# Mountail bike shoes for road use?



## Drummerboy1975 (Mar 14, 2012)

Several riders at work suggest that I buy mountain bike shoes rather than road shoes. What are your thoughts?


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## johnlh (Sep 12, 2008)

SPD shoes and pedals work for me, as they are easy to walk in.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

Sure. No reason why not to.


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## Trower (Apr 28, 2009)

Mountain shoes are great, love to go bike to a trail and hike, just need one pair of shoes that way!


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## Matsushita (Mar 18, 2012)

Any recommendations of a reasonably priced and comfortable mountain bike shoe?


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## partyofone (Feb 8, 2012)

I wear Scott Trails with laces and Shimano 520 mountain pedals on mine. Works great for me.


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## Matsushita (Mar 18, 2012)

Thanks.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

I use Mtb shoes about 80% of the time with eggbeaters. My nicest ones are my Mavics










Fury - footwear - mountain bike - Mavic

My others are Garneau. Both have been good, including for long trips.

And if you are concerned about weight, then the Mavics combined with light eggies are a VERY light combo.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

IMO, unless you've got a specific reason to use a particular road pedal, mountain systems are great. (For disclosure, I ride with Speedplays. I find that the float is helpful for keeping my knees happy. But they're a pain in the ass to own.)

Get a racy shoe. They can be as stiff as road shoes, but the sole makes them a lot easier to walk around in. I don't think they're particularly good at retail prices under about $100. Since Sidi no longer offers a shoe for under $200, I no longer buy Sidi. I'm pretty happy with my Specialized mountain bike shoes, and when I wear out my old Sidi road shoes, I'll try on some Specialized shoes.


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## Joe_Bloe (Feb 8, 2012)

I'm primarily a mountain biker, but I have a couple of road bikes, and I'm putting more road time in with some friends. I love the fact that when we hop off our bikes at a bar or restaurant, my roadie buddies slip and slide, or have to stop to put on cleat covers, while I can walk right in. I wear Diadora Escape shoes, which happen to be on half-price sale at Performance right now in certain sizes, with Wellgo RC-715 pedals.


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## Drummerboy1975 (Mar 14, 2012)

Good advise everyone. Thanks


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## gregnash (Jun 30, 2011)

Been running Pearl Izumi X-Alps as my riding shoes with Shimano M530s on my 29er an M520s on my Kona. Works great, easy to walk in and swap easily from bike to bike without issue.


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

I don't take my road bike into the mountains, I don't take my mountain bike on the roads.
I don't wear my road bike shoes on my mountain bike. I don't wear my mountain bike shoes on my road bike.

Drives me nuts to see MTB shoes on a road ride. And I realized that... for example... the specialized comp road shoe and comp MTB shoe are essentially the same thing with the exception of the lugs on the bottom and the hole mounts.

I know, sounds silly.

No MTB helmets on the road either (road helmets are OK on a MTB during a race)


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## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

Makes absolutely no difference--there are a million threads on this...if you're bored you can understand the whole tiresome debate in about 10 minutes--unless of course you're worried about what a small but often vocal faction of the road cycling community will think and say about you.

As far as brand goes, I've tried lots and think that Specialized has some great offerings at many price points. Sidi's are wunnerful but don't offer as much in the lower end of the price rainbow.

Really cheap clipless shoes, on the other hand, have the potential to suck badly enough to ruin your riding.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

torch511 said:


> Drives me nuts to see MTB shoes on a road ride.


Why? 
.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

torch511 said:


> I don't take my road bike into the mountains,


The soul of road cycling is in the mountains.


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

tlg said:


> Why?
> .


Uh, yah why?

There is no issue with mountain shoes on the road.


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## tystevens (Jul 10, 2008)

Matsushita said:


> Any recommendations of a reasonably priced and comfortable mountain bike shoe?


I like the Shimano M077. According to the LBS, it is the same basic shoe as the road shoe w/ rubber lugs on the bottom and an SPD 2-hole vs. road 3-hole. I've worn them for century rides and so forth, work just fine.

One note, though, if you get shoes that are truly comfortable to walk in, they aren't gonna provide the benefits of cycling shoes, the most important being a fairly stiff sole to spread the pedaling stress. It isn't like good mtb shoes are the same as hiking shoes. While I 'can' walk a mile or two in my Shimanos (and unfortunately have a couple times due to breakdowns and lack of preparation), I certainly wouldn't wear them for a walk in the woods.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

Been riding that way for 18 years. I do a lot of tours, non-racing events, etc. etc. MTB shoes are great for walking around mini-marts, aid stops, restaurants, or anywhere else you might want to go on a long recreational ride. Shoe fit varies so much that it is hard to recommend something particular, but check out the sale table at about any LBS. It is not uncommon to see mt shoes sitting around at hefty discounts.


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## MonstaMatt (Mar 27, 2012)

i was debating on road or mountain shoes also, basically came down to this question. Do you see yourself walking around alot when your not cycling? for me that was an easy answer since i wear a camelbak mule which has a pocket big enough for my helmet but in this case enough room to fit my VIBRAM 5 FINGER SHOES!


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

I run mtb pedals/shoes on all my bikes when I switched to clipless pedals last year. I wanted to have just one shoe that I could use an all of them and I wanted something that I could walk in. I came from toe straps and cleats on bike shoes and with those walking on non-carpeted floors was treacherous. I have a set of Keen shoes with 3 velcro straps and they seem to work fine for me. Easy to put on and take off, fit well and I can walk around and not worry about the metal cleats scraping. I also wanted the extra traction of the mtb shoes since I often encounter sections of trail I need to hoof it. Like coming down to a trail underpass and finding it flooded or covered in deep mud and needing to scramble over the rocks on the side.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

i was running eggbeaters and a MTB shoe (sidi's), but was having issues with hot feet, instep pain, and knee pain. after switching to a different pedal (look keo's, then speedplays) and different shoes (cheapest Specialized road shoes), the issues went away. 

might've been the sidi's, or my bike setup, or my fitness or any number of things that may not be related to the eggbeaters, but if my current road shoe setup isn't broke, i'm not trying to fix it.


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## scorchedearth (Mar 22, 2012)

I have a pair of Keen Springwater MTB shoes that work pretty well. They are wide enough for my feet and fairly comfortable in and out of the saddle. They even allowed me to walk a mile or so after my rim blew out a month and a half ago.


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

AndrwSwitch said:


> The soul of road cycling is in the mountains.


I should have been a little more specific. I don't take my road bike OFF-ROAD

on your point, I would agree (love those mountains).

And I do not see what is wrong for not likeing mountain shoes on road bikes and vise versa based on their intended function and looks. We buy bicycles based on looks, we buy clothing based on looks... a lot of what we buy period is based on looks alone. So I do not understand why an opinion based on the astetics on seeing unneccesary lugs on the bottom of a shoe while road cycling is so wrong?


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## DEK (Feb 12, 2005)

torch511 said:


> ...seeing unneccesary lugs on the bottom of a shoe while road cycling is so wrong?


I think the "lugs" on the bottom of my MTB shoes are very necessary when I use them with my road bike. They're necessary to walk easier. I use Eggbeaters on my road bike and love them. And I really like being able to walk around without looking like a waddling duck because my cleats are protruding from the bottom of my feet. There's some asthetics for you.


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## Ibashii (Oct 23, 2002)

torch511 said:


> I should have been a little more specific. I don't take my road bike OFF-ROAD
> 
> on your point, I would agree (love those mountains).
> 
> And I do not see what is wrong for not likeing mountain shoes on road bikes and vise versa based on their intended function and looks. *We buy bicycles based on looks*, we buy clothing based on looks... a lot of what we buy period is based on looks alone. So I do not understand why an opinion based on the astetics on seeing unneccesary lugs on the bottom of a shoe while road cycling is so wrong?


