# Best mountain-type shoe for road biking?



## wgscott

I used 3-bolt cleats when they first came out, and then switched to 2-bolt SPDs when they first appeared. (I naively thought these were just different type of road bike cleat that was also popular with mountain bikers.) I stayed because I like to have shoes that I can walk in.

I recently bought Shimano M088 shoes (size 47), which are essentially the mountain bike version of one of their popular ~ $100 road shoes, and have used them for about a year. I've upgraded the insoles, but I still find them slightly uncomfortable on longer, harder rides, as my feet begin to hurt a bit. Nothing extreme, but I sort of feel it on the distal sides of the ball of the foot. I'm using XTR trail pedals at the moment, which have a bit of a platform on the sides, and it seems to help, but not completely. I am wondering if I am just being limited by the shoe. 

Is there a better mountain shoe for road biking? Am I being an idiot for not using real road bike shoes?


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## redcon1

Shoes are such an individual preference it's hard to get a recommendation from the internet. 

I finally settled on Sidi Mega series shoes as fitting my semi-wide feet the best, but only after trial and error with several other brands. So once I decided that based on my Sidi Genius 5 road shoes I bought an equivalent Sidi mountain shoe, the Dominator. 

Every now and again I'll throw the mountain pedals on the road bike if I know a long stop with walking is in the cards. The stiffness of the mountain shoes is exactly the same, but on my small factor Mountain pedals (SPD M525) the shoe/pedal interface is noticeably less stiff even with no-float SPD cleats.


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## looigi

Individual fit is pretty much everything and is something only you can determine. Just about any decent brand-name cycling shoe will be adequately stiff, and other features like fastening systems etc mean little if the shoe doesn't fit well. For me, the shoe needs to be adequately wide in the forefoot area otherwise I can get hot spots or numbness. I am also somewhat sensitive the shape of the foot bed and prefer flatter and less contoured foot beds.


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## HEMIjer

I am more a mountain biker than road biker and do often ride my cx bike on long road mixed surface rides and during the winter use mountain bike pedals

Bottom line is mountain bike shoes need really stiff preferably carbon soles if you are going to use them hours on end on the road bike due to the small cleat.

Giro shoes have been my goto the last couple years and I can use my giro codes (older ones with the EC90 sole) on my road bike very comfortably and do so for Roubaix type rides and races.

I have Shimano, Pearl Izumi, Sidi, and Giro shoes now, I have owned Mavic, Fizik, and Louis Gearnu (I wont admit to Nike). My Giro codes are really the only ones I am comfortable on for more than 4 hours on the road bike.


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## bikerector

HEMIjer said:


> I am more a mountain biker than road biker and do often ride my cx bike on long road mixed surface rides and during the winter use mountain bike pedals
> 
> Bottom line is mountain bike shoes need really stiff preferably carbon soles if you are going to use them hours on end on the road bike due to the small cleat.


My sentiments as well. I tried the softer shoes before since they were easier for walking around and great for commuting but if I wanted to do a training ride straight from work it was heck on my feet. I was using eggbeater pedals which have less of a platform but mtb pedals in general don't have nearly the platform road pedals do so you kind of create the platform with the shoe with a harder sole. Carbon soles seem to work best for me but many of the hybrid (carbon with other plastics) ones work well too. I've not found a nylon or fiberglass sole that worked well for long miles on mtb pedals. Seems by the 2 hour mark the more flexible shoe would create hotspots on the bottom of my feet.


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## mik_git

redcon1 said:


> Shoes are such an individual preference it's hard to get a recommendation from the internet.
> 
> I finally settled on Sidi Mega series shoes as fitting my semi-wide feet the best, but only after trial and error with several other brands. So once I decided that based on my Sidi Genius 5 road shoes I bought an equivalent Sidi mountain shoe, the Dominator.
> 
> Every now and again I'll throw the mountain pedals on the road bike if I know a long stop with walking is in the cards. The stiffness of the mountain shoes is exactly the same, but on my small factor Mountain pedals (SPD M525) the shoe/pedal interface is noticeably less stiff even with no-float SPD cleats.


This, I have been using Sidi eagle 6's for years as mtb shoes, and when I got a road bike, they did me well for that too, so much i decided to buy the road version of that shoe, the genius 6, when I switched to road pedals. They are pretty much the same, comfort and stiffness, just can walk (more) easily in the eagles, still pretty stiff and awkward though.


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## junior1210

The Giro Republics are still my recommendation for any kind of riding except for cold or wet. The soles are plenty stiff IMO, and the uppers will conform to your foot like real shoes do. Since they use laces you need to think ahead then you tie them (not too tight for the foot swelling later), but otherwise I think they're awesome. Oh yeah, they look good too.


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## jovian

I also use mtb shoes on my road with spd clips. 

Like any shoe everyone foot is different and what may be comfortable to one person would not for another. Go to your shop and try some on, I ended up going to REI for mine. I went in wanting shimano and walked out with giro. They were just more comfortable for me. Unless you are buying shoes you already own you really need to try before you buy.


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## tka

HEMIjer said:


> Bottom line is mountain bike shoes need really stiff preferably carbon soles if you are going to use them hours on end on the road bike due to the small cleat.


:thumbsup:

One small difference between a mtb and road shoe is that most mtb shoe will flex a little right under the toes. This helps with grip when walking/climbing/traversing obstacles. On mtb shoes with extremely stiff soles this is noticeable and some will find it annoying. 

My shoe of choice for all my riding are the Specialized Pro CX. Since most of my rides are 3 hours or less these work fine for me. If I was taking longer rides I would consider getting road shoes and pedals again, but I find 3 hours in the saddle is my limit. And these shoes with Time ATAC pedals are plenty comfortable for that length ride.


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## twinkles

You might be trying to claw with your toes because the sole isn't stiff enough. I've got an old pair of shimano's without cf soles, and they make me feel like I'm clawing at the pedals, compared to my shimano shoes with carbon fiber soles. It might also be the insole, or the general shape of the shoe. It could be a # of things causing your problems, but no matter what you get, go with carbon fiber soles.

Describing the shape of your foot will probably get more input as to what brand shoes will fit you best.


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## wgscott

They are kind of foot-shaped. WTF?

My surgeon who put lots of metal things in my ankle said I have "flat, flexible feet" in a tone that indicated he regarded this to be some sort of degenerate life-style choice like chain smoking or heavy-drinking.


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## tednugent

the cleat itself concentrates the pressure over a smaller area, especially over the ball of your feet.

It's just one of those "nature of the beast" type of things on a SPD cleat & shoe.


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## twinkles

wgscott said:


> They are kind of foot-shaped. WTF?


Foot shape, like width of forefoot & heel, and height, or lack there of, of arches, that's TF. I'm assuming they're not cloven, but I'm of such an age that I've leaned to be very careful with my assumptions. Your doc' spoke of flat feet in such a manner as flat feet are usually seen as an athletic deficit, except in swimming.


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## wgscott

Sadly, I really suck at swimming. Even more than I do at biking.

Size 47 ± pretty much no arches. Narrow heal, wide forefoot, big toe most prominent, usually I take a regular or single wide size US12 ± 0.5.


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## wgscott

HEMIjer said:


> Bottom line is mountain bike shoes need really stiff preferably carbon soles if you are going to use them hours on end on the road bike due to the small cleat.
> 
> Giro shoes have been my goto the last couple years and I can use my giro codes (older ones with the EC90 sole) on my road bike very comfortably and do so for Roubaix type rides and races.


I've ordered the ones you sent me the link to (after they confirmed our speculation about sizing). They should arrive late next week. For that price, I figure it is worth the risk.


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