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SPD (not SPD-SL) shoe recommendation?

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  • February 7, 2018 at 4:28 pm #28122
    downhiller

    I’m just getting into road biking, and have decided I’d prefer to use SPD over SPD-SL.  Mainly so I can carry pints across the pub to the beer garden without falling on my behind.

    I’ve already settled on some Ritchey WCS Micro pedals.  I’ve read mixed reports about their longevity bearing-wise, but we’ll see how I get on.

    Which shoes should I pair them with?

    The above pedal choice might clue you in that I’m a bit of a weightweenie, so I’d prefer some fairly light shoes.  I know I won’t find much that will compete with high-end SPD-SL shoes for lightness, but let’s try!

    Comfort and stiffness (contradictory terms often, I’m sure) are also both important.  I read comments about people getting “hot-spots” in SPD shoes as opposed to SPD-SL, so hopefully there’s something out there that copes better than most.

    Lastly, it’d be nice if they were last year’s model available with a huge discount on CRC etc!

    I have no local bike shopt that carries any meaningful amount of shoes, or I would go down that route.

    Thanks!

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  • February 8, 2018 at 12:27 am #912079
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    Wafty Crank

    I’ve got Shimano RT4 – lace

    I’ve got Shimano RT4 – lace up, comfortable, reasonably light and great for walking.   I’ve had them a year and they’re not showing any signs of wear (cue them falling apart on my next ride).

    February 7, 2018 at 11:03 pm #912077
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    HLaB

    For quite a few years I used

    For quite a few years I used BG MTB sports on the road bike.  They were a wee bit stiffer than my first MTB shoes (BG Tahos) but still comfortable and walkable.  Which was a good thing when I had a mechanical and had to walk 6 miles in them 😮

    I’ve now switched to SPD-SL and don’t really think they offer much in performance compared to the SPD’s just no one ever mentions mtb pedals on a road bike.  Nobody ever said anything about the BG MTB Sports as in first glance they look similar to a road shoe 🙂

    February 7, 2018 at 10:09 pm #912075
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    Stef Marazzi

    Depends, how much walking are
    Depends, how much walking are you doing in them? I have Shimano m089s which are great for walking in, I also have some Sidis which are mental stiff for an spd shoe, but not good at all for walking.

    February 7, 2018 at 7:31 pm #912073
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    Beecho

    Shoes that accommodate both 2

    Shoes that accommodate both 2 and 3 bolt is recommended. Some might have an inner plate that you need to cut/rip out if going for 2 bolt. Keep it!

    I started on 2 bolt, but as the miles increased found 3 bolt far more comfortable. More efficient, probably but on proper long rides they were a comfort revelation. 

    For what it’s worth, as a summer shoe I love my Northwave Sonic 3S and my Spiuk Rodda’s are proper disco slippers, but comfy as everyone says they are. Can’t walk to the bar like a human in either though yes

    Oh, and I have some really expensive fi’zi:ks which are really pretty but not a patch on the other two.

    February 7, 2018 at 7:25 pm #912071
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    downhiller

    MoutonDeMontagne wrote:

    MoutonDeMontagne wrote:
    You don’t say whether you’re an existing SPD-SL user or have always gone with SPDS. Reason for mentioning itis I struggle to replicate the cleat position of my sl-s on SPD shoes, so they always feel a littel far forward. 

     

    I’m a five-ten flat pedal rider… I do have a pair of XC SPD (SH-M152) shoes that I’ve had for about a decade that get used VERY occasionally when I happen to hop on someone else’s bike with SPDs on, but generally I’m a foot-out mountain biker.

    I bought some cheap Specialized Road Sport SPD-SL shoes recently to use on my wife’s bike on a turbo trainer (£45), but hate walking in them, and more importantly they really hurt the top of my foot on one side after an hour’s riding, so they need to be replaced even if I wasn’t making the switch to SPD.  I’ve only done about 20 hours in them though, so hopefully switching to SPD won’t feel *too* odd.

     

    No Sweat wrote:
    I really like the Shimano RT82 shoes that I have – they look like road shoes, but fit the SPD cleats and pedals, so they can be walked in (although they’re plenty stiff enough for me to ride with).

    Unfortunately, it looks like Shimano has stopped making them, but now produces an RT5 model, which may perhaps work as well, although they don’t have the ratchet fastening like the older model.

    That is one of the options I’ve been looking at – seems a tad lardy though, and I’m not 100% sold on the looks.  Which as we all know is the most important thing.

    February 7, 2018 at 7:16 pm #912069
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    downhiller

    Since posting I’ve come to

    Since posting I’ve come to realise that about 1/3rd of road shoes (on CRC) at least have 2-bolt mountings as well as 3-bolt (although some require you to buy the plate like Northwaves).

    I’ve made a short (long)list of 23 pairs of shoes that come in under £150, now to whittle it down.

    I know by using a road shoe I lose part of the “walkability” of an XC shoe, but I *think* adding a cheap £15 “Shimano SPD Cleat Stabilising Adaptor SH-40” partly fixes that problem by putting a bit of rubber either side of the cleat.

    Current favourites:

    [url]http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-r065-spd-sl-road-shoes-2017/rp-prod127714[/url]

    (clearly the popular choice, 120 reviews is almost an order of magnitude more than any other shoe in my list)

    [url]http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/giro-savix-road-spd-shoes/rp-prod157499[/url]

    (lightweight and a twiddly dial, what’s not to like?)

    [url]http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/giro-techne-road-shoe-2018/rp-prod167426[/url]

    (probably just the poor cousin of the Savix?)

    [url]http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/dhb-trinity-tri-shoe/rp-prod164184[/url]

    (deviating from my usual preference of “black”.  I’m not sure how tri shoes differ to road shoes and if it’d be a bad purchase?)

     

    Any opinions on those lot, or advice of something else that would appeal to me?

     

    Thanks!

    February 7, 2018 at 6:50 pm #912067
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    No Sweat

    I really like the Shimano

    I really like the Shimano RT82 shoes that I have – they look like road shoes, but fit the SPD cleats and pedals, so they can be walked in (although they’re plenty stiff enough for me to ride with).

    Unfortunately, it looks like Shimano has stopped making them, but now produces an RT5 model, which may perhaps work as well, although they don’t have the ratchet fastening like the older model.

    February 7, 2018 at 6:32 pm #912065
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    MoutonDeMontagne

    I’ve gotten on quite well

    I’ve gotten on quite well with my Northwave Nirvanas. Seem fairly stiff and comfortable both road/commuting and off road too. Bonus is that they’re about 50% off most places

    https://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/80074/Northwave_Nirvana_Shoes_Black_Flou_Green_Euro44?gclid=CjwKCAiA5OrTBRBlEiwAXXhT6IMDGr3AieCcd90pMkjsT4bblixSmefYUCs7rCXVQFARl4hoAIZx7xoChtQQAvD_BwE

    Only thing i’d mention, is if you end up using Crank Brothers pedals for whatever reason, always use the carbon sole protectors, otherwise the spring bar will go to town on the sole. 

    One further point> You don’t say whether you’re an existing SPD-SL user or have always gone with SPDS. Reason for mentioning itis I struggle to replicate the cleat position of my sl-s on SPD shoes, so they always feel a littel far forward. 

     

    February 7, 2018 at 4:33 pm #912063
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    downhiller

    One seemingly very obvious

    One seemingly very obvious choice would be Shimano’s new top-of-the-range XC shoe, the XC7.  I even like the looks.  One review I read said they lacked stiffness though.

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