Speak for yisself. I'd buy a puke-colored bike with barf-colored handlebars if the price were right. Same goes for all biking gear: performance that matches my needs at a price I'm OK with is all that matters.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

torch511 said:


> And I do not see what is wrong for not likeing mountain shoes on road bikes and vise versa based on their intended function and looks. We buy bicycles based on looks, we buy clothing based on looks... a lot of what we buy period is based on looks alone.


 It still makes no sense why the fashion or function of others "drives you nuts". Perhaps you wouldn't do it. Or you don't personally like it. But to drive you nuts? 



> So I do not understand why an opinion based on the astetics on seeing unneccesary lugs on the bottom of a shoe while road cycling is so wrong?


Your entire premise is flawed.
Lugs help you walk better. Thus it serves a purpose.
Having one pair of shoes for multiple bikes has a purpose.
Mountain shoes usually are more comfortable for the average rider (and those with wide feet)

So essentially what you're saying is you're entirely hung up on fashion over function. Which is your right. But lets call it what it is.


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## torch511 (Mar 4, 2012)

tlg said:


> Your entire premise is flawed. Lugs help you walk better


How does walking better help you ride a bike?

As I have stated in other threads, I am a graphic artist/designer. Aestetics is a way of life for me. And as the look of something influences our everyday lives more than we realized I argue that yes, looks, however vain can be a valid consideration.

Furthermore

The main objective to road shoes is to offer better performance CYCLING on the road. Walking to get a snickers bar in a Quick Stop has no bearing on cycling performance. In a given 100 mile unsupported ride I will typically stop 1-3 times at a store to refill water. As the total time on bike for me is about 5:30-6 hours, I might spend 5-10 minutes in a store.

At most a mere 1 1/2% of my time is spent in a store, therefore the performance upgrade the lugs on MTB shoes give you walking in a store plays a minimal role as a whole whereas the weight savings and (IMHO) better weight distribution using SPD-PL road shoes which comes into play the other 98 1/2% of the time IS a signifigant performance upgrade.

So I renew my basic premis, road shoes belong on the road, MTB shoes out on the trail.

PS - This is a forum where we share ideas. If we all shared the same idea, the conversation would get pretty boring really fast. So just because my opinion is not the popular one, does not make it any more (or less) valid and worthwhile.


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## config (Aug 16, 2002)

Fashion over function = bike snob.


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## mtnbikerfred (Jan 2, 2008)

Unless you're talking about a high-end, possibly carbon fiber soled MTB shoe, they are not going to be as light, stiff, or good at keeping your foot in place as a roadshoe/pedal combo.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

torch511 said:


> How does walking better help you ride a bike?


I don't know about you, but myself, and others tend to walk to and from their bike and sometimes other places in between.  Thus lugs serve a purpose and are not "unnecessary" as you claim. 



> Aestetics is a way of life for me. And as the look of something influences our everyday lives more than we realized I argue that yes, looks, however vain can be a valid consideration.


As I said... fashion over function.



> The main objective to road shoes is to offer better performance CYCLING on the road.


 Not everyone is in a race when they ride their bikes. If my "heavy" MTB shoes make me 30sec slower on my ride, I think I can live with that.



> Walking to get a snickers bar in a Quick Stop has no bearing on cycling performance. In a given 100 mile unsupported ride I will typically stop 1-3 times at a store to refill water. As the total time on bike for me is about 5:30-6 hours, I might spend 5-10 minutes in a store.


You might want to sit down for this... Hold on... you may just pass out....
Last weekend my friends and I went bar hopping on our bikes. We spent FAR more time walking/standing than riding.    Are you ok? Do you need help back in your chair?



> So I renew my basic premis, road shoes belong on the road, MTB shoes out on the trail.


Your premise is flawed because you assume EVERYONE must ride their bikes just like you.



> PS - This is a forum where we share ideas. If we all shared the same idea, the conversation would get pretty boring really fast. So just because my opinion is not the popular one, does not make it any more (or less) valid and worthwhile.


