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As the title suggests, Stomp Lox have made some shoes with a wider toe box that are actually foot-shaped rather than every other manufacturer out there who only make shoes that have very little in common with actual feet.
As a long time advocate of wider toe boxes and anatomically shaped shoes I’m looking forward to trying a pair once I can afford some.
Stomp
Just a shame they look so hideous.
🤢🤮🙈
@Robz - I’ve come to the conclusion that pretty much every bike-specific shoe looks stupid and at least these ones will stop trying to giving me bunions and destroying my feet.
Also available in black (which I’d prefer)
When you say foot shaped, you mean your foot shaped.
Yep, those are gopping...
Now someone needs to make one that doesn't look fugly.
Was expecting something like this…
Is disappoint.
one of the best things about growing old is not giving a flying **** how you look and just caaring about your comfort.
so i will be buying a pair of those once available over here.
So will I who cares what they look like if they are comfy. I have often spent a few happy hours with a steamer and broom handle heelping uncomfoirtable shoes to fit.
When you say foot shaped, you mean your foot shaped.
He means shoes shaped like the natural human foot, that is what everyone's foot should be shaped like with minor variations, rather than feet that have been shaped by a lifetime of wearing fashion shaped shoes. It is really weird that people practice a daily foot binding ritual because they think it is the societal norm. As I stated in the "comfy shoes" thread, some peoples feet have Stockholm syndrome from being held captive by fashion for so long.
@DC1988 - no, I mean the natural foot shape where the widest part tends to be at the front from the ball to the toes. I cannot think of many humans that were born with pointy feet, that’s something we’ve come to accept through years of wearing shoes that taper to a point.
And yes I agree they are quite fugly, but no more so than a pair of 5Ten Impacts, winter waterproof boots or carbon disco slippers that bear no relation to the actual human foot.
And let’s be honest 99 of bike specific clothes look fairly stupid.
I always find it funny that people are happy to state that form is less important than function unless it involves their shoes. Lol
At least there are some people out there who value their foot health over fashion.
Dunno where you all get your shoes, this is a new phenomenon to me,
He means shoes shaped like the natural human foot, that is what everyone’s foot should be shaped like with minor variations, rather than feet that have been shaped by a lifetime of wearing fashion shaped shoes.
Well, my feet are incredibly narrow and flat, and not through years of wearing stilettos. They wallow around in most normal shoes without at least one, sometimes two, insoles. I'd probably get both of them in one of these shoes.
There are plenty decent looking cycling shoes for both flats and spds. I am still very much of an age where I care what my footwear looks like, and also lucky that by some miracle I seem to be able to function with regular shoes (like virtually everyone else in the world including most elite athletes).
Foot shaped? This is what feet look like (1.2mn of them)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-55432-z
I’m median length and 5th percentile width. The narrowest Fizik shoes with laces are ok. Shimano don’t close enough to fit properly!
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for everyday use for years now and I'm a big advocate for them. However, when it comes to cycling, I'm looking for something slightly different compared to walking.
For me cycling shoes should be closer to climbing shoes than walking shoes. I don't mind if my toes get slightly squeezed, what I want is there to be little to no movement between my foot and the shoe.
Typically the shoes I use for cycling are at least one size smaller than my everyday shoes. Trying to walk for any distance in my cycling shoes results in days of pain in my toes. They are completely comfortable for cycling though.
Like I said, huge fan of big toe box barefoot shoes but unless I'm going to be spending most of my time walking in them I'm not sure if I see the point.
Foot shaped? This is what feet look like (1.2mn of them)
Coming here spouting actual scientific research and its output, pah, I'll take "these are for real feet man" pseudo science over that any day of the week 😉
FWIW @MSP I don't cram my feet into shoes to fit with whatever suits the current trends as I know what feels comfortable, yet I can still wear fashionable shoes and buy from bike brands for cycling shoes that fit me properly. Also as a gentleman of nigh on 46 years with never having experienced a shoe fit based foot or ankle problem in my life I'm good.
