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.
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.
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00:00Road cycling shoes come in all different shapes and sizes, but nearly all of them will allow
00:06you to clip into a pedal. Now, this is done using a cleat, which attaches to the bottom
00:12of the shoe. Clips in shoes, which confusingly are also referred to as clipless shoes, make
00:17you engage more of your muscles throughout the pedal stroke, meaning you're a lot more
00:21efficient with your power. While riding with clips in shoes may seem a little daunting
00:26at first, after your first couple of rides, it's fair to say you're going to feel very
00:29comfortable with them and people rarely ever go back to riding flats. Now you know a little
00:34bit more about road cycling shoes, I'm going to talk you through the different types that
00:37are out there. Road shoes are for those who want to ride as fast as possible and also
00:46be as efficient as possible. You can pay anywhere from £50 all the way up to £300 plus for
00:52a pair of shoes, but there are some key differences between them. Top spec shoes will be incredibly
00:57lightweight and will utilise materials such as carbon fibre so they can have a really
01:02stiff sole. They'll also have built-in ventilation to help keep your feet as cool as possible.
01:07While their upper will be pliable, it's still going to have very little give and that is
01:11so all of your effort goes into turning those pedals. In terms of how they're secured, wire
01:16dials have become really popular in recent years. Now, you may have seen these called
01:20boa dials. However, many brands have their own similar systems, which might be called
01:24something different. Boa dials are quick, convenient, and you can rarely go wrong with
01:28this type of retention system. You'll also find shoes with laces, which despite their
01:32old-school appearance, do still do a really good job at holding your foot in place. Laces
01:37might take a little bit longer to put on than boas, however, they are really reliable and
01:42often lighter. Finally, straps and velcro have been making a comeback in recent years,
01:47with Fizik releasing a range of models at various budgets. When it comes to budget or
01:52mid-range shoes, they'll often come with either nylon or composite soles. Now, that does mean
01:58they sacrifice a little bit on weight and also stiffness. They may also just be a little
02:03bit bulkier and not as sleek than their top-end counterparts. However, the real-world differences
02:08between mid-range and top-end shoes are marginal at best and only performance-minded cyclists
02:13are going to be able to notice the difference. Finally, it's worth mentioning that road shoes
02:18only tend to have a tiny amount of tread on the soles and that usually boils down to a
02:22couple of bits of rubber underneath the heel. As you'd expect, this does make them tricky
02:25to walk in, so if you're planning on commuting or cycle touring, then the next category might
02:30be best suited for you.
02:37Commuter and touring shoes share many of the same characteristics as road shoes, but with
02:41a few key differences which I think are worth mentioning. First up, it's a different style
02:45of cleats, meaning they're normally not compatible with either road shoes or pedals. They do,
02:49however, use the same two-bulk system that you'll find on many mountain bike shoes.
02:53The advantage to this is that the cleat can be recessed into the tread of the shoe, meaning
02:57it's a lot easier to walk in, which then also means you're not going to damage the cleat.
03:02Commuter and touring shoes tend to have a more subdued look, meaning that they blend
03:05in with your normal clothes. However, there are exceptions to this should you want something
03:08a bit more exotic.
03:16The first thing to look out for is to make sure that the bulk pattern on the bottom of
03:19your shoes matches that of your cleats and pedals. Often, you'll find a three-bulk setup,
03:25which is common to find for Shimano, Look, and Time. However, if you use Speedplay pedals,
03:30you might want to look for shoes with a four-bulk system. However, they are very rare, and this
03:34is why Speedplay include an adapter plate in with the pedals if you want to use their
03:39system. As I've already mentioned, commuter and cycle touring shoes will usually use a
03:43two-bulk setup, so make sure that your pedals are compatible.
03:46It's also worth bearing in mind that shoes rarely come with cleats, so do make sure you
03:50buy some. However, if you are buying pedals, then most of the time, if not all of the time,
03:55you're always going to get cleats in with those pedals.
04:03When it comes to sizing, it's worth knowing that a size 10 from one brand will rarely
04:07be exactly the same as a size 10 from another brand, so my best recommendation here is to
04:12just try them on before you commit to buying them.
04:15Finally, if you have particularly wide feet, there are brands out there that offer wide
04:19fit options, such as Shimano, Lake, and Sidi.
04:23So hopefully you're now a little bit more clued up to the whole world of road cycling
04:26shoes. If you do have any questions, drop them below. If you enjoyed the video, drop
04:30it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon!