Launched at NAHBS, Sacramento: practical, sensible 'street' shoes for men but with SPD inserts

A company from Milwaukee in the USA has shown a prototype men's leather shoe at the North American Handbuilt Show (NAHBS) being held in Sacramento, California this weekend. The unusual feature is that they're classic men's leather street shoes but with recessed two-hole cycling cleat inserts.

We have the excellent cycling campaigning blogger Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious to thank for his pictures of NAHBS finishing today in Sacramento. His flickr photo stream documents well the fun and activities going on at the exhibition of hand-built bicycle culture that moves around from city to city in the USA each year.

There's plenty on the internet showing the more self-indulgent extravagances on display at NAHBS and indeed Richard Masoner isn't above celebrating the most glorious like this loopy seat-tube-less track bike below from the legendary Konno family at Cherubim in Japan but it was the little details we were looking for that offer insight into the important developments. How about shoes that you could genuinely wear for everything including cycling but which don't look remotely sporty?

These are from Cyclelogical a group from Wisconsin that designs and sells ecologically-sound cycling products and which, according to Masoner, are US-made like the rest of their range. The shoes are not on the website yet* but they have the provisional model name of "Americano.'

Of course, Quoc Pham from Taiwan showed some spiffy shoes at the Cycle Show in Birmingham last October but in plain black leather or brown suede they looked a little more formal and office-orientated than these rugged tan models for a casual, country look. Truth is, most men could use both in their wardrobe if cycling figures at all in their social and work life. What about women, you ask? We saw these the other day but recognise we've probably further to go assuming some women will want to 'clip in' for more efficient pedalling

Needless to say, we'll be checking out dates once Cyclelogical are back at base but meanwhile our trusty NAHBS correspondent Max Leonard, who reports elesewhere on road.cc that Britain's Demon Frameworks has won Best Road Bike, is now on his way to meet Mat Brett at the Taipei Show opening Tuesday so you can expect lots of interesting new products next week. We already know there will be the official launch and technical detail on that Colnago K.Zero time-trial frame we posted about last week.

Cherubim by Shinichi Konno at NAHBS 2012 by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

* UPDATE: They're on the website now: cyclelogicalgear.com/commuting-shoes US$250 available August