Touring shoes

[samblausten]

Hi there

I am going on my first tour with a friend, cycling from Munich to Venice over the Brenner. We are planning to take it easy - 50km per day but varying with the terrain.

Does anyone have any recommendations for normal casual shoes that work well with normal flat pedals? I am considering getting some mountainbiking spd shoes and pedals but will stay with normal toeclips if I can find shoes with enough sole rigidity. Even commuting 15 miles a day I get hotspots around the balls of my feet so I want to avoid this when cycling longer distances.

I don't want to go down the road-spd route even though I know this is the most comfortable solution - i want to be able to walk with the shoes and go around town.

Thanks

[MLJ]

I find that the Exustar Stelvio touring shoes suit that purpose well, and spd cleats can be attached if required, but this is not essential.

[NUKe]

MLJ suggestion is good but it looks like they have stopped making them they are not on the EXUstar website they do have the ST707 which is similar, So if you fancy the stelvio hurry up before the stocks run out. If your sure you don't want to go down the SPD route at a latter date what about a good quality walking shoe, the advantage over trainers is the solestend to be quite rigid spreading the load.

If I ride on flat pedals for any distance I tend to either wear either Clarks Active air sandals or walking boots Although in general I will use SPD and my Mavic tour shoes for most longer rides, but sometimes it nice to be able to walk around at the other end.

[bluemint]

I've used a pair of Shimano MT33 shoes. They take spds but the recesses have screw on covers that basically turn it into a normal sole that's good for walking.

[simonhill]

I use HiTec squash shoes. They are like a very lightweight trainer. The sole is stiff enough not to feel the pedals and they are OK for walking. I've ridden 10's of thou kms touring in them. Only about 18 quid on Amazon.

[Alex L]

If you go down the SPD route. I find these great:

http://www.dalescycles.com/index.php?op ... edium=base

[foxyrider]

Check out your local Lidl or similar - they often have very serviceable and cheap spd compatible cycling shoes available. iIve been using then for years now, i buy a new pair each time i see them but they last so well i've got decades worth here now!

[nmnm]

What kind of pedals do you use Samblausten? The hotspots may be avoidable by replacing your shoes but equally, you might review your pedal choice. I did 1000 miles last summer on flat pedals and a pair of light trainers - sort of like converse all-stars - no hotspots. Your feet may differ, of course. I used cheap "mks mt ft" pedals, metal bearings, very light, pretty flat.

[samblausten]

Got some MT43s and they are great! really good ventilation, nice and stiff sole and looks Ok for casual use.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

[MarkF]

I am some old SPD Shimano sh-m20, I use them with cages and they are super comfy to walk in. When cycling in heat, I use Karrimor (Sports direct) sandal/trainers, they have very flexible uppers, great ventilation and hard soles (tho' a bit bulky), they are superb for touring when you only want to take one pair of footwear. You can get very similar, without the ventilation gaps, for £15.



http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-hydro-iii-sandals-mens-184054

[boris]

specialised sonoma without putting spd's on would be my choice.They are comfortable and a bit flexible for walking all day but stiff enough in the instep to be efficient and protect the feet . cycle shoes are tougher than trainers and do not get destroyed by the special stresses of cycling.

I have 707's and have toured in them but I take lightweight trainers as well because you really would not want to walk far in them. If I am using spd's i prefer this arrangement. The button always clicks and is a bit of a nuisance.

[serbring]

A suggestion: with SPD or without SPD?

[Vorpal]

That's on another thread (or two)... viewtopic.php?f=5&t=46706 or try a search on key words like 'clipless'.

[pete75]

These shoes perhaps. Only problem is the delivery time as they're made to order.

http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footwear ... -shoe.html

[Audax67]

The benefit of using SPDs & dedicated shoes vs ordinary shoes & flat pedals is substantial. If you're only doing 50k/day you could stand the weight of an extra pair of shoes for strolling in. Maybe you could lay hands on a pair of these:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/ ... -up-tight/