Cycling shoes

September 15, 2005 5:51 PM

Shoe advice: I'm looking for a shoe that uses velcro instead of laces, and ideally has a stiff bottom. Any help?

I've recently started riding a fixed gear bike and my current shoes aren't ideal for the situation. I'm looking for something that will work for cycling with clips, so a plastic front would be nice. Any suggestions?

posted by dial-tone to Travel & Transportation (13 answers total)

Why don't you just use cycling shoes? Just because you're not using clipless pedals doesn't mean they're not appropriate. The MTB variety might suit you well since they typically have a good walking tread on them.
posted by randomstriker at 5:57 PM on September 15, 2005

Response by poster: Most of the mountain biking ones seem to have too much tread on them, and road shoes don't seem to be very good off the bike (and might actually not have enough tread to flip the pedal).
posted by dial-tone at 6:05 PM on September 15, 2005

There's plenty of less aggressive shoes on the market, maybe the BMX / Freeride variety suits you better. Like this one.
posted by randomstriker at 6:12 PM on September 15, 2005

sidi (the only cycling shoe maker for me) used to make a nice touring-style shoe that would fit the bill. however, i believe they are no longer in production, but perhaps on ebay...

but, if that doesn't pan out, i think any shoe that's designed for bicycle touring, rather than for more specifically for road or mountain applications, will work nicely for you, too.

i've ridden fixed for years, both on clips and clipless, and i'm not sure why you're adamant about velcro closures... stiffness is a great feature in a cycling shoe... but in my case, all of my shoes have been lace-ups and i've never seen that as a problem.
posted by RockyChrysler at 8:02 PM on September 15, 2005

Response by poster: I'm horrible at keeping my shoes tied and don't want to risk getting a lace caught in the drive train.
posted by dial-tone at 8:04 PM on September 15, 2005

Adidas Gran Corsico Touring Shoe
posted by caddis at 8:26 PM on September 15, 2005

I would recommend taking off the toe-clip cleat that appears to come with this shoe. Way too much for a fixie, unless you are competing in say the 1910 Tour.
posted by caddis at 8:30 PM on September 15, 2005

I have very long laces on my bike shoes, and after tying them I stuff the surplus laces inside the shoe (tucked in next to my ankles).
posted by mbrubeck at 8:47 PM on September 15, 2005

A haiku
I don't like laced shoes
Velcro wears out far too fast
Laces aren't so bad.
posted by Goofyy at 9:50 PM on September 15, 2005

dial-tone, when I go mountain biking I always wear a pair of old Sketchers, they have firm but yielding elastic as a closure over the tongue - no laces or velcro.

I use cages though, not clips, so feel free to flag this as noise.

I also have a pair of Acupunture brand shoes with a velcro closure, they're okay, but they're really loud to take off.

I don't like the velcro so much (mostly the noise), but I hate futzing with laces. Even my shiny-black-leather business shoes are slip-ons.

(Goofyy, the velcro shoes are still as strong as ever, and they must be four years old. I definitely prefer to elasticky ones though.)
posted by The Monkey at 10:26 PM on September 15, 2005

Shimano sells a lot of different types of shoes (look under MTB shoes) from hardcore to sandals. I'd recommend looking at some of those. Not sure how stiff the sandal is, but there may be something in there for you.
posted by bDiddy at 6:45 AM on September 16, 2005

Diadora Voyager? Touring/'indoor cycling' shoe, has velcro and pretty smooth bottom. A woman was using these on my ride today.

Very slight derail: Double sided MTB pedals like SPDs or Frogs are really the ticket for fixed gear road riding. Clip in without looking down and no worries about try to flip a cage over or hit a moving target.
posted by fixedgear at 9:42 AM on September 16, 2005

I ride in these pumas or asics tigers.
posted by atom128 at 11:01 AM on September 16, 2005