# why use mountain bike shoes?



## omniviper (Sep 18, 2004)

I was at my local LBS shopping fore bike shoes when I asked the guy over there about his recommendations. He kind of, surprisingly, recommended that I buy mountian bike shoes instead of road shoes, reason being that you could walk on mt bike shoes rather than road shoes because their soles are too stiff. 

I looked at both kinds and what he said is somewhat true. What is the advanatge then of going full road shoes then when mt bike shoes offer better performance from a practicality aspect


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## olr1 (Apr 2, 2005)

You could dance in swimming trunks too, but why ?

Road shoes are designed for riding a road bike in.
If you want to walk about, get some walking shoes, if you want to ride a road bike, get some road bike shoes.


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## BugMan (Feb 16, 2004)

Depends on how you define "better performance." MTB shoes are heavier (a little) and chunkier (a lot) - kindof going against the roadie preference for "light and aero." Also, and you may or may not care about this, but if you do any group riding or racing some roadies won't trust your wheel if they see you wearing MTB shoes. Like I said, you may or may not care about that.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

omniviper said:


> I was at my local LBS shopping fore bike shoes when I asked the guy over there about his recommendations. He kind of, surprisingly, recommended that I buy mountian bike shoes instead of road shoes, reason being that you could walk on mt bike shoes rather than road shoes because their soles are too stiff.
> 
> I looked at both kinds and what he said is somewhat true. What is the advanatge then of going full road shoes then when mt bike shoes offer better performance from a practicality aspect


How much walking are you planning on doing? You bought the bike, so ride it!

Mountain bike shoes are fine if you have a mountain bike and a road bike with the same pedals. Then you only have to buy one shoe. Otherwise, get real road shoes. Road shoes will be stiff, but that is good on a road bike because it maximizes your leg power. Every time your shoe flexes, that's wasted energy. It used to be that mountain bike shoes were almost like hiking boots with cleats, but nowadays, many mountain bike shoes are fairly stiff, and some are as stiff as road shoes.

If you plan on walking a lot, get something walkable. Otherwise, get some stiff road shoes.


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

I use both. If I am just going on a ride and do not plan on stopping, then I wear the road shoes. If I plan on stopping and will walk, then I wear the MTB shoes. I really don't notice any performance change with the MTB shoes, but they sure are better for walking.


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## bikejr (Jul 30, 2004)

*...*



omniviper said:


> I was at my local LBS shopping fore bike shoes when I asked the guy over there about his recommendations. He kind of, surprisingly, recommended that I buy mountian bike shoes instead of road shoes, reason being that you could walk on mt bike shoes rather than road shoes because their soles are too stiff.
> 
> I looked at both kinds and what he said is somewhat true. What is the advanatge then of going full road shoes then when mt bike shoes offer better performance from a practicality aspect


 When you have to walk/carry your bike up a 10% hill for a mile you will be glad you have the more friendly "walking" shoes. I've always opted for more walking friendly shoes, but that's me. Especially for long rides in remote areas which is a fair part of my riding. If you are doing the local crit or have mechanical support. Probably not a big a deal, neither of which apply to me.


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## KonaMan (Sep 22, 2004)

*some mtb shoes are just as stiff...*

both my road and my mtb shoes are Sidis, so the stiffness factor does not apply on these. they are both just as stiff. 

with that said, if i'm doing more of a touring ride, I might be inclined to wear my older shimano mtb shoes (which do have a lot of flex) if I think I might be walking around some. More often though I don't do much walking, and the Sidi's look much better when riding my Blackbird...


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## Bryan (Sep 19, 2004)

The MTB shoes would limit the selection of pedals you can use. From the MTB shoes I've ever seen, they pretty much only work with two bolt pattern cleats.....well at least the cheap'o AXO MTB shoes that I have are only two bolt pattern.


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## hrv (Dec 9, 2001)

I have Sidi Dominator MTB shoes and they seem to work fine with Speedplay Frog pedals. 
100+ miles rides, road races/crits/track/TT/mtb, works great. Then again, I've danced many, many times in my swim (surf) trunks, and I liked it!

