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Cycling Shoes – Are They Worth it?

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So you’ve decided to take your cycling up a notch. Maybe you’ve bought yourself a new bike or maybe you’ve been looking for some new kit to step it up.

You come across cycling shoes and wonder, what’s so special about them? In this quick guide, we’ll explain the benefits of getting a pair of good-quality cycling shoes for flat or clipless pedals.

Flat Pedals

Flat pedals don’t offer any locking capabilities. Your shoes rest on them freely and you generate power on the downstroke. There are different kinds of pedals on the market. For MTB, the best ones are wide platform pedals with metal pins that bite into the sole of the shoe, making it really grippy, so that your shoe won’t slide. Next, there are pedals with sandpaper-like grip tape on them or sticky rubber. They are popular among city bikes and touring bikes as they won’t bite into your shoe, or worse, into your shin if you slip.

Flat Pedal Shoes

Flat pedal shoes will have a flat sole made from sticky rubber. Made to be grippy, they can wear out faster than their clipless counterparts, but if you want to have complete freedom over how your feet move on the pedals, these are great.

Upsides:

  • Work with nearly all flat pedals on the market.
  • Straightforward
  • Stable and grippy

Downsides:

  • Don’t work with clipless pedals
  • Risk of slippage
  • Can wear out faster

Dedicated Flat Pedal Shoes vs Trainers?

Most beginner cyclist ride in their trainers. They are decent for a start, but they just aren’t designed for cycling. Dedicated flat pedal cycling shoes are much more sturdy. Their grippy soles work fantastically, greatly reducing a chance of slippage during a wet ride. Running shoes are soft, so they deform easily and degrade quickly from the repeated movements.

Our Picks – Flat Pedal Shoes

Endura Hummvee

The Endura Hummvee is a great example of a good-quality pair of flat pedal shoes and they even come in a few different colours, so you can choose your style and not be limited just to black or grey. These beige, gum sole shoes are very ridable on the streets.

Shimano GR5

Although the GR5 is a gravity-oriented pair of flat pedal shoes, they come in a couple of colours and a silhouette that makes them a good pick, not just for downhillers.

Clipless Pedals

Clipless pedals have locking mechanisms that fix your feet to your pedals. They offer great control and power transfer, being capable of generating power on the downstroke and upstroke also. These pedals require a special shoe with metal cleats that lock into the pedal.

Tips for beginners:

Clipless pedals can be scary for first-timers. The idea of being clipped in to your bicycle may feel weird, but it requires practice, just as any other skill. Making sure that you practise clipping and unclipping before going out for the first time can spare you some bruises. Getting that foot rotating motion into your muscle memory is not that difficult as it may seem. We strongly recommend giving clipless shoes and pedals a go.

Upsides:

  • Direct power transfer, upstroke and downstroke
  • Secure connection to a bike
  • No risk of slippage
  • Usually work well with flat pedals if needed
  • Stiff, durable soles

Downsides:

  • Require special pedals and cleats
  • More expensive
  • Learning curve
  • Risk of a fall from not unclipping

Different brands offer different solutions, but really there are two main types of clipless pedals:

MTB / Off-Road Pedals

These pedals are mostly used in off-road cycling, such as MTB and Gravel but they actually are very good all-rounders for a variety of different use cases. They are really affordable and work with a plethora of shoes on the market.

MTB / Off-Road Shoes

These shoes have a stiffer sole than flat pedal shoes. Their main feature is the cleat box which houses the cleat that clips into the pedal. These shoes come in a variety of styles, from sleek XC  to chunky DH.

Upsides:

  • Tough and robust
  • Easy clipping (two-way or four-way reversible)
  • Grippy knobs or threads for grip off-bike

Downsides:

  • Small platform of contact
  • Lower power efficiency

Our Picks – MTB / Off Road Clipless Pedal Shoes

Endura MT500 Burner

Shimano XC3

Road Pedals

Road clipless pedals usually have a 3 bolt design, they are bigger than SPD pedals, but offer more stability and power efficiency, especially when paired with stiff shoes with composite soles.

Clipless Road Shoes

Upsides:

  • The best direct power transfer
  • Lightweight
  • Big platform of contact with the shoe

Downsides:

  • More susceptible to damage
  • Non-reversible (one-way entry)*
  • Harder to clip in
  • Clunky noise when walking

* except Speedplay pedals

Our Picks – Road Clipless Shoes

Giro Cadet

Shimano RC1

Shoe Buying Tips

Closure System

Most cycling shoes come in three closure styles: traditional laces, velcro straps and BOA.

  • Laced shoes are common in the MTB category. They offer limited fit adjustment but feel more like a normal shoe. It’s important to remember to tuck the laces to prevent them from snagging on something (f.e. a chainring)
  • Velcro straps are present in affordable shoes, although they can be found in higher-priced shoes, often paired with laces or BOA. This closure system is the most straightforward and the easiest to operate. Velcro straps offer more fit adjustments as they can be adjusted individually.
  • BOA Fit System is a dial closure present in higher-end shoes. By turning the dial, the string-like laces tighten up. This is the most sophisticated closure system and can be paired with velcro straps for additional support.

Proper Fit

How a cycling shoe fits greatly influences the comfort during a prolonged ride. A tight-fitting shoe can limit blood circulation leading to numb toes and cramps. Too big of a shoe can be unstable and risk an injury.

It’s best to try on the shoes in your local store before purchasing them. At our store, our experienced staff will certainly help you with making the right decision.

Ventilation

Depending on the season, a cycling shoe should have appropriate heat management and ventilation features. For summer, we recommend a lighter shoe with mesh ventilation which will provide the most cooling. For winter though, a membrane shoe will ensure proper water resistance and warmth.

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Gravel adventures and trail wandering enthusiast.

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