Coming here spouting actual scientific research and its output, pah, I’ll take “these are for real feet man” pseudo science over that any day of the week 😉
FWIW @MSP I don’t cram my feet into shoes to fit with whatever suits the current trends as I know what feels comfortable, yet I can still wear fashionable shoes and buy from bike brands for cycling shoes that fit me properly. Also as a gentleman of nigh on 46 years with never having experienced a shoe fit based foot or ankle problem in my life I’m good.
Any part of your body can be molded into an unnatural shape given enough time. Your feet have been getting crammed into the wrong shaped shoe since you were old enough to wear shoes.
Same as those 1.2m people whose feet were studied.
They don't look like wet weather/snowy condition shoes to me. Basically useless in the UK given how wet it is. I'll stick with my MW7's
Lake make cycling shoes with different width options, I need some new spd xc shoes and I'm going to give a pair of the wider width models a go
I’d wear them.
I’d wager my feet aren’t foot shaped anymore.
Current footwear looks like this…
Any riding shoes would be fine, TBF.
I don't ride SPD very often but I'm almost tempted to buy these just to support the idea of something more naturally shaped in the world of cycling.
Some aspects of barefoot style shoes are useful in cycling, some are not. There's no need for a flexible sole, quite the opposite. Heel drop is irrelevant on a pedal. However, I'd like to see zero toe spring in cycling shoes and a bigger toe box.
I agree that a foot needs to be close fitting in a cycling shoe, I don't believe the toes need to be included in that.
There’s no need for a flexible sole, quite the opposite.
I actually disagree with that (for flat pedals, not for SPDs obviously).
I think if you've got a large enough platform on the flat pedal a thin soled flexible shoe is best. That's more my own preference though. I like to have as little movement and cushioning as possible between my foot and the bike.
Guess no-one's tried Specialized Clip/Cliplite/2F0s etc then. Cos they fit wide feet fine and look like erm, well not the bastard son of a climbing boot, walking boot and grandad slipper like those bizarre Stomp things.
AND they're not TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY bloody quid either!! That is mental
I don’t mind the look of them tbh.
and I have three pairs of Specialized 2FO and they are the best I can find but they’re not quite wide enough really
I mean, they're not disgusting but they remind me of some Camper casual shoes I had in the noughties.
Strange how people get so heated about shoes, insisting their chosen fad is the one true way.
Do you think bike shoe makers are deliberately choosing to make products which won't fit their customers?
1st para of abstract in that paper:
For decades, footwear brands have developed products using outdated methods and measurements, working with limited insight into the foot shapes and dimensions of their target customers.
Also mentions at least 3 width options required to cover 90% off shoe wearers in a group.
Personally I think they look okay.
Agree that overly stiff soles on flat pedal shoes are terrible - you need to feel the pedal.
I like room in the toe box of both cycling and walking shoes, dislike squished toes. Toe box isn't the part of the shoe that should keep your feet from moving around inside the shoe IMO.
I don't mind narrower toes on cycling shoes because I can see how they would get in the way a bit less, but whatever - a choice in fit is great.
But soft suede? Really? And no straps, just normal laces? That doesn't sound particularly effective for SPD pedalling. Last pair I had with just laces were pretty wobbly when pedalling circles.
Toe box isn’t the part of the shoe that should keep your feet from moving around inside the shoe IMO.
Yeah, that's probably true. It's just the side effect of using a shoe that is a size too small. Everything is squished but it's just more noticeable on the toes.
If I ever find a shoe that doesn't allow my foot to move about and has space in the toe box I'll probably use that.
Good news, apart from the inevitable wild pricing.
Grown adults knocking around on bikes look dorky, especially tubby ones like me.
Having comfy shoes on makes not a jot of difference, so may as well choose whatever fits.
from the comments was expecting it to be subjective as is usually the case, or a bit marmite, but no, they're just utterly fugly 😂Just a shame they look so hideous.
BONT???
I've been using them for years, both on and off road.
Not ugly, not heavy and a good range of price!
