# Should I make the switch to road bike shoes from spd?



## sheepherder

Its time for new shoes and wondering if I should make the switch to road bike shoes for at least my dedicated road bike. I like having one type of shoe for all my bikes but it's time for a new pair of shoes and want to know if there are any benefits to switching.

During the summer my road bike will see 200km a week or so. I can't really say I've had any issues with my Shimano touring spd shoes. It's just time for a new pair.

If I go with spd again would Shimano xc7 or xc9 be adequate? What spd shoes are most like road shoes? I was also lookinh at the fizik x3 or x5

Thanks


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## Lombard

I use SPD shoes and pedals for all my bikes. IMHO, the only advantage to road shoes is that you can attract lots of attention with all the noise they make on a hard floor.


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## smokersteve

Lombard said:


> I use SPD shoes and pedals for all my bikes. IMHO, the only advantage to road shoes is that you can attract lots of attention with all the noise they make on a hard floor.


...and power transfer


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## Lombard

smokersteve said:


> ...and power transfer


And how much extra power do you think you can generate with road shoes vs. SPD shoes? Do you really think it makes much difference in the real world?


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## smokersteve

Lombard said:


> And how much extra power do you think you can generate with road shoes vs. SPD shoes? Do you really think it makes much difference in the real world?


Haven ridden both styles of pedals on road bikes I can tell quite a bit of difference. Accelerating from a stop is night and day difference. I'm not sure why...maybe because the road cleats have more contact with the soul of the shoe than the spd's. I do think it makes a big difference in the real world.
A friend of mine has been riding spd pedals on his road bikes for 20+ years. 6 months ago he needed new shoes and got Shimano road bike shoes/pedals. He says now he wishes he switched over years ago.


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## PoorInRichfield

I personally would like to see some data to back-up the claim that road shoes help transfer more power than MTB shoes. I'm not saying they don't, but I want proof.

I'm thinking about going the other direction... My 2 CX bikes and mountain bike have SPD pedals, so I'm considering just putting SPDs on my road bike as well. I've already ridden my CX bike on roads just as far as my road bike and I never felt as though my ride was somehow diminished because I was wearing mountain bike shoes.

What you do have to be aware of is the material the sole is made of. Lower end shoes, road and MTB, are likely to have more flexible soles because they'll likely be made of plastic or fiberglass and not carbon. I was at my local bike shop last night and tried on a pair of Bontrager Circuit road shoes ($125) that had a plastic sole. I could easily bend the sole with my hand. All of my existing shoes have carbon soles and whether road or MTB, I can't tell the difference.

The down-sides to MTB shoes is that they weigh more and might reduce pedal clearance in turns (might... depending on the tread design). However, you gain the ability to walk like a human and spend a little less time clipping in, provided you have double sided SPDs.


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## mik_git

smokersteve said:


> Haven ridden both styles of pedals on road bikes I can tell quite a bit of difference. Accelerating from a stop is night and day difference. I'm not sure why...maybe because the road cleats have more contact with the soul of the shoe than the spd's. I do think it makes a big difference in the real world.
> A friend of mine has been riding spd pedals on his road bikes for 20+ years. 6 months ago he needed new shoes and got Shimano road bike shoes/pedals. He says now he wishes he switched over years ago.


I have similar shoes, road and mtb (Sidi, Genius 6 road and eagle 6 and dragon 3 mtb). When my last bike came with Look pedals I thought I'd try road shoes. I got the genius as they were the road version of the eagle, same upper and similar sole (well similar as the mtb vs road version will be) and I love my eagles...I can't tell the difference, well except I can walk around in the mtb shoes. Not saying road shoes arn't better... but these feet, the difference isn't enough to know.


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## pmf

I went the other way almost 20 years ago. Went on a bike tour for part of my honeymoon in Tuscany with Andy Hampsten's tour group. . He emailed us before the tour (you brought your own bike) and suggested we consider mountain bike pedals and shoes. He said that's all he was using -- it made getting off the bike and walking around a lot easier. I grudgingly took his advice -- seemed like sacrilege -- and bought a pair of Time ATAC pedals and Shimano mountain bike shoes. It worked out pretty well and soon two of my three bikes had ATAC pedals. A few years went by and I realized I wasn't hardly riding the bike with road pedals. I commute a lot and they were just too much of a PITA to walk from the bike locker to my office. I currently have 4 road bikes, and they all have Time ATAC pedals. 

