# Shoes: Pros/Cons - Ratchet v. Velcro Straps



## RoadLoad (Jan 18, 2005)

I need to buy some new shoes. What are the pros and cons of going with the ratchet staps versus velcro - other than 25%+ difference in price? Or, to put it another way, is the ratchet stap worth the added price?

Thanks for the input.


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## spokewrench (Feb 6, 2005)

RoadLoad said:


> I need to buy some new shoes. What are the pros and cons of going with the ratchet staps versus velcro - other than 25%+ difference in price? Or, to put it another way, is the ratchet stap worth the added price?


I have used shoes with only velcro straps. I never had a problem with hot spots on the top of my feet where the straps were. I have only recently changed shoes and my new ones do have a ratchet system. I wasn't sure if I would really ever like them. But after a couple of months with them, they are great. I can reach down and tighten things up one ratchet notch before a sprint or a climb. I do like it.

Now, I didn't buy the shoes because of the ratchets, I bought on fit. No matter what shoes you end up buying, BE SURE THEY FIT PROPERLY.


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## sgt_hedgehog (Jun 28, 2004)

3 velcro is lighter, but probably not as durable. i think it also allows a but more of a custom fit. The real reason I want a pair is because Boonen uses the 3 straps. Beeeest!


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## fleck (Mar 25, 2005)

I don't find it dificult to adjust my velcro 
and it seams to be a lighter more aero system...

i tend to wear my shoes down to a nub, velcro is really easy to repair. Don't know about the ratching system...


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## Insight Driver (Jan 27, 2006)

I have Velcro straps and like the fact that it's so easy to adjust how tight I want to pull the straps. Seems to me the ratchet is a gizmo that serves no practical purpose but may just make it easier to reach down while on the bike to tighten or loosen the buckle. In my normal riding I never have an ocassion where I feel the need to change the tightness of the straps on my shoes so I personally don't see why a ratchet would be better.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

RoadLoad said:


> I need to buy some new shoes. What are the pros and cons of going with the ratchet staps versus velcro - other than 25%+ difference in price? Or, to put it another way, is the ratchet stap worth the added price?
> 
> Thanks for the input.



I have the specialized 3 strap velcro carbon - no hot spots/issues (maybe sometimes now as the shoes are 3 years old and worn for quite a few miles!)

I also have the specialized 2 strap velcro with cinch down. I like it. Also the cinch goes all the way to end I think.

My velcro straps hang over on both shoes. too much material. Should I cut off the excess?


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## anthrax (May 31, 2006)

My shoes (both MTB and Road) have one ratcet strap and two velcro straps (I had shoues with laces and one wide ankle strap to hold the laces down before that). 

What I like is the fact that I can set the two velcro straps and leave them alone (which saves on ware and tear on the the straps) and only fasten and unfasten the ratchet strap to get in and out of the shoe.

But that does not nessacerily make them better then all velcro straps just what I like about them.

Good Luck

A


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Really?*



Insight Driver said:


> In my normal riding I never have an ocassion where I feel the need to change the tightness of the straps on my shoes so I personally don't see why a ratchet would be better.


I've only had velcro shoes, too, so I can't compare, but I OFTEN adjust the straps while on the bike. Sometimes I start with them a little loose, then want to tighten after I've warmed up and want to go harder. Other times on a long ride, especially in the heat, the feet will swell a bit and I need to loosen the shoes. Adjustment is very useful.

That said, I have no problem adjusting with the velcro straps. I can see that the micro-adjustment with the ratchets might be useful, and easier to use, especially if you're racing and want to do it quickly.


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## Bill Stevenson (Jul 14, 2006)

*The ratchets can be a PITA*

I have a lot of shoes. Ratchets, velcro, hell I even have some old ones with laces. My ratchet shoes (Sidi) use one rachet and two velcros. To be honest about it, the ratchets are difficult to undo, and they are not infinitely adjustable like velcro, and they are more likely to get dirt in them and become balky, and they might be a wee bit heavier. My Carnacs have three velcro straps and are lighter in weight, and they have a nicer fitting heel. It is too bad they make my feet cry. I am still on the quest for the perfect shoe. In the meantime, I would prefer a top line shoe that is fastened with just velcro, has a bit of flex in the sole, is light weight, and fits perfectly.

Regards,

Bill


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## fredf (Aug 13, 2004)

try the Nike Poggios...if they are right for you I think you'll find them light, slipper-like and 3 velcro straps!


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2006)

I have tried many shoes over the years. I hated ratchet buckles (Sidi). They are hard to adjust or undo. Also, I have a high arch and the bl$$dy buckles just about cut my feet in two.

