Cycling Shoes And Clipless Shoes Guide
Buying cycling specific shoes can represent the first step of commitment to taking cycling seriously, however it's important that you know the differences between them and then knowing what type of cycling shoe is going to be best for you and your riding.
Riding clipless pedals will make you 30% more efficient with your power so its absolutely a worthwhile change to make. Of the main pedal brands, you have Shimano, Look and Speedplay. Each of these brands has their own shape of cleat and you'll need to ensure the pedals use the same system. Often if you're buying pedals at the same time as buying shoes, the pedals will come with the correct cleats.
Shimano and Look both use the same three bolt pattern while Speedplay uses a 4 bolt pattern, however Speedplay do provide an adapter plate so you can use their cleats on any normal road shoe.
Riding clipless pedals will make you 30% more efficient with your power so its absolutely a worthwhile change to make. Of the main pedal brands, you have Shimano, Look and Speedplay. Each of these brands has their own shape of cleat and you'll need to ensure the pedals use the same system. Often if you're buying pedals at the same time as buying shoes, the pedals will come with the correct cleats.
Shimano and Look both use the same three bolt pattern while Speedplay uses a 4 bolt pattern, however Speedplay do provide an adapter plate so you can use their cleats on any normal road shoe.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Are you thinking about buying a pair of road shoes,
00:01 but you're not too sure where to start?
00:03 Well, then this video is for you.
00:05 I'm gonna give you all my tips, tricks, and recommendations,
00:08 so you always put your best foot forwards.
00:10 (upbeat music)
00:13 Road cycling shoes come in all different shapes and sizes,
00:18 but nearly all of them will allow you to clip into a pedal.
00:21 Now, this is done using a cleat,
00:23 which attaches to the bottom of the shoe.
00:26 Clips in shoes, which confusingly,
00:28 are also referred to as clipless shoes,
00:30 make you engage more of your muscles
00:32 throughout the pedal stroke,
00:33 meaning you're a lot more efficient with your power.
00:36 While riding with clips in shoes
00:37 may seem a little daunting at first,
00:39 after your first couple of rides,
00:40 it's fair to say you're gonna feel very comfortable
00:42 with them, and people rarely ever go back to riding flats.
00:46 Now you know a little bit more about road cycling shoes,
00:48 I'm gonna talk you through the different types
00:49 that are out there.
00:50 (upbeat music)
00:55 Road shoes are for those who want to ride
00:57 as fast as possible, and also be as efficient as possible.
01:01 You can pay anywhere from 50 pounds
01:02 all the way up to 300 pounds plus for a pair of shoes,
01:06 but there are some key differences between them.
01:08 Top spec shoes will be incredibly lightweight,
01:10 and will utilize materials such as carbon fibre,
01:13 so they can have a really stiff sole.
01:16 They'll also have built-in ventilation
01:17 to help keep your feet as cool as possible.
01:20 While the upper will be pliable,
01:21 it's still gonna have very little give,
01:23 and that is so all of your effort
01:25 goes into turning those pedals.
01:27 In terms of how they're secured,
01:28 wire dials have become really popular in recent years.
01:31 Now you may have seen these called boa dials,
01:33 however, many brands have their own similar systems,
01:36 which might be called something different.
01:38 Boa dials are quick, convenient,
01:39 and you can rarely go wrong
01:41 with this type of retention system.
01:43 You'll also find shoes with laces,
01:44 which despite their old-school appearance,
01:46 do still do a really good job
01:47 at holding your foot in place.
01:49 Laces might take a little bit longer to put on than boas,
01:52 however, they are really reliable, and often lighter.
01:56 Finally, straps and Velcro
01:58 have been making a comeback in recent years,
02:00 with Fizik releasing a range of models at various budgets.
02:04 When it comes to budget or mid-range shoes,
02:06 they'll often come with either nylon or composite soles.
02:09 Now, that does mean they sacrifice
02:11 a little bit on weight and also stiffness.
02:14 They may also just be a little bit bulkier
02:16 and not as sleek than their top-end counterparts.
02:19 However, the real-world differences
02:21 between mid-range and top-end shoes are marginal at best,
02:24 and only performance-minded cyclists
02:26 are going to be able to notice the difference.
02:29 Finally, it's worth mentioning that road shoes
02:30 only tend to have a tiny amount of tread on the soles,
02:33 and that usually boils down to a couple of bits of rubber
02:35 underneath the heel.
02:37 As you'd expect, this does make them tricky to walk in,
02:39 so if you're planning on commuting or cycle touring,
02:41 then the next category might be best suited for you.
02:49 Commuter and touring shoes share many
02:51 of the same characteristics as road shoes,
02:53 but with a few key differences
02:54 which I think are worth mentioning.
02:56 First up is a different style of cleats,
02:58 meaning they're normally not compatible
02:59 with either road shoes or pedals.
03:02 They do, however, use the same two-bulk system
03:04 that you'll find on many mountain bike shoes.
03:06 The advantage to this is that the cleat
03:08 can be recessed into the tread of the shoe,
03:10 meaning it's a lot easier to walk in,
03:11 which then also means you're not going to damage the cleat.
03:14 Commuter and touring shoes tend to have a more subdued look,
03:16 meaning that they blend in with your normal clothes.
03:19 However, there are exceptions to this
03:20 should you want something a bit more exotic.
03:22 The first thing to look out for is to make sure
03:31 that the bulk pattern on the bottom of your shoes
03:33 matches that of your cleats and pedals.
03:35 Now, often you'll find a three-bulk setup,
03:37 which is common to find for Shimano, Look, and Time.
03:41 However, if you use Speedplay pedals,
03:43 you might want to look for shoes with a four-bulk system.
03:45 However, they are very rare,
03:47 and this is why Speedplay include an adapter plate
03:49 in with the pedals if you want to use their system.
03:52 As I've already mentioned,
03:53 commuter and cycle touring shoes
03:55 will usually use a two-bulk setup,
03:56 so make sure that your pedals are compatible.
03:59 It's also worth bearing in mind
04:00 that shoes rarely come with cleats,
04:02 so do make sure you buy some.
04:03 However, if you are buying pedals,
04:05 then most of the time, if not all of the time,
04:08 you're always going to get cleats in with those pedals.
04:16 When it comes to sizing,
04:17 it's worth knowing that a size 10 from one brand
04:19 will rarely be exactly the same
04:21 as a size 10 from another brand,
04:22 so my best recommendation here
04:24 is to just try them on before you commit to buying them.
04:27 Finally, if you have particularly wide feet,
04:30 there are brands out there that offer wide fit options,
04:32 such as Shimano, Lake, and Sidi.
04:34 So, hopefully you're now a little bit more clued up
04:38 to the whole world of road cycling shoes.
04:40 If you do have any questions, drop them below.
04:42 If you enjoyed the video, drop it a like,
04:43 subscribe to the channel for more content,
04:45 and I'll see you again very soon.
04:47 (motor revving)
04:50 (whooshing)
04:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]