Shoes -- I'm on my second pair of Shimano mountain bike shoes. They are the ones that proceeded the XC9 model. Shimano shoes come in wide sizes that fit me very well. The carbon sole is extremely stiff. The XC9 has a carbon sole, the XC7 does not. For that reason alone, I'd get the XC9 -- and I probably will soon. Yeah, they're expensive, but over the long run, its fractions of a cent per mile difference. I never skimp on shoes -- they last a long time on the road. As far as mountain bike shoes go, the XC9 is pretty light. Yes, road shoes are lighter, but do you really notice a couple hundred grams? Rode in wearing my Lake 303 boots with Vibram soles yesterday and didn't notice the weight of them.


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## PoorInRichfield

Here's an almost completely unheard of Shimano Ultegra SPD pedal that I'm thinking of converting to on my road bike. I even looks a bit like my current Ultegra SPD-SL pedals and only weighs a fraction more...

Shimano Ultegra PD-ES600


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## Lombard

PoorInRichfield said:


> Here's an almost completely unheard of Shimano Ultegra SPD pedal that I'm thinking of converting to on my road bike. I even looks a bit like my current Ultegra SPD-SL pedals and only weighs a fraction more...
> 
> Shimano Ultegra PD-ES600


These Shimano SPD M530 pedals are the same thing for about half the cost. They weigh a few grams more and don't say Ultegra though:

https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-1493...ano+pdm530&dpPl=1&dpID=41v5v7OJbjL&ref=plSrch


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## PoorInRichfield

Lombard said:


> These Shimano SPD M530 pedals are the same thing for about half the cost.


The weight-weenie in me won't let me buy those...
279 grams vs 455 grams


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## Lombard

PoorInRichfield said:


> The weight-weenie in me won't let me buy those...
> 279 grams vs 455 grams


That's a 176g differerence. Losing a few pounds off the engine is free. :idea:


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## PBL450

I can’t imagine a performance difference at all, I’d even add the same for flats. The only real advantage to clipping in is saving your shins. And that really does matter, I ride MTB on flats and I get drilled once in a while... it sucks. But I ride snow, last weekend I rode ice. I needed the quick access of flats more than a few times...


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## PBL450

Lombard said:


> I use SPD shoes and pedals for all my bikes. IMHO, the only advantage to road shoes is that you can attract lots of attention with all the noise they make on a hard floor.


And, the road shoe is simply more fashionable in cycling couture. In a sport concerned with looking good, that has some value... haha.


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## PoorInRichfield

PBL450 said:


> And, the road shoe is simply more fashionable in cycling couture. In a sport concerned with looking good, that has some value... haha.


I don't know what you're talking about


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## Jay Strongbow

Depends on your riding style. I definitely like road shoes for road riding. The float has a 'hard stop' on the edges so I feel more secure during a full on sprint. I have MTN bike set up on my CX bike are softer where the float ends and I don't like that feel when sprinting. Which is pretty much n/a on my gravel bike.
It's a feel thing.


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## Steve B.

smokersteve said:


> ...and power transfer


Really ?. 

Curious if any mt. bike racing professionals use road pedals ?, or some form of dual sided mt. bike pedal ?. Granted they sometimes race on the gear they are given and provided for by the sponsors, but if the SPD style pedal and shoe combo was less able to provide for the power transfer they require, you would think they would ride on whatever was more efficient.


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## Steve B.

pmf said:


> The XC9 has a carbon sole, the XC7 does not.


The XC7 has a carbon mid-sole. It works very well. I switched from my M087 shoes to XC7's to help alleviate hot foot on the outer toe nerve. It was all I needed to get my road mileage back up above 25.

The wide XC7 is not quite as wide as the older M087's I had used, but they break in and felt more comfortable after a few weeks. 

@the OP, I'd stick with SPD and if needed get a carbon soled or mid soled shoe for some add'l stiffness. Shoes, saddles and shorts are worth spending money on.


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## sheepherder

pmf said:


