Quote from: Badabingheard about how good the sidis were by reading around on cycle messenger websites/forums and they got nothing but praise, and these guys know what theyre talking about...

BS, messengers are endurance riders, and have balls of brass. Thats it. Beyond that, most messengers tend to be so full of sh*t that their eyes are rimmed with brown. Messengers, as a whole, tend to be even more concerned about "image" than the local yuppie club racers. It differs from city to city, but messengers tend to come up with astounding urban myths about cycling, maintenance, and rules of the road.

Wear what fits. Personally, I find Sidis excuciating, Adidas and Shimano horrid, and Diadora and Lake to be OK. Cycling shoes are pretty damn simple things. Either they fit, or they dont. Back in the 80s when some of us still wore shoes with laminated leather/steel shank/rubber soles--yeah, there was interesting discussion of shoe merits, but now its just a matter of finding a pair that fits and looks snazzy...then get on with your life.

Found them! This is what proper cycling shoes should look like:



Sole could stand updating to spd, but you get the idea with the uppers. Such shoes, with quill pedals and straps were amazingly comfortable, elegant, and custom molded themselves to your feet after a few rides. Often, like my old Diadoras, they were perforated leather that kept your feet much happier than most of todays sweaty models. There are ventilated shoes to be found now, but theyre fugly. My current ones are basic Lake road shoes with the  extra tongue and velcro cut off, leaving a pair of regular laces.

I do miss the Bata Biker. It was a cheap shoe, often on sale for under $20, but it was surprisingly stiff and comfy, albeit not so durable. I had a set of their "professional" shoes with steel shank and slot cleats.

Made in Romania or somewhere spooky.

Quote from: maximusotterYoure off your rocker, Dan. Those are incredible Pearl Izumi trekking shoes, likely the best quality you can get for casual use. Not only would they last six months, youd probably get several years out of them. Stylings a personal matter.

I also think Sidis and most Diaddoras are butt ugly. I havent liked a roadie model of the latter since the early 90s. There is a thing called overdesign, and it makes me want to vomit.

Gimme plain lace up or two strap fastening, and plain black calfskin uppers, thankuverymuch, not something that looks like it was designed by the guy down the street who put ill fitting ground effects and a demonic rear spoiler on his primer grey 91 Civic.

oi!

QuoteYoure off your rocker, Dan, in my humble opinion

if you dont mind...

i thoroughly detest the look of these daft trekking shoes, let alone the feeling they have on my feet "i think the sidis/diadorda etc. look silly" - its vanity, yeah the sidis may look like something out of a sex fettish photo shoot, but they are comfy as hell - i tried loads of different types of shoe, perl izumi being one of them and i was CRIPPLED after using them, to the point where i couldnt ride - which i documented on the old forums... Also those shoes wouldnt last me two months, the way i wear stuff (i owned a pair of very similar shimano shoes - which i killed).

Max, all the comments against the shoes such as the dominator have been based on their looks... no one has actually used them (apart from me) and i think people who ride alot such as messengers may have a more informed opinion than a 10 mile a week commuter, dont you? (save for, the image conscious, which i was aware off).

Its personal opinion, which i constantly repeat, but i jumped to the defense of the more traditional shoe because, in my opinion they are the none compromised option...

If i wanted to look uber cool in my workign day, id wear a 400 pound armani suit, with matching shirt and tie to work and get the tram, not slog my guts out pacing it there and back on my road bike, wouldnt i? So worry about how i look riding is a bit pointless, init?

form vs function

Id take function over form anyday with SPD shoes theyll perform better and be nicer to your feet.

got my shimano SPDs in the airing cupboard at the moment, drying them off..  (gave the cleats underneath a bit of a wash. I was amazed at how much crap fell out of them ) hopefully itll reduce the squeaking they occasionally make.

also Muc-Off the cleats and all the little bits. my goodness, they did NOT want to come apart.. will be lubing them before they go back together!