Now to really be cool rock a pair of these: http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=11832901&parent_category_rn=4500790

I've ridden 90 mile rides in them in the summer and they are awesome! Not very stiff but stiff enough.


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## RodeRash (May 18, 2005)

Road bike shoes are lighter and stiffer. Besides the power transfer issue of the stiffer shoe, the lighter shoe means less "throw weight" on that flywheel you call cranks. That can mean some speed when you're trying to accelerate, and probably accounts for some energy saved by just plain not having to throw a heavier shoe around in a circle for miles and miles. 

(Put some ankle weights on and go out spinning on a road bike and see what the extra weight does to your rhythm.) 

They call them "road bikes" because they're meant to be rode.  

If you're going to go cruising and shopping, hang out at the park -- then get a cruiser bike, an MTB or whatever, and shoes for walking. (I have MTB shoes for the MTB, medium stiff, flat soles, no cleats they just fit nicely in the traps and I'm not "serious" about MTB.) 

But riding a road bike is sort of like rowing a scull -- It's not about "going someplace" but rather about the activity itself. You "suit up" and do it. Then when you're ready to do something else, you change out of the suit and move on. 

I can't walk in my road shoes. I take them off in the LBS and stash them under the bike -- which leans against the couch, next to the coffee table with Velo News etc. 

But then you know . . . some people ride with fenders. A chacqu'un son gout!


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

*it's not just stiffness that matters....*

I also wear Sidi Dominators like HRV and they are just as stiff as Sidi road shoes, however the cleat is recessed and THAT makes walking much easier. FWIW I use the Dominators w/ Crank Bros Candy pedals, and the combination works well for me...




omniviper said:


> I was at my local LBS shopping fore bike shoes when I asked the guy over there about his recommendations. He kind of, surprisingly, recommended that I buy mountian bike shoes instead of road shoes, reason being that you could walk on mt bike shoes rather than road shoes because their soles are too stiff.
> 
> I looked at both kinds and what he said is somewhat true. What is the advanatge then of going full road shoes then when mt bike shoes offer better performance from a practicality aspect


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## T-shirt (Aug 15, 2004)

*omniviper,

I like your picture. I don't know who those little guys are, but I like to watch them jump around.

I personally love mountainbike shoes. My first pair was the very first version of Shimano MTB shoes about 15-18 years ago and I have been a fan ever since. The walkability factor is why I love them. 

Until recently, for clipless pedals multisided entry was another advantage in the MTB market. Now though you can have that and be a roadie too.  

Have fun choosing,
Tshirt*


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## 633 (Feb 10, 2004)

Ride what you want. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what other people use, or what they think. But some of the replies above are simply uninformed. I have worn many different types of road shoes, but now have somewhere in the neighborhood of 8K road miles in MTB shoes and vastly prefer them.

*Stiffness*: Cheap MTB shoes are flexy, but so are cheap road shoes. Unless you spend $400 or more on a pair of carbon-soled road shoes, you won't get any that are stiffer than a pair of Sidi Dominators (around $180 on sale).

*Weight*: There are some really light road shoes out there, but there's generally not a significant difference in weight. I'm no expert on the "throw weight" concept that RodeRash is talking about, but that would have to be combined shoe/pedal weight, and I know until a couple of years ago, Lance rode some of the heaviest pedals around, so I'm not spending a whole lot of time worrying about it.

*Walking*: Everyone spends some time walking off the bike. And it's the unplanned walks that hurt the most. I really like having better walking ability with the shoes.

*Pedals*: MTB shoes definitely do limit your ability to use road pedals. You'll need to look at MTB pedals like Shimano SPDs or Crank Bros. The nice thing about MTB pedals is their dual-sided (or with Egg Beaters, 4-sided)entry. Not many road pedals have that. I ride Egg Beaters myself - they're lighter than just about any road pedal out there, and have very good float.

*SURPs/Group rides*: Yeah, some guys may look down on your sense of fashion for going with MTB shoes. And some guys may be a little cautious around you. I'm cautious of every new guy that shows up at our group rides, even the ones in full high-fashion roadie kit. But it doesn't take long to figure out whether someone's wheel is one you want to be on or not. 