But soft suede? Really? And no straps, just normal laces? That doesn’t sound particularly effective for SPD pedalling. Last pair I had with just laces were pretty wobbly when pedalling circles.
Agreed, I'm not even sure I'd be wearing them in those conditions either, but each to their own!
There’s no need for a flexible sole, quite the opposite.
I actually disagree with that (for flat pedals, not for SPDs obviously).
I think if you’ve got a large enough platform on the flat pedal a thin soled flexible shoe is best. That’s more my own preference though. I like to have as little movement and cushioning as possible between my foot and the bike.
Sorry, I meant compared to a barefoot shoe. 8n most of mine, I could stand on a coin and tell you if it was heads or tails. I don't want it that flexible on a flat pedal shoe. You're right though, it needs to conform to the pedal. Too stiff and you'll just slip off.
I have duck feet and yet still have plenty of room around the toes in these; and in a sentence I never thought I'd say it seems that Giro would be the money-saving option in this instance
Lake make cycling shoes with different width options, I need some new spd xc shoes and I’m going to give a pair of the wider width models a go
That's what I did. First pair on cycling shoes I haven't had to size up in order to get the correct width.
Now for the weather to improve so I can wear them!
They would be useless in any UK conditions looking at that sole.
Not bad looking clogs as clogs go
They'd get pretty dirty in any conditions - if it's dry enough not to be muddy you can get pretty dusty.
I never said the design was perfect or pretty. I personally think they look fugly and suede is definitely the wrong material for any like of riding that I do in the UK, but apart from sizing up 5Ten Freeriders and giving up on road shoes I haven’t found a comfy pair of shoes. And I doesn’t even have huge Fred Flinstone shoes.
I guess it’s because I spent most of my life outside of school barefoot of in flip flops. And then got into barefoot style shoes (not 5 Fingers or anything that extreme) that I thought it was nice to see someone challenging the norm and offering shoes that lend themselves more towards the modern way of thinking about shoe shape and sizing.
they remind me of some Camper casual shoes I had in the noughties
and me. i like them.
I like them.
I don’t like the price - did I read that right £250 ?
Otherwise I’d buy a pair.
Really unpleasant looking things those but I bet if you have hobbit feet they will be very comfortable.
Me, I have fairly irregular feet where all my smaller toes curl under each other and I have enormously long big toes. It's not some binding issue, it's genetic as all my family seem to have the same and my kids were born like it. I quite like narrow footwear though I am preferring bigger shoes as I get older and my feet "relax".
for flat pedal shoes, anyone tried Lems Trailhead's?
Lems Trailhead V2 Mountain to Town Retro Sneaker Mens - Sage — footworksrunning
they are footshaped, but Lems seem to have a much thicker sole than say Vivo etc
They don't look really like my foot shaped feet. Most folk have shoe shaped feet. I didn't wear shoes until I was 6ish and as a result my toes naturally are splayed and mobile like feet should be. My feet are 8 for length but even in wide fit shoes ( which are only fractionally wider IME ) I need to buy a 10 at least to get enough room leaving the best part of an inch of empty shoe at the front
Brand new they do look like something your Gran would wear, weathered in I think they look ok.
How about a cycling Chelsea boot? Those giro trackers look good though
I do think that I am getting closer to the day where I just buy something like the Lems Trailhead and try to get them resoled with Stealth rubber (is that even possible nowadays). For now I’ll stick with upsized Freeriders as I can’t afford £250 for a pair of fancy shoes.
they are footshaped, but Lems seem to have a much thicker sole than say Vivo etc
the website says that “they are a D width (narrow)”.
I do think that I am getting closer to the day where I just buy something like the Lems Trailhead and try to get them resoled with Stealth rubber (is that even possible nowadays).
i believe adidas stopped supplying the dotty rubber, you may be able to get smooth climbing sh rubber.
Those Stomp shoes don’t look particularly wide in the toe box. But their styling is … something.
Vibram Penti Cleat
The Lens trailhead is, unfortunately