My two current favourites are the Northwave Aerator (3 strap) and the Sidi Zeta.

Both comfy and wonderful.


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## maharreybe (Jun 21, 2006)

*i like the ratchet*

so i have a pair of specialized mt bike shoes and i love them- they are the 3 strap design. when i bought road shoes i found that although the 3 strap fit, the ratchet style gave me a better fit...more snug. this may be because i have a narrow heel and the ratchet helps hold my heel in the heel cup of the shoe better than the velcro.

specialized ratchet shoes are easy to get in/out of- i was worried about this at first but it is no issue! the ratchets can also be replaced if needed!

for me, the ratchet was worth the cash.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

*Ratchet up*

Ratchetsarefun


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## croswell1 (Feb 19, 2005)

*Ratchet or Velcro............*

Both are good. It's more a matter of individual taste really. My old Diadora's were three strap and I liked them a lot. My newer Diadora's have a ratchet top strap and I like them a lot too. So far they've been pretty durable, with thousands of miles of use with no issues. Like the OP, I like being able to reach down on the go and click-it up a notch or two when riding.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

I always rode shoes with velcro until I bought my current pair of Sidis. They have the ratchet. I hate it. If I can help it, I'll never buy shoes with a ratchet again.


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## dgangi (Sep 24, 2003)

I have shoes with both ratchets and 3-velcro straps -- and both MTB and road.

The biggest drawback to velcro straps is that they can stretch when wet and loosen up in mud. Furthermore, as velcro ages and gets full of dirt, it looses its "stickiness".

As you can imagine, "wet" and "mud" and "dirty" are not common things you run into on a road bike...but common on the MTB. That's why only my MTB shoes have the ratchet system. My road bike shoes have 3 velcro straps.

One side note - ratchet systems can break. I smashed my buckle against a rock on an MTB ride and the plastic broke, rendering the top bucke strap completely useless. This would have been a ride-ending situation without some zip ties and creative thinking. Velcro straps never break like this.

Thx...Doug


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## cwg_at_opc (Oct 20, 2005)

*i vote for: ratchet*

i have the Nike Altea2+ and if i could replace the two velcro straps with
ratchets, i would. currently, no hot spots, no problems. these shoes would
be fine with or without the ratchets since they fit so well, but...

+1 heel hold down - no stretching
+1 convenience - click to tighten, click to loosen, without looking
to see if the velcro is lined up properly
+1 durability - velcro wears out
0 weight - don't care right now, not racing anymore
-1 aerodynamics - too much hardware out in the wind, shoe covers for racing?
-1 ugly - they aren't the most attractive, but form does follow function

as previously mentioned, the newest Nike Poggio is a total
slipper - no, a sock with a hard sole, it was just a bit out of my
shoe budget. i'll bite when they make a version with three
lightweight ratchets(or one ;-)

p.s. isn't the name "ratcheting buckle closure" or something like that?
we call them buckles on ski boots...


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## dgangi (Sep 24, 2003)

cwg_at_opc said:


> +1 durability - velcro wears out


I agree w/all of that except:

-1 durability 

I've worn out 2 ratcheting systems w/in 18 months of the shoe being new (straps w/notches wore out). I then had to spend something like $20 getting a pair of new plastic straps. I've never worn out a velcro strap before the rest of the shoe fell apart.

Thx...Doug


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## cwg_at_opc (Oct 20, 2005)

dgangi said:


> I agree w/all of that except:
> 
> -1 durability
> 
> ...


it must just be me then, the velcro on my old shimano's wore out just as the shoes were
getting broken-in. the velcro on the nike's seem to be pretty good overall, though
i guess we should just use the usual YMMV for both the straps.


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## mayukawa (Mar 14, 2006)

I have a pair with the rachets (and two velcro straps) and a pair with three velcro straps. The one with the rachet seems to be an unnecessary complexity and weight. The one with the rachet can be made more tight than the one with strap, which might be useful for those who pull up on their pedals (I don't). I don't have a problem undoing the rachet, one finger on release button and thumb to pull out strap. I think when I wear out mine, I'm just going to stick with the three velcro straps and save some money/weight.


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## IcemanYVR (Jul 27, 2006)

I vote for the ratchets. I have been using Sidi (ratchet and two straps), and never worn either pair out. Another reason is they are the only shoe that really fits my feet properly.

I found the ratchets easy to do up, or undo, it just becomes second nature. They are also easy to adjust on the go. The buckles are reparable, any competent shop should have repleacement parts.

