# 'Road' Shoes any better than my Running Shoes?



## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

As you know by now I'm currently riding a Gary Fisher Mamba ( circa 2000 ) with some 'roadish' tires.

Only been riding a week but it felt good today when I went over 11 miles...don't seem like a very long ride to many of you but back when I was a runner it took me 6 months of training before I could make it 10 miles 

Anyway, I've been riding in my Mizuno running shoes that I wore to run in (imagine that) several years ago.

What would 'road' shoes offer me that my Mizuno running shoes don't and are they worth the $65?

Also, do 'road' shoes run similar to other shoes as far as sizing is concerned? (ie: a 12 in my Mizuno = a 12, 46 metric, in 'road' shoes)

Giro Grynd Road Shoes

I appreciate the help and really hated I waited this late in my life (49) to discover cycling....absolutely love it!!!

TripleB


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## Judgment (Sep 5, 2016)

Okay, this seems like a really basic thing so I might be misunderstanding the question but most people that ride road bikes - or most any serious bike for that matter - use clipless pedals. The pedal comes with a cleat that attaches to the bottom of a dedicated "road shoe". Then when you ride you step your foot into the pedal and you are essentially connected to your bike. This gives you better power transfer, increased efficiency, and because you are attached to the bike you can bunny hop and you are less likely to "lose" your pedals unexpectedly. 

Before there were "clipless" pedals, there were pedals with toe clips. You just stick a normal shoe into them and off you go. Clipless pedals are way better.


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## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

Judgment said:


> Clipless pedals are way better.


Right now just starting to take up cycling. Using a mountain bike ( circa 2000 ) with roadish type tires to get me by until I can afford a true road bike...probably a year away since I've decided to go with a trailer hitch for my car to transport my bike.

Once I go to a true road bike I will probably go with clipless pedals. Until that time, just trying to make my rides as enjoyable as possible.

Thanks for the input.

TripleB


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Road shoes have a completely stiff sole. They're terrible for walking because they don't flex at all. The more expensive, the stiffer it gets. Mountain bike shoes would be something to look at.

They have a recessed spot for a small cleat to go in the future, for now they'll just be stiff soled dedicated cycling shoes that you can walk around in easy. In the future you can get mountain bike pedals and cleats and keep the same shoes. Plenty of road riders use MTB shoes and pedals because they like to walk around easy.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

Your running shoes have a softer sole. You may feel discomfort and pressure from pressing down on the sharp profile of the typical pedal. In some cases you'll experience pain from the foot flexing opposite of what you experience running.

You could alleviate that if you use platform style pedals. Ask for a pair with the nubs that help grip the shoe. Typically these pedals are found on BMX and freestyle bikes.

If you go with toeclips and straps, they should position your foot properly over the pedal (ball of the foot over the pedal spindle) but most toeclips aren't large enough to accommodate sneakers.

Cycling shoes tend to not be as roomy as running shoes. Definitely try before you buy, and avoid the suggestion to look for a "tight" fit. You don't want sloppy, but you don't want to buy them small and develop hammertoes. My experience my street shoes and cycling shoes correspond in size.
Dedicated cycling shoes, whether road or mountain bike style, have a stiffer sole to eliminate any potential foot pain or hot spots. Clipless pedals provide a secure connection to the pedal so you won't worry about your foot slipping off, and they're more efficient for applying power around the full 360 degree pedal stroke.

At your stage of the game they aren't necessary, but if you begin to experience foot pain while riding in your sneakers, the solution is a stiffer shoe coupled with either platform pedals or a clipless pedal/shoe combo.

Those Giro shoes would be fine and should give you many years of service.


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## mjc29 (Jun 29, 2013)

No reason not to put the clipless on this bike and move them over when you get a new bike.

Sent from my QTAQZ3 using Tapatalk


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

If you are not using clipless pedals, there is no reason to get "bike shoes". Running shoes are fine.

When you are ready to try clipless pedals, I strongly recommend you start out with mountain bike clipless pedals and shoes. In fact, I, and many other road riders use mountain bike pedals/shoes. As MMsRepBike said, MTB shoes are much easier to walk around in because the cleat is recessed. MTB pedals also have more float and are easier to clip in and out of. Many are also double sided which means you don't have to fuss with making sure it is faced the right way when clipping in.

