclists would need 2-4 shoes per year. Carbon soles last for decades so if you ride a lot they are actually cheaper. You will probably say that I just make these things up but it really sounds like you have never tried them

[@clarencehowell1986]

New 2:46 rider 4-5 months, only ride 15-20 miles. RS1 shoes were cheap and never hurt ( so far)

[@owensnicholas]

I would absolutely agree that a more expensive shoe isn’t worth it IF a cheap one is comfortable. BUT if the more expensive shoe is what works, buy it and don’t look back. A shoe you can ride for hours and hours is worth so much more to your performance and endurance than carbon wheels, electronic groupsets, OSPWs, integrated cockpits, etc.

[@ysarn]

Very annoying thing with even mid range and expensive cycling shoes is the BOA dials you get at the different price levels. On mid-range shoes you get the BOAs that only micro-adjust to tighten (e.g. L6), you have to completely open the BOA dial to loosen and then retighten. This makes them worse than velcro or ratchets. Usually only the top-line shoes will have the BOAs that microadjust to tighten and loosen (e.g. IP1 and Li2). This means that you usually have to pay £100 more than the mid-range shoe just to get a properly functioning BOA dial, and to top it off the IP1 dials do not cost more than the L6 dials in the first place. Pure rip-off from shoe manufacturers.

[@sweatnosweat]

products is the least interesting thing about cycling. I miss seeing you pedaling around the world with your friends.

[@Ingrimmsch91]

I start to ware some non carbon tri specific shoes on my iron man And it felt incredibly comfortable May be it’s the shape may be it’s a bit of flex but also I don’t put out sprints ….in this long distance races …

[@FT__Bicycling_____-sc7yv]

All three contact points are 100% worth spending more money on (when it makes sense related to fit and performance). Flexy soles (most plastic soles) are shiiiiiit. Fine if you're just doing 100-200 watts I guess but when doing more and longer rides.. no way

[@thecoffeeblog]

YES THEY ARE

[@JBR.1974]

also very good to shop about....Ive picked up two pairs of Giro Regime which have an RRP of £229, both pairs cost me £170 altogether....a bit of a bargain if you aks me

[@Hardchoices4aneasylife]

Invest in custom insoles

[@brcod3tv573]

I found AliExpress shoes and they are better than my muddyfox rs and my fizik...😂😂😂

[@billkallas1762]

£200, or $200 shoes, are cheap shoes.