If you wear out in 20 months, your shoes are defective, or you are not using them right, although I don't know how you could use them wrong 

I don't worry about the extra weight of the buckle, that's just over the top


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## ifcjti (Jun 14, 2004)

*Boa!*

I have ued both velcro straps and a rachet with velcoro straps and they both work well. Recently, I purchased the Specialized S-Works carbon shoes. I have been looking for some comfortable shoes for a long time and was ready to purchase custom Rocket 7's, I first decided to give the S-Works shoes a try and WOW! These shoes fit great and the Boa closure system is the best I have tried. It puts very even pressure throuhout the shoe when tightening, is easy to loosen and readjust, the shoes are very light, carbon sole. I agree with what other posters have said, start out with a shoe that fits first of all. I didn't purchase these shoes because they had the Boa closure sytem, I purchased them because they made my feet happy! Check them out.


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## Bill Stevenson (Jul 14, 2006)

*re. nike*

Thanks I will give them a look.


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*no ratchets for me.*

Some years ago I worked as a bike "tech" on an AIDS ride from Montreal to Portland, ME. Ratchets on shoes came in just behind failing computers as the most frequent and annoying accessory failure. We put more than a few riders back on the road wearing $200 shoes held together by duct tape. Left a lasting impression on me that ratchets complicate something simple to solve a problem that didn't exist. Velcro is fine and laces, if you can find them, even better.


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## sgt_hedgehog (Jun 28, 2004)

Every person I know with Sidi shoes has the "Sidi shine" scuff mark on their crank arm, from the thick anchor for the the rachet strap. Especially if they use Crank Bros. pedals.


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## IcemanYVR (Jul 27, 2006)

sgt_hedgehog said:


> Every person I know with Sidi shoes has the "Sidi shine" scuff mark on their crank arm, from the thick anchor for the the rachet strap. Especially if they use Crank Bros. pedals.


Every person you know must be wearing their shoes backwards, becuase the SIDI buckle and ratchet are on the outside of the shoe. Nice try.


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## sgt_hedgehog (Jun 28, 2004)

IcemanYQQ said:


> Every person you know must be wearing their shoes backwards, becuase the SIDI buckle and ratchet are on the outside of the shoe. Nice try.


actually no. you're wrong. I'm talking about the adjustment on the inside of the shoe to positon the buckle over the top of your foot. if it is too far inward (towards the crank) there is a lot of extra plastic that rubs against the crank arm. Nice try, though.


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## SPINDAWG (Aug 24, 2003)

*I like the ratchet closure system as well.*

Especially if they are Sidi's. I have both the Ergo's and Energies that offer the spider buckle and Techno II closure system and feel they are easier to tighten while on the fly. Although, I do agree with the others that they can be a pain to loosen back up.

Even if your a weight weenie,I feel that these are the way to go. Not much more involved with these straps versus the velcro,plus these can be replaced.Not many places can you buy the velcro straps.


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## IcemanYVR (Jul 27, 2006)

sgt_hedgehog said:


> actually no. you're wrong. I'm talking about the adjustment on the inside of the shoe to positon the buckle over the top of your foot. if it is too far inward (towards the crank) there is a lot of extra plastic that rubs against the crank arm. Nice try, though.


Sorry, I got two pairs of SIDI, and have no idea what your talking about. My shoes don't even come close to touching the crankarm. I checked with a couple of other riders I know who use SIDI before replying to your thread, no problem there either. Show me a picture, then I might believe you.


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## tsintesi (May 28, 2004)

I vote for the ratchet system on my Sidi's. Not sure how some people come to the conclusion that they are hard to use or somehow difficult, and I've never had mine loosen unintentionally. My feet swell quite a bit, so I need to loosen my shoes periodically on every long ride. It is easier for me to do this on the bike than with velcro, and I can be very precise with the ratchet by pushing only one button for a half click or two buttons for a whole click. Tightening on the fly is also easier for me than velcro, but if I had to I would be able to get by fine with velcro.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

No, no, really, it does!

I've got 3 pairs of Sidis -- 2 with ratchets (Genuis road, Dominator MTB) and 1 without (Zeta). It took me a while to figure out that THAT's what was scuffing up my crankarms.

If you come on the Seattle RBR ride in a bit, I'll show you what I mean. I think it depends upon the pedals, because of the "Q factor," maybe.

It's not enough to keep my feet out of the Geniuses, though, I like the ratchet a lot, since I'm always needing to loosen / tighten mid-ride.


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## alienator (Jun 11, 2004)

IcemanYQQ said:


> Sorry, I got two pairs of SIDI, and have no idea what your talking about. My shoes don't even come close to touching the crankarm. I checked with a couple of other riders I know who use SIDI before replying to your thread, no problem there either. Show me a picture, then I might believe you.