Road pedals have a lot of downsides to them - most have single-sided clip in, making it harder to get in at a stoplight. I hear a lot of guys say its just a matter of practice - well, that's true, but I ride with a lot of guys who've been riding and racing for 20+ years, and there's still a lot of feeling around to get the pedal in the right place when they take off. Second, the cleats wear down faster when you do have to walk in them, because they're not recessed. If I didn't ride Eggs, I'd ride Speedplays, but all my buddies with Speedplay won't leave the house without carrying their cleat covers. Every time they stop, they're digging in their jerseys for the cleat covers. I'm already in the store refilling my bottles.

Us roadies spend a lot of time looking like fools anyway, with our lycra and our bright jerseys and our goofy tans. Two times we really look like fools are missing a clip-in on take-off and slewing around all over the place, and walking into a c-store and going for a slide on slick tile. MTB shoes help me eliminate both those situations, so I can find other new and innovative ways to look foolish.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Search threads for more, but since this new beginner's forum has started, makes sense to get one of these going... to me, it all comes down to "What pedals do you plan to run?"

I have a race / train road bike and a commuter bike; the commuter has shimano SPD pedals w/ SIDI dominators; I also have a flexy, 'almost regular shoe with cleat' type MTB shoe. The full road bike has Speedplays.

I love the Dominator / SPD setup for most commuting / errands / puttering around. When tried 'road shoes' with those pedals, they had no advantage over the dominators.

633 is quite right about speedplay cleat covers / etc. Walking across my apt building's brick courtyard in speedplays w/o covers is a big, dangerous no-no. The dominator setup has MASSIVE convenience factor; I'd almost rather walk barefoot than in road shoes w/ speedplay cleats,

For longer (50+ mile) rides, though, the 'road' pedals wider platform makes a big difference as far as my feet hurting (or not), and I feel like I have more control over them. Better on the knees, too.

Pedals are fairly cheap and easy to change. You'll be happy you have both, if that's how you end up, but starting on inexpensive MTB pedals and shoes isn't a bad idea. Overall, if you end up being a group ride / racing "roadie," you'll probably enjoy the full road type more...

Convenience rating :
MTB rubber-soled shoes / MTB pedals : *****
Dominators / MTB pedals : ****1/2
Speedplay / road shoes : *

Performance rating:
MTB rubber-soled shoes / MTB pedals : **
Dominators / MTB pedals : ***1/2
Speedplay / road shoes : *****


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## harvey (Feb 27, 2005)

*Both have their advantages*

As long as you're riding, the road shoes will have the advantages of weight and performance. It's when you're not riding that the MTB shoes will win, hands down. If you have to walk any distance (like if your bike breaks down or even if you're walking around the convenience store picking out snacks or drinks), you'll be much happier with the MTB shoes. 

Personally, I use MTB shoes but that probably comes from my 12 years of mountain biking. Unless I take up serious road racing, I have no intentions of getting any road shoes.


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

hrv said:


> Now to really be cool rock a pair of these: http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=11832901&parent_category_rn=4500790
> 
> I've ridden 90 mile rides in them in the summer and they are awesome! Not very stiff but stiff enough.


Charlie Wicker (I think that's his name) raced the entire Cross Crusade cyclocross series in a pair of those plus baggie pants. He's moving over to SS this next season.


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

RodeRash said:


> But then you know . . . some people ride with fenders. A chacqu'un son gout!


Dude, you ride in Astoria. If you don't have fenders, then you either a) get cold and miserable quick, or b) miss out on a lot of great outdoor riding. Shoot, if you don't have fenders with mud flaps, you are relegated to the back of any rainy day group ride in the Pac NW.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*Oh, no! You brought out the Fashion Police!*

Seems like a lot of _fashionista_ and Arrogant Roadie Pr!ck responses here for such a simple question.... The short answer is to wear what you damn please. Anybody who cares about your shoes, or even notices them, is paying way too much attention. I can't even remember the last time I looked at another cyclist's footgear.
FWIW, I ride about 4000 miles a summer, and virtually all of it is in MB shoes, mostly without cleats (still got toe clips and straps on my commuter, which goes ~100 miles a week). Occasionally I'll use road shoes on a long ride, but I did a century last weekend in $40 Diadora Jalapeno MB shoes from Nashbar. They're comfortable, I already have them, the soles are stiff enough and when I get off to hit the Porta Pottie, I don't walk like a duck. As far as I know, nobody laughed at me who wouldn't have laughed at me for some other reason anyway.


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## hrv (Dec 9, 2001)

*In the mud?*

Yuck! Cold feet! Also, they're not allowed in road/track racing. More of the 'anything goes' in 'cross?


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

*Something else to note*

In some of the midline shoes, if you take a look at the MTB shoes and the Roadie shoes the only difference is the tread and the mounting holes (sometimes not even that). If you are going to be riding with SPD or Candy's don't worry about wearing the roadie shoes if you don't want to. My wife has always ridden in MTB shoes. She doesn't want to risk slipping and falling, she's happy to be able to switch between bikes with only one pair of shoes, and she can care less what other people think. Me, I'm a bike snob and have a pair for each bike with different pedals. But, I would never, and can care less, about what other people wear when they ride. See the pic, other than more holes in the roadie shoes and lugs on the MTB they are pretty darn similar.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Weight and stiffness
This is not too much of an issue if you choose the right shoe. The Sidi Dominator is a very light shoe and it is very stiff. It is comparable to the best road shoes out there. Carbon soles are not available on mtb shoes. Carbon-soled shoes can be very, very stiff. They're good for sprinting but sometimes they can be too stiff and can just hurt your feet.

Cleat Design
This is where the big difference is. Advantage road bike. Road bike cleats are big and try to maximize the power transfer area. This translates to better pedaling efficiency and more comfortable feet through long rides. Also, road cleats seem to have less play - side to side and up-down

Walking
Advantage mountain bike shoes. Look, we all walk on road shoes, some more than others. Every time, I hobble around the garage as I bring my bike down and gather up my stuff. Garage floors are normally slippery. Road cleats suck for walking. Speedplay cleats are just an abomination for walking. I use road cleats and sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.

Fashionista
If you care, some folks will sneer at you for wearing mtb shoes on a road bike. This is unfortunate but that's how it is.

Pedal selection
Most road pedals are sleek and one-sided. They have better bearings for the most part and spin better. Eggbeater pedals are very interesting since they are sleek, light and are multi-sided for easier entry. They don't spin quite as well as most high end road pedals. They are however becoming increasingly popular in road bikes.

My recommendation, if you race or are extremely concerned with efficiency, road shoes. If you already have a nice pair of mtb shoes and a bunch of bikes with spds or eggbeaters, put the same pedal on your road bike. All others, you're on your own.

francois


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## don quixote (May 22, 2005)

i'm using the only look ROAD SPD pedals ever made. along with some crappy crappy house brand mtb shoes from supergo. (ascent azore) haha


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## lnin0 (Apr 8, 2002)

MTB shoes also support a variety of SPD pedals which come in a ton of variaties - most are double sided and you can also get some with regular cages. 

Im not sure what type of riding you plan on doing or how new you are to clipless but my wife runs SPDs and a Sidi MTB shoe even on her road bike simply because; 
-less change to slip and fall when standing on or off bike
-she feels more comfortable getting moving and in double sided pedals when at busy intersections
- feels a tad more comfy with a slightly more flex shoe 

On her mt bike and hybred she has caged spd pedals so that she can ride with or without putting shoes on - like when she just wants to take her cruiser up to the store. So ride what you like and if someone has a problem with it, well, from my experience, that person probably isn't worth hanging out with anyway.


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## shabbasuraj (May 14, 2005)

I use Lake MX160 (2004/mountain), and they are my fave shoe. They feel like real shoes, and are plenty stiff enough for me. The biggest selling point for me with these shoes are the 'real/wider/normal' sized rubber Vibram heel tread.

I find that every road shoe that I tried had me nearly spraining my ankle within just a few steps due to the abnormally narrow heel.


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## Emilio84 (Oct 5, 2004)

I have Shimano touring shoes (T092's) and Speedplay frogs on my R700. I opted for them because if and when I need to walk I want to be able to with ease. The shoes are very "
roadie" if you will and I love the frogs (small recessed cleat/easy in and out/lots of float). In the end its up to you though.


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