This is what I use:

Shimano PD-M520 Clipless Pedal > Components > Pedals > Mountain Pedals | Jenson USA 

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Mens...201911&sr=8-3&keywords=shimano+off+road+shoes 

When you are ready.


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## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

MMsRepBike said:


> In the future you can get mountain bike pedals and cleats and keep the same shoes.


Here are the pedals I have on my bike...actually it's what came on the bike when I bought it back in 2000. So maybe the Giro shoes aren't really made for a pedal like this?

Thanks for everyone's input.

TripleB


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

TripleB said:


> Here are the pedals I have on my bike...actually it's what came on the bike when I bought it back in 2000. So maybe the Giro shoes aren't really made for a pedal like this?
> 
> View attachment 316235
> 
> ...


I can't open the attachment.


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## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

Lombard said:


> I can't open the attachment.


Hmmmmm - it opens when I click on it. 

Anyone else having problems?

TripleB


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

TripleB said:


> Hmmmmm - it opens when I click on it.
> 
> Anyone else having problems?
> 
> TripleB


go back and edit your post.

delete the picture showing in the post and re-upload it.

that should fix it.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

You could ride pinned flats with 5.10s. Those sneakers (the right models) have very solid shanks. Almost zero flex, absolutely zero with a large pinned flat pedal. I use magnesium flats on my MTB. You could ride a nice set of pinned flats with 5.10s forever and suffer no performance drop off. You might have some shin scars to show for it though.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

TripleB said:


> ...afford a true road bike...probably a year away since I've decided to go with a trailer hitch for my car to transport my bike.


Assuming you're going to buy those Giro shoes, one alternative would be to buy a pedal that functions as a platform pedal on one side and a clip-in pedal on the other. With those pedals on your Mamba, you could use your current running shoes or the Giro shoes.

When you're ready to clip yourself in, you can put 2-bolt ("mountain") cleats on the Giros and use the clip-in side of the pedal. (If you want to, the Giros _with_ the cleats can also be used on the platform side of such a pedal). When you get your road bike, you could move the pedals over to it and you're ready to ride. Many people ride road bikes with mountain shoes and cleats.

Some examples:
Shimano PD-A530 SPD Pedal Silver
Nashbar Soho Pedals


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## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

*Once I move to a true road bike I'll get something better, but I ordered a pair of $6 Zefal Half Toe clips for my mountain bike to use with my running shoes, just to see if they would make any difference.

To be honest I can tell a difference...my feet feel more secure on the pedal and my motion feels smoother. My left foot/knee/hip feel a little strange thought - I think when I rode without the clips I pointed my left toe outward a little. Maybe due to my microfracture knee surgery in 2012 or maybe just because it felt better. But there is definitely a different feel on the left side.

Thanks for everyone's help!

TripleB*


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

TripleB said:


> *My left foot/knee/hip feel a little strange thought - I think when I rode without the clips I pointed my left toe outward a little. Maybe due to my microfracture knee surgery in 2012 or maybe just because it felt better. But there is definitely a different feel on the left side.
> *


You should definitely not ignore this. This is where clipless pedals have an advantage. To some degree, you can point the cleat left or right to correct this somewhat. Also, the SPD 520 pedals I mentioned before have a few degrees of float to further correct this error.


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

running shoes are too flexible - you will get various aches and pains using small, weak muscles to keep your foot on the pedal and keeping the push on the pedals.

The first two main things to do:

use a stiffer shoe.

for my 40- to 80-minute fitness rides on my mountain bike, on level neighborhood roads, I wear low-cut hiking shoes. They are stiff enough that my foot and lower leg are not contorting to have the right press on the pedal.

use toe-clip pedals. Get a cheap pair. Adjust the over-the-foot strap so that you can get your foot in there easily enough, and out when needed, but your foot otherwise is fairly well set in there, and held to the pedal.


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## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

One last question about cycling shoes:

I'm looking to get some cycling shoes but I'll be wearing them with half toe clips on my mountain bike (riding it on the road) right now but will be moving to a true road bike with platform caged pedals in March...so I want to be able to wear them with both.

Any suggestions on a lower priced shoe that would work well with both or will work well with a road bike and be good enough for my mountain bike?

Thanks!

TripleB


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## Fajita Dave (Dec 1, 2015)

My wife just rode 45 miles with me while wearing comfy Addidas skate shoes and flat pedals.... you'll be fine with what you've got. I think 5.10 shoes are a better option though.