Me, too. I don't have that "sidi shine" on my cranks, either. It's got to be a pedal thing, not a shoe thing. I'm on Speedplay X/2's.


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## IcemanYVR (Jul 27, 2006)

Argentius said:


> No, no, really, it does!
> 
> I've got 3 pairs of Sidis -- 2 with ratchets (Genuis road, Dominator MTB) and 1 without (Zeta). It took me a while to figure out that THAT's what was scuffing up my crankarms.
> 
> ...


I never thought of it that way, I've only ever used the classic Look platform for clipless pedals. I currently use PP296.


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## parity (Feb 28, 2006)

The buckle strap can be adjusted on the arch side of the foot. You can slide the strap inward so you can get a tighter fit. I noticed that the strap can run the crank arm when I moved from Shimano SPD to Look Keo pedals. Its not a big deal, if it bothers you then trim the plastic or bend it in such a manner so it doesn't rub the crank arm. 

I prefer the buckle because I find it easier to get the proper tightness with the buckle. And I know by looking at the number of adjustments that are left if I have over or under tightened the buckle.


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## IcemanYVR (Jul 27, 2006)

I must be wearing my shoes on the wrong feet??? I still can't picture this. I have both pairs in my hand, and can't wrap my head around this. I guess I will have to wait until RBR Seattle.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*Have a look...*



IcemanYQQ said:


> I must be wearing my shoes on the wrong feet??? I still can't picture this.


Okay, here is my shoe clipped in a "normal riding position." See how close the little plastic tab that affixes the ratchet strap is to the crank?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/232302154/in/photostream/

Imagine a foot filling the shoe, and getting out of the saddle for a hard effort. As you push through the downstroke, if my foot is not perfectly aligned forward, the plastic "clicks" against the crankarm and causes a touch of Sidi Shine.


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## CC09 (Mar 11, 2006)

i actaully really like having the ratched. i use specialized road shoes (comp something or other) and they have 2 velcro 1 ratchet. ive had no problems with the ratchet, but the shoes are still pretty new (right around 6 months). 

the one thing i really like about the ratchet is the ability to adjust with ease while on the bike and have it make an impact. i find it alot easier to release or ratchet the mechanism a click or two while on the bike (even mid-race) than it is to undo the velcro, than re-velcro while getting the force neccessary to get them tighter, while on the bike. i really like the ability to ratchet it up two or three clicks at the base of a big climb, and then release it when back in the flats. also for sprinting. gives me a real secure feeling when im powering out of the saddle, yet my feet won't go numb and are comfy when im just cruising on the flats.


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## IcemanYVR (Jul 27, 2006)

Argentius said:


> Okay, here is my shoe clipped in a "normal riding position." See how close the little plastic tab that affixes the ratchet strap is to the crank?
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/232302154/in/photostream/
> 
> Imagine a foot filling the shoe, and getting out of the saddle for a hard effort. As you push through the downstroke, if my foot is not perfectly aligned forward, the plastic "clicks" against the crankarm and causes a touch of Sidi Shine.


Thank you  , neither of my SIDI shoes have that tab on the other side. They are both SIDI Genius 3. I can totally see how that would scuff the cranks. 

So I guess it is only certain models of SIDI shoes, and maybe not so much which pedals or which cranks. 

Added: I just checked SIDI website, it looks like all the Genius 5 shoes have that extra piece on the inside. Glad road shoes last for a long time


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## alienator (Jun 11, 2004)

IcemanYQQ said:


> Thank you  , neither of my SIDI shoes have that tab on the other side. They are both SIDI Genius 3. I can totally see how that would scuff the cranks.
> 
> So I guess it is only certain models of SIDI shoes, and maybe not so much which pedals or which cranks.
> 
> Added: I just checked SIDI website, it looks like all the Genius 5 shoes have that extra piece on the inside. Glad road shoes last for a long time


I have Sidi Genius 5's.....no scuffs, on either of two different cranksets. And before the Sidi Genius 5's, the Genius 4's didn't leave any scuffs.


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## SPINDAWG (Aug 24, 2003)

*What pedals are you using?*



Argentius said:


> Okay, here is my shoe clipped in a "normal riding position." See how close the little plastic tab that affixes the ratchet strap is to the crank?
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/232302154/in/photostream/
> 
> Imagine a foot filling the shoe, and getting out of the saddle for a hard effort. As you push through the downstroke, if my foot is not perfectly aligned forward, the plastic "clicks" against the crankarm and causes a touch of Sidi Shine.


Because I use both Sidi Energy and Ergo's with Keo's and Time RXS pedals and I don't even come close to hitting the crank arm with the tab coming from the soft step closure.


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