Your ideas are great....if I were racing I'd take them under advisement. 
I'm not implying your opinion is wrong. It is right.. for you. You're implying that everyone else is wrong... since they're not just like you.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I forget the model names, but for many years, my road and mountain shoes were just different-soled versions of the same model. It was a two-strap Sidi, so no carbon fiber and a bit over $100. Running shoes don't cost much less than that at retail, and you have to throw them out every few months to a year if you use them for their intended purpose...

My present mountain bike shoes are the Specialized BG Comp. Take a look at the Specialized BG Elite Road. See a difference? You pretty much need to flip the shoe over. And while it's not really a meaningful number across brands, they have the same "stiffness index." By design, my Comps are a little flexier in the toe than the equivalent road shoe, but I can't tell when I ride a bike in them.

I know I'm not going to convince someone who's already decided he needs to be in road shoes that he's being silly. But for me, the only reason to ride road shoes is that a particular pedal system that's compatible with road shoes seems to work better for my knees. Even if the lugged soles on a MTB shoe aren't contributing for most of a road ride, they do contribute to a more pleasant experience for small parts of it and they don't take anything away. For a MTB ride or a 'cross race, the utility of a MTB shoe is much, much higher. It would be nice to own only one pair of shoes for my bikes.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

while i do use a road shoe--minimizing the risk of taking a header on a slick linoleum floor in road shoes and subsequently injuring yourself as a result should be a part of the MTB lug convseration. as long as the nits are being picked here. 

there are times when the duck waddle becomes ice skating, and i feel absolutely lucky that I don't pull a muscle or take a tubmle.


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## Drummerboy1975 (Mar 14, 2012)

I'm buying some Nike MOUNTAIN bike shoes for my ROAD bike.


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## Drummerboy1975 (Mar 14, 2012)

Mountain bike shoes on roadbike pedals. Cool.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

To be fair, most road pedals, including most of Shimano's line, are a lot bigger, and require a much bigger cleat.

How do you like them?


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## Drummerboy1975 (Mar 14, 2012)

Very satisfied.


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## Longhair-NL (Mar 31, 2012)

My mountain bike came first, so I grew accustom to the shoe/pedal combination. 

Just recently (less than a month ago) I bought my first road bike and ended up putting the same pedals (Shimano PD-M540) on the thing so I didn't have to think about unclipping each time I switched bikes.

The best thing to do is this: See which shoes are easier to walk in for at least 10 minutes. 

Things break there will be a time where you have to walk with your bike. I found that out the hard way after walking for over 2 miles.


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## drodrigueznyc (Mar 30, 2012)

i also thought about this for awhile and finally committed to an MTB shoe w/SPD..., 

it was the perfect shoe combination...

i originally purchased the mavic mtb but my wife came across an all black one that looked much nicer and didn't have that power rangers look... it is also an mtb SPD compatible shoe... called "exustar" SM324... 

matches with everything i wear and it doesn't look funny or stand out... plus it is great quality and very comfortable... 

love this more than the more expensive mavics... 

wife is good for something :idea:


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## jowees (Apr 12, 2012)

I only use road bike shoes for my road bike. Gives more power and a firmer grip. 
But have to say I dont need a comfortable shoe to walk around with. I go riding to ride not walking ;-).


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## johnlh (Sep 12, 2008)

jowees said:


> I only use road bike shoes for my road bike. Gives more power and a firmer grip.
> But have to say I dont need a comfortable shoe to walk around with. I go riding to ride not walking ;-).


True, but walking down my front steps with road cleats is a hassle. Mountain shoes were an upgrade for me, because I replaced my cheap Shimano road shoes with a pair of stiffer Sidi mountain shoes.


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## SFTifoso (Aug 17, 2011)

Man I wish I could use MTB shoes on my road bike, for commuting purposes, but I need about 12mm of shims under my shorten right leg. It would make my commute so much easier, plus IMO MTB shoes look pretty cool. I have to struggle with Shimano's single sided entry, which I can never seem to get right. :mad2:


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