5.10 makes the best platform pedal cycling shoes. I use them on my mountain bike and I've used them on my road bike for a 20 mile all out time trial (just to see if there is any performance difference vs clipless; there wasn't). The 5.10 shoes have a stiff mid sole for a stable feel on platform pedals but allow the toe box to flex so they're normal to walk in. They are normally priced around $100 but you can find some good deals online.

Don't let anyone tell you clipless has a performance advantage. Its been proven multiple times now that they don't. The advantage that clipless does have is float that lets you twist your foot which can take pressure off your knees. Its not a big issue because with pinned platform pedals and good shoes you can simply place your foot on the pedal in any position you want whenever you want.


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## masont (Feb 6, 2010)

Fajita Dave said:


> My wife just rode 45 miles with me while wearing comfy Addidas skate shoes and flat pedals.... you'll be fine with what you've got. I think 5.10 shoes are a better option though.
> 
> 5.10 makes the best platform pedal cycling shoes. I use them on my mountain bike and I've used them on my road bike for a 20 mile all out time trial (just to see if there is any performance difference vs clipless; there wasn't). The 5.10 shoes have a stiff mid sole for a stable feel on platform pedals but allow the toe box to flex so they're normal to walk in. They are normally priced around $100 but you can find some good deals online.
> 
> Don't let anyone tell you clipless has a performance advantage. Its been proven multiple times now that they don't. The advantage that clipless does have is float that lets you twist your foot which can take pressure off your knees. Its not a big issue because with pinned platform pedals and good shoes you can simply place your foot on the pedal in any position you want whenever you want.


LMAO at this. Right, there's no performance advantage to clipless, which is why you see half of the world tour teams riding with flats.


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## Fajita Dave (Dec 1, 2015)

masont said:


> LMAO at this. Right, there's no performance advantage to clipless, which is why you see half of the world tour teams riding with flats.


Trolls are out early! Have you even bothered trying it before spewing crap like that?

Here's a video of a pretty well structured test from two years ago for you. Its not that complicated; power is generated on the down stroke in the direction you're muscles are intended to work in. Pulling up might feel like your excerting a lot of power but only because your straining muscles in the wrong direction.

http://youtu.be/CNedIJBZpgM

For real world racing instead of being on a treadmill there are likely some minor benefits which they mention a few of in the video. However the OP still doesn't even have a road bike and certainly doesn't seem interested in racing. He'll be fine with flats even if he wants to ride a century.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

masont said:


> LMAO at this. Right, there's no performance advantage to clipless, which is why you see half of the world tour teams riding with flats.


As I posted 3 weeks ago, you won't see a significant performance difference. But you feet will stay in one position and on the pedals. My foot slipped off on the mtb last week while standing, pedaling and shifting.... it hurt. I'm thinking of going clipless on the mtb but I don't want to have to change pedals when I snow ride, and I don't want to be clipped on snow and ice. I have some shin scars from them though. But performance, nominal if anything. Pros and everyone else use them for the predictability and to keep from slipping off the pedal, which is actually their intended purpose from the outset.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

masont said:


> LMAO at this. Right, there's no performance advantage to clipless, which is why you see half of the world tour teams riding with flats.


TripleB apparently has no ambitions to be a professional cyclist or pose as one. To laugh at other forum contributions and then bring up world tour teams isn't all that useful in the context of this thread.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

wim said:


> TripleB apparently has no ambitions to be a professional cyclist or pose as one. To laugh at other forum contributions and then bring up world tour teams isn't all that useful in the context of this thread.


Well said! I was trying to to come up with a way to say this that wasn't aggressive, which isn't my forte, nice to see you get it just right. TripleB does have a strange/atypical affinity for posting in colors, bold, and the like... In the event he may wonder if it makes a post more likely to get a response, I highly doubt it.


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## TripleB (Dec 21, 2012)

PBL450 said:


> TripleB does have a strange/atypical affinity for posting in colors, bold, and the like... In the event he may wonder if it makes a post more likely to get a response, I highly doubt it.j


Sorry about that. On a couple of the other boards (tennis/running) I've posted to in the past, members tend to read my first post and then respond without reading anything else...even if it has 30 responses. Therefore if I've asked a follow up question (so I didn't have to start another topic), they miss it. 

Obviously that isn't the case here so I won't need to do anything to make my follow up questions stand out.

Thanks for everyone's help and for taking my cycling goals into account when you're making recommendations.

TripleB


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