[Rob Dimtrovski]

Advise on road cycling shoes.
I am looking to buy a new pair of cycling shoes. I am confused with the over saturated market, too many choices.

It seems that companies still sell the same shoes that were released 5 years ago.

Let me know what shoes you guys recommend.
I am looking at:
Fizik r4 overcurve
Fizik r3 aria
Lake cx332
Bont vaypor s

 

[PBL450]

Advise on road cycling shoes.
I am looking to buy a new pair of cycling shoes. I am confused with the over saturated market, too many choices.

It seems that companies still sell the same shoes that were released 5 years ago.

Let me know what shoes you guys recommend.
I am looking at:
Fizik r4 overcurve
Fizik r3 aria
Lake cx332
Bont vaypor s

It’s all just comfort and preference. I’m a Bont guy so I’m biased. I have multiple pairs, including a new entry level Riot I haven’t tried out yet. They fit well and look well made.

Keep in mind, there is no real difference in performance between shoes or even pedals. Well, there are Pitbull Pedals, but that another league... You could screw wooden planks on your Pedals or ride in a solid shoe like a 510 and have the same performance.

I’m picky about my shoes, but it’s just a preference and what I’m used to. I like CF hard sided heat moldable shoes with very little padding. I have only tried Bont shoes so I can’t comment on the other brands and models.


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[duriel]

It is more about what shoes fit your feet. You can only do that in a store. I ride Bontrager Wide.

 

[lhartle1]

Another Bont fan , have owned 3 pairs and just bought the ones your looking at. Stiffest soles going but also very stiff uppers , they are not for everyone .
What I like is they are very mouldable , do the oven thing and then if you have pressure points take a hair blower heat up that point and mold with the handle of a screwdriver .

 

[PBL450]

Another Bont fan , have owned 3 pairs and just bought the ones your looking at. Stiffest soles going but also very stiff uppers , they are not for everyone .
What I like is they are very mouldable , do the oven thing and then if you have pressure points take a hair blower heat up that point and mold with the handle of a screwdriver .

Molding out hot spots is an art form. You can get these so perfect. I use a heat gun, blow dryer isn’t hot enough. I have makeshift tools for almost any adjustment. I also have inadvertent burn marks on almost every shoe..

None of this is necessary for a cycling shoe. My neurosis shouldn’t be translated into some kind of performance advantage over and other, or no other, pedal/shoe choice.


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[Catmandoo]

It is more about what shoes fit your feet. You can only do that in a store. I ride Bontrager Wide.

I've a wide foot and curious so I go to the Trek/Bontrager site and don't see any shoes labeled as wide. What shoes are specifically marketed as wide ?. Shimano has some models in wide as example and they indicate those.

 

[duriel]

google much? .. the sizing chart doesn't list them as wide, but it is in the title, I'm going with that.

Shimano SH-XC3 Wide Men's Mountain Bike Shoes

Shimano SH-XC3 Wide Men's Mountain Bike Shoes. Free 3 Day Shipping on orders over $50 - Free returns - 30 day fit and satisfaction guarantee

bikeshoes.com

 

[Catmandoo]

google much? .. the sizing chart doesn't list them as wide, but it is in the title, I'm going with that.

Shimano SH-XC3 Wide Men's Mountain Bike Shoes

Shimano SH-XC3 Wide Men's Mountain Bike Shoes. Free 3 Day Shipping on orders over $50 - Free returns - 30 day fit and satisfaction guarantee

bikeshoes.com

Yes, I have used assorted Shimano wide shoes, currently on XC-7's, super comfortable.

 

[pmf]

I have a wide foot and used to ride Carnac shoes years ago. I switched to Shimano decade or so ago. They make some models in wide versions. I switched over to mountain bike pedals on all my road bikes some years ago and use the XC9's.

I can still remember when I got a deal on a pair of Sidi Genius 2's and suffered for an entire summer wearing those miserable things before realizing that I was the only person who took off his shoes at every rest break.

 

[DaveG]

Advise on road cycling shoes.
I am looking to buy a new pair of cycling shoes. I am confused with the over saturated market, too many choices.

It seems that companies still sell the same shoes that were released 5 years ago.

Let me know what shoes you guys recommend.
I am looking at:
Fizik r4 overcurve
Fizik r3 aria
Lake cx332
Bont vaypor s

After saddles, shoes are the most important factor in cycling comfort. I would prioritize fit over minor features which wont matter as much. If you have a shop that sells a few brands then go on try them on. Based on your profile it looks like you are in Oz, so that may limit your options a bit

 

[Catmandoo]

I have a wide foot and used to ride Carnac shoes years ago. I switched to Shimano decade or so ago. They make some models in wide versions. I switched over to mountain bike pedals on all my road bikes some years ago and use the XC9's.