> I went the other way almost 20 years ago. Went on a bike tour for part of my honeymoon in Tuscany with Andy Hampsten's tour group. . He emailed us before the tour (you brought your own bike) and suggested we consider mountain bike pedals and shoes. He said that's all he was using -- it made getting off the bike and walking around a lot easier. I grudgingly took his advice -- seemed like sacrilege -- and bought a pair of Time ATAC pedals and Shimano mountain bike shoes. It worked out pretty well and soon two of my three bikes had ATAC pedals. A few years went by and I realized I wasn't hardly riding the bike with road pedals. I commute a lot and they were just too much of a PITA to walk from the bike locker to my office. I currently have 4 road bikes, and they all have Time ATAC pedals.
> 
> Shoes -- I'm on my second pair of Shimano mountain bike shoes. They are the ones that proceeded the XC9 model. Shimano shoes come in wide sizes that fit me very well. The carbon sole is extremely stiff. The XC9 has a carbon sole, the XC7 does not. For that reason alone, I'd get the XC9 -- and I probably will soon. Yeah, they're expensive, but over the long run, its fractions of a cent per mile difference. I never skimp on shoes -- they last a long time on the road. As far as mountain bike shoes go, the XC9 is pretty light. Yes, road shoes are lighter, but do you really notice a couple hundred grams? Rode in wearing my Lake 303 boots with Vibram soles yesterday and didn't notice the weight of them.


I'm leaning towards the xc901 but I think the xc.701 are also fairly stiff. It's just Ive read a few reviews that the 901 are more comfortable.


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## Lombard

Looks like the XC701 and XC7 are the same.

Looks like the XC901 and XC9 are the same.

Come to think of it, I don't see much difference between any of these other than around $150.


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## PoorInRichfield

Lombard said:


> Come to think of it, I don't see much difference between any of these other than around $150.


In my quest to find shoes that actually fit, what I'm finding are a lot of shoe manufacturers have $400 top-of-the-line shoes, but what I'm not finding is a good reason to spend that much. As stated, several companies have mid-range shoes that seem to offer almost all the benefits of the high-end shoes but at a lower cost.

I'm of the opinion that shoe companies are getting people to pay $400 by using mostly marketing hype to justify the price... and for some reason people are paying it. Here's an example...


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## Lombard

PoorInRichfield said:


> In my quest to find shoes that actually fit, what I'm finding are a lot of shoe manufacturers have $400 top-of-the-line shoes, but what I'm not finding is a good reason to spend that much. As stated, several companies have mid-range shoes that seem to offer almost all the benefits of the high-end shoes but at a lower cost.
> 
> I'm of the opinion that shoe companies are getting people to pay $400 by using mostly marketing hype to justify the price... and for some reason people are paying it.


This is what I suspected. I have never paid more than $140 for summer bike shoes. Winter bike boots are a different story.

I am guessing the carbon mid-sole is what jacks the price up, but from what I can see, both the $250 pairs and the $400 pairs have the same carbon mid-soles.

Maybe the $400 shoes are for the same poseurs who ride Cervelos.


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## pmf

PoorInRichfield said:


> In my quest to find shoes that actually fit, what I'm finding are a lot of shoe manufacturers have $400 top-of-the-line shoes, but what I'm not finding is a good reason to spend that much. As stated, several companies have mid-range shoes that seem to offer almost all the benefits of the high-end shoes but at a lower cost.
> 
> I'm of the opinion that shoe companies are getting people to pay $400 by using mostly marketing hype to justify the price... and for some reason people are paying it. Here's an example...


That's true for almost anything in cycling. Top of the line, and mid level pedals often only differ by a titanium spindle that saves 35 grams, but somehow makes the pedal cost 50% more. But there are people out there who have to have the newest top of the line whatever as soon as it comes out. Six months later, you can find it on sale somewhere. Who spends $250 on a pair of Asshoes shorts? Someone must. Maybe they are super comfortable -- I'll never know. For me, shoes are the exception. I wouldn't buy them right when they're released for $400. I wait until the gotta have it crowd has been milked and the price drops to $300. Shoes differ from other apparel in that you wear them every time you ride and they last a very long time. So paying a little more amounts to fractions of a cent per mile over time. Everything in cycling is subject to declining marginal benefits. Is a $400 shoe twice as comfortable as a $200 shoe? Of course not, but it probably is marginally more comfortable. The question is what is that margin worth to you? 

I'll never forget the summer I spent wearing a pair of Sidi Genius 2 that I got a great deal on. They were too narrow. I took the damn things off every time I stopped. After a couple months, I concluded a good deal isn't a good deal if the don't fit well.


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## PBL450

pmf said:


> That's true for almost anything in cycling. Top of the line, and mid level pedals often only differ by a titanium spindle that saves 35 grams, but somehow makes the pedal cost 50% more. But there are people out there who have to have the newest top of the line whatever as soon as it comes out. Six months later, you can find it on sale somewhere. Who spends $250 on a pair of Asshoes shorts? Someone must. Maybe they are super comfortable -- I'll never know. For me, shoes are the exception. I wouldn't buy them right when they're released for $400. I wait until the gotta have it crowd has been milked and the price drops to $300. Shoes differ from other apparel in that you wear them every time you ride and they last a very long time. So paying a little more amounts to fractions of a cent per mile over time. Everything in cycling is subject to declining marginal benefits. Is a $400 shoe twice as comfortable as a $200 shoe? Of course not, but it probably is marginally more comfortable. The question is what is that margin worth to you?
> 
> I'll never forget the summer I spent wearing a pair of Sidi Genius 2 that I got a great deal on. They were too narrow. I took the damn things off every time I stopped. After a couple months, I concluded a good deal isn't a good deal if the don't fit well.


Agree, but I’d go further than shoes, if someone finds a bib that works much better for them and it’s top of the line... I think that comfort is worth the investment, I mean you wear a bib every time you ride too... I hope. Even if you rotate a few, having a bib that can allow you to add miles with less discomfort is important. Expensive shoes for cycling doesn’t really seem necessar unless there are unique podiatric problems or irregularities. But lots of people have unique feet. I do. Not an issue on the bike but forced a custom built speed skate shoe. Hand made from a mold I made with my podiatric surgeon who happens to be a sports oriented doc. A little over $700 for shoes. They are perfect. Literally perfect. They have 1/2mm of padding in a solid carbon fiber shoe. Cycling isn’t very demanding in terms of shoes, you can get the same results with sneakers and wide pinned flats. My magnesium mtb flats barely outweigh my Look Keo Blades. (I do get my shins jammed more often than I’d like to admit though) There are cyclists that can ride any saddle or who tolerate any fit. Then there’s the rest of us. If it helps you get on the bike and coaxes you further and harder? It’s worth whatever you can afford.


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## FitBoy

In addition, the road pedal system is disadvantaged - the shoes are more difficult to walk in and out of, particularly on the off road, and can make your pads wear pricey, depending on which pedal brand you run, and they are harder to clip into. Using SPDs and a shoe with a steep sole or a trail pedal as recommended before, and you are great if you're at a high stage. On my main road bike, I have a road clipless and it's just a little dangerous, for example. When I get to finish a trip, I have to change shoes in my car, because the track is steep where I live.


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## rudge66

SPD-L Pedal Ultegra with Blue cleat.
Huge difference on road performance.
Oh. ... btw I ride them , not walk around town with a latte in one hand looking at my phone.


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## lhartle1

rudge66 said:


> SPD-L Pedal Ultegra with Blue cleat.
> Huge difference on road performance.
> Oh. ... btw I ride them , not walk around town with a latte in one hand looking at my phone.


Totally agree , I am going for a ride not a stroll . Road shoes for road riding.


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## Lombard

I, as many other riders do, ride SPD mountain shoes and pedals on my road bikes. More float is better for the knees. Cleats are metal, not plastic, so they last way longer. I'm not racing, so I don't need the tiny bit of extra speed I might get from road shoes and pedals.


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## Mapei

I use some pretty excellent Shimano mountain shoes & pedals on my mountain bike but my road bike Specialized S Works road shoes and Mavic pedals still trump them for overall comfort, power & pedaling ease. The road shoes, of course, are a hell of a lot tougher to walk in but when I'm riding my road bike, getting off the bicycle and taking any stroll longer than the distance from the sidewalk to a Starbucks rest room simply never occurs to me. Float with the road combo is far superior, as well.


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## smokersteve

I've never had any trouble walking with shimano road cleats. It's really not that difficult


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## rudge66

Some of our members give geriatric advice.... Constantly.


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## Lombard

rudge66 said:


> Some of our members give geriatric advice.... Constantly.


Please stop this nonsense talk, rudge66.


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## rudge66

Lombard said:


> Please stop this nonsense talk, rudge66.


It's not nonsense ... its SPD-L Road Shoes, and Cleats.
And you know nothing about their purpose, or actual performance advantage.
...so... _You_ please stop. 
Why try and talk someone out of SPD-L Road Road Shoes?
That's nonsense. Not every rider is geriatric, and limited in their development as you.
Road Shoes and Cleat are a noticeable edge in performance .


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## Lombard

rudge66 said:


> It's not nonsense ... its SPD-L Road Shoes, and Cleats.
> And you know nothing about their purpose, or actual performance advantage.
> ...so... _You_ please stop.
> Why try and talk someone out of SPD-L Road Road Shoes?
> That's nonsense. Not every rider is geriatric, and limited in their development as you.
> Road Shoes and Cleat are a noticeable edge in performance .


Why are you trolling again? You are assuming everybody rides like you do. Not everyone is you.


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