Quote from: snellgroveform vs function

Id take function over form anyday with SPD shoes theyll perform better and be nicer to your feet.

got my shimano SPDs in the airing cupboard at the moment, drying them off..  (gave the cleats underneath a bit of a wash. I was amazed at how much crap fell out of them ) hopefully itll reduce the squeaking they occasionally make.

also Muc-Off the cleats and all the little bits. my goodness, they did NOT want to come apart.. will be lubing them before they go back together!

its me and you against the world, chief, lets set up our own forum away from these peasants

Well I have no idea what to expect from a cycling shoe, so saying "form over function" is all well and good, but I wasnt aware that the pearl izumis had issues with regards to comfort. The bumpf on the website says they are a comfortable shoe.

I do not intend carrying my normal boots to work and so being able to walk with a cleat in the bottom of my shoe is a necessary evil. Road shoes according to the wiggle site will involve pretty much just standing on the cleat all day which to my mind doesnt sound comfy. Sure they may be the greatest cycling shoes ever, but if I cant walk on them to do my work then whats the point!?

MTB shoes again... they have larger grips so it means I can walk on them but to be perfectly frank the ones ive seen look completely crud! Call me fashion concious or vain but when I turn up to work I would like to look some sort of presentable as opposed to turning up in shoes which have the name of the maker emblazoned everywhere that is possible in size 48 font.

Touring shoes, I currently turn up to work and pretty much go everywhere in Craghopper cargo trousers. I wear hiking style safety boots (steel toe cap) at present and they dont look too out of place. Touring shoes seem the most logical choice for me. They offer more rubber than road, and suit my fashion sense.

Now I realise as a jack of all trades they may lose efficiency on a bike, or some other thing, but at the end of the day its a 10 mile commute that Ill be doing most regular. Im interested purely for extra power up the hills, I seriously doubt I will give two hoots if it has a slightly flexible sole in comparison to a road shoe.

You are right however when you say its down to what fits your feet, and on that regard Id appreciate advice of course, but come on now ladies, lets not have a cockfight over whos shoes look cooler or whos come endorsed by the Bicycle Messenger Association of America.

Take boots to work once.

Leave boots at work.

Buy whatever the hell kinky cyclomatic trainers you fancy.

Ride to work in said kinky footwear.

Swap into cunningly positioned boots.

Work.

Swap back into kinky footwear.

Cycle home again.

Job done surely??

No because theres no point in leaving boots in work for a 4hr shift. What do I wear in the times im out and about during the day?

Other shoes?

But if youve gotta be out and about during the rest of the day I can see the logic of shoes youd wanna be able to walk in...

Dan, the messengers may like the dominators, but in other circles, whether or not theyre comfortable, theyre famous for the fastening system of ratchets and badger splines self-destructing. The reviews on mtbr.com are telling. Its either "damn comfy!" or "damn comfy, but damn these latches!" You may be in the former category.

With vecro shoes Ive killed the velcro in a year. Thats why Im a fan of lace ups. Been riding Lakes for years, their cx shoe with aluminum spikes is especially fun in the city. Lakes seem to always be on sale for some odd reason. I can usually find a roadie model for $60.

Wear what fits and you can afford I guess is the best advice. As for the style of the Pearl Izumis, M3ta7h3ads likely got wider feet as hes a clydesdale of a rider, and AFAIK, thats a nice wide shoe. Wouldnt fit me as Ive got  the slender feet of an Italian champion.

Quote from: maximusotterDan, the messengers may like the dominators, but in other circles, whether or not theyre comfortable, theyre famous for the fastening system of ratchets and badger splines self-destructing.

Which is exactly the same as my shimano shoes - its the inheritantly bad design of that system, not the manufacture of it... i know all about this mech pinging on me, it did it on my way home from work one night and i had to ride with my foot coming out of the shoe with every up turn of the pedal... that necessarily wasnt a bad thing though, as i bloody HATED the shoes and allowed me to bin the f*ckers ASAP.

Quote from: BigSoyTake boots to work once.

Leave boots at work.

Buy whatever the hell kinky cyclomatic trainers you fancy.

Ride to work in said kinky footwear.

Swap into cunningly positioned boots.

Work.

Swap back into kinky footwear.

Cycle home again.

Job done surely??

In one...  :!:

Not really considering Id need to buy another pair of shoes just for leaving at work.

I hot desk, and there arent lockers, meaning Id be leaving them in the office with no guarantee that they just get moved, or go missing.