I too settled on a wide Shimano, they fit great and are comfortable. I have a set of Sidi's, wore them maybe twice, hated them and should just sell the things.

 

[MR_GRUMPY]

What brand are you wearing now? Do they fit well?....I would NEVER buy a pair of expensive cycling shoes, sight unseen, unless I knew how the brand fit.

 

[Lombard]

It’s all just comfort and preference.

Keep in mind, there is no real difference in performance between shoes or even pedals.

^^^This.

You have to find what fits you well. Some brands size narrower, others size wider. I have a narrow foot and Shimanos fit me well. Probably not good if you have a wide foot.

 

[pmf]

^^^This.

You have to find what fits you well. Some brands size narrower, others size wider. I have a narrow foot and Shimanos fit me well. Probably not good if you have a wide foot.

The wide sized Shimano shoes fit my wide feet great. Not all models come in wide sizes though, and the color choice of the wide Shimano shoes is usually anything you want as long as its black. I did have a pimpin pair of carbon wide Shimano road shoes in silver many years ago.

 

[PBL450]

FYI, Bont offers a wide size. My feet are kind of wide and I use regular width shoes. I did have to mold one sop on my right shoe at the outside ball of my foot.


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[Lombard]

The wide sized Shimano shoes fit my wide feet great. Not all models come in wide sizes though, and the color choice of the wide Shimano shoes is usually anything you want as long as its black. I did have a pimpin pair of carbon wide Shimano road shoes in silver many years ago.

I don't remember off-hand the model number of the Shimano shoes I got, just that they have carbon soles and came in two colors - black and yellow. When I ordered, the yellow was out of stock, so I got black - no big deal, but the yellow would be more visible. The cost around $250 in 2019.

 

[PBL450]

I don't remember off-hand the model number of the Shimano shoes I got, just that they have carbon soles and came in two colors - black and yellow. When I ordered, the yellow was out of stock, so I got black - no big deal, but the yellow would be more visible. The cost around $250 in 2019.

My thing is flex. I have a thing about flex. I want zero flex. I have never agreed with arguments that flex has a flex return benefit. It makes no logical sense. For shoes. That’s a real priority for me. It matters to have a material that doesn’t flex at all no matter the pedal system being used. Shoe comfort is first, of course, but a close second is lack of flex. I want a design that is light weight and doesn’t flex at all. I want to stand and sprint and have no idea whatsoever where my pedals and shoes meet because I’m on a solid flat surface. CF/resin formulas are able to meet the the two competing demands efficiently.

Any shoe that delivers zero flex and meets comfort requirement is a winner.


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[GKSki]

Not directly in answer to your question, but I learned that when Sidi stopped supplying their narrow shoes to the North American market, it was stated to be because everyone in North America wants wide shoes. This may not be true for your geo. That said, I had thought that Fizik and Lake were the next best chance of finding a narrow shoe. Of course they may make wide models as well that you're interested in.

From my perspective, it is now ever so much harder to find narrow shoes. I always used Sidi Genius models in a 46S where the "S" was Italian for narrow. Can't get them anymore and I tend to step down to 45.5 in other brands such as Giro. I recently purchased another Sidi in their regular 46 and I have had to do quite a few modifications to get the shoes snug enough.

 

[Lombard]

My thing is flex. I have a thing about flex. I want zero flex. I have never agreed with arguments that flex has a flex return benefit. It makes no logical sense. For shoes. That’s a real priority for me. It matters to have a material that doesn’t flex at all no matter the pedal system being used. Shoe comfort is first, of course, but a close second is lack of flex. I want a design that is light weight and doesn’t flex at all. I want to stand and sprint and have no idea whatsoever where my pedals and shoes meet because I’m on a solid flat surface. CF/resin formulas are able to meet the the two competing demands efficiently.

Any shoe that delivers zero flex and meets comfort requirement is a winner.


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Zero flex, eh? Let's just say that the pedal feel since I went to carbon soles is definitely better. But when I say better, I don't mean faster.

 

[PBL450]

Zero flex, eh? Let's just say that the pedal feel since I went to carbon soles is definitely better. But when I say better, I don't mean faster.

It’s not a better/worse or faster/slower thing, it’s just a pet peeve me thing. 510s on my extra wide pinned flats on my mtb offer too much movement and flex over the pedal.


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