# New to Road shoes



## stogies4life (Apr 25, 2012)

Buying a new bike and have never had road shoes (have spd's) before and I'm looking for some recommendations for shoes in the 150-200 usd. I plan on using 105 pedals saving a cpl bucks on them and put the money into a better pair of shoes. 


tia


----------



## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

Buy something that feels great on YOUR foot. For me, it's Sidi. You can often find these on sale in your price range. 
I also had a pair of Shimano shoes that felt great but alas they didn't have a standard 3 bolt cleat pattern and soon became obsolete.


----------



## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

As MerlinAma says, buy the ones that are most comfortable. Let your feet do the deciding. For one, the shape of the foot bed is crucially important. You're going to put a lot of pressure onto that bed. Try on different sizes, too. Who knows which one will give you the best fit? As for me, I've found S-Works shoes as close to nirvana as any. It doesn't hurt that I've come to love boa bindings.


----------



## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

Every company uses a little different last to build their shoes, so don't try to order them by mail until you know what company's last will work best for you. Like MerlinAma, it is Sidi for me and I know a 44.5 or 45 will fit me just fine with my Dr. Scholls Gel Inserts.....I wear a C width shoe and even a Sidi is too big if I don't use the insert to take up space. 

Go to a store with as broad a selection as you can find. That may be hard to do as cycling shoes are not cheap and tend to last a long time, so not many LBS will carry multiple brands. Take a pair of your cycling socks to wear when on the shoes too.


----------



## TricrossRich (Mar 26, 2014)

I would agree with those above that its really hard to recommend shoes to someone because fit is so personal, much in the same way recommending a saddle is and to do.

In terms of shoes that fit your price range that are good... The new Shimano C7 shoes look great. They're one step down from their top of the line and I think they look cool. 

https://www.competitivecyclist.com/...ncyBSb2FkIEJpa2UgU2hvZXM6MTo0OmNjQ2F0MTAwMDI1

I think the original Fizik R1's look great too and people have said they're very comfortable. You might be able to find them on sale, in your price range.

https://www.amazon.com/Fizik-Mens-C...873&sr=8-1&keywords=fizik+r1+shoes&th=1&psc=1


I've got a few friends in Giro shoes and they've all had good things to say as well.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

TricrossRich said:


> I think the original Fizik R1's look great too and people have said they're very comfortable. You might be able to find them on sale, in your price range.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Fizik-Mens-C...873&sr=8-1&keywords=fizik+r1+shoes&th=1&psc=1


Just a note: Those are not the original R1s from Fizik. Those are the second generation. Everything is different really besides the straps. The last is different, the sole is different, the upper is different, the construction method is different, and most importantly both the fit and the feel are different.

I find the ones that you linked to be trash personally. I think the original R1s were far nicer than these second generation ones in every single respect. I also think the new third generation R1Bs are nicer in every respect and would strongly advise against this second generation if you have any luck with the first or third. And the same if you like this second generation than the first and third are probably not for you.


----------



## stogies4life (Apr 25, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the replies. I finally found a LBS near me (30 mins) that I like but their website is kinda limited as to what they show. So the brand recommendations are helpful as I can't remember what they had  

Shoes and bibs are two items I would never buy online


----------



## TricrossRich (Mar 26, 2014)

MMsRepBike said:


> Just a note: Those are not the original R1s from Fizik. Those are the second generation. Everything is different really besides the straps. The last is different, the sole is different, the upper is different, the construction method is different, and most importantly both the fit and the feel are different.
> 
> I find the ones that you linked to be trash personally. I think the original R1s were far nicer than these second generation ones in every single respect. I also think the new third generation R1Bs are nicer in every respect and would strongly advise against this second generation if you have any luck with the first or third. And the same if you like this second generation than the first and third are probably not for you.


After reading your comment, I thought to myself, "Oh yes, they did do 2 generations before this latest Boa model. I dug around on the internet and look what I found.

Road Bike Action | Lunch Ride Review: Fizik R1 Shoes

My buddy has the gen. 2 model and he likes them. I haven't ever tried them on though, I'm an S-Works guy.


----------



## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Nothing wrong with rollin' your spds until you find the shoes you like. I went Time ATACS for a while, then tried road pedals/shoes with Shimano. Hated it. 

I went back to ATACs for a while then tried speedplay and Spec shoes. It was ok, but not the greatest. 

I went back to ATACs again when my fav Spec shoes changed. 

I jumped into Look Keos with Giro HV shoes. I'm happy.


----------

