Monday, March 17, 2008

New Shoes

I'm going to pull the trigger on some new MTB shoes this week. I want something really stiff. In fact, I've been thinking about getting a road shoe instead of a MTB shoe. For long rides like RAWROD & Leadville my feet are what give me the most trouble. I'm tired of hot spots.

Any suggestions? Would a top of the line MTB shoe with a carbon sole do the trick or would it be better to get a road shoe?

These are my questions.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suggest you wait until right before rawrod or KTR to buy new shoes. You always want to break in new shoes on a really long ride so that they get molded to your feet.

Don't most road shoes have completely slick soles? I'd think that hike-a-bike sections necessitate mt bike shoes.

BotchedExperiment

Anonymous said...

Bad idea Botched. No offense but the LAST thing you want to do is find out during your long race that the new shoes that you just bought give you blisters. Buy them long in advance of your race so you know whether they will work.

I've got to pull the trigger on a new pair as well. Let's talk with BP and see if we can get a pair from the shop via a team discount. Jamie seems to be happy with his new Sidis.

andy said...

try the specialized carbon-soled mtb shoe. it's just the road shoe w/cleats. i love mine!

andy said...

btw, you guys have convinced me to join the dark side. i sold my ellsworth FS and just got a fisher superfly. can't wait to see what all this 29'r fuss is all about!

Rick Sunderlage said...

Botched- You are always full of great ideas....

Tony- I really liked Jamie's SIDI's but can I finance them?

Andy- Welcome to the dark side. You made the right choice (Superfly? So cool). Just make sure you run a tubless/Stan's set up.

Anonymous said...

Rick, talked to melissa at the shop today and she said she would hook you up with the team discount. Just go in a try a few pair on so you know what size to order.

KanyonKris said...

I used my road shoes once with my MTB on a trail (I forgot my MTB shoes). On the bike I couldn't tell much difference from my MTB shoes other than they were maybe a bit lighter. But putting a foot down was like stepping on a banana peel - way slippery. When on the dirt I want MTB shoes - the extra weight and whatever other negatives are worth the improved traction on dirt/rock.

KanyonKris said...

Oh, as for brands, I dunno. I have a pair of Sette MTB shoes I picked up on clearance and I guess I got lucky they fit well and perform good.

Mark (UTRider) has a pair of high-end Specialized shoes with the BOA "string" closure system that he likes, except the tongue slides to the side after a few miles making them not as comfy as they otherwise would be.

Good luck shopping.

Anonymous said...

Good insoles are an important component. Shoes that are too stiff can be just as uncomfortable so you need to find a balance. And it is important to get ones that are big enough. I had a bruised big toenail for 3 months after a long warm weather race last year. I now have a larger size. In the recent Velo News road shoe test, they recommended 2 shoes and one of them was the softest sole.

tibiker said...

BP, you're totally right about the insoles, the old SIDI ones really killed me, but only on the longest of rides. They've improved them alot for the new ones, but I think the Specialized semi custom insoles are still better. Problem w/ Spec is you can't get them through Revo, and you have to give money to Mike at Canyon.

BP, are you talking about the road carbon shoe test? I think the chart is softest at the top and stiffest at the bottom. Both testers picked the Sidi and the Shimano 1-2 just in different order. Zinn did pick the softest one as one of his top 3, but he picked it 3rd.

I agree that I wouldn't want to try any hike-a-bikes in road shoes.

TPs right too, don't break new shoes in on an epic. I actually think I detected a note of sarcasm in Botched' post.

tibiker said...

And I forgot to give you my vote. You know already, but I LOVE my new carbon sidis. They're the dominator 6 carbon and they're plenty stiff but don't hurt to hike in. I believe since I don't buy shoes very often that I deserve really nice ones and I spare no expense, I know Rachelle would want the same for you.

Anonymous said...

teva makes a cool shoe/sandal that you can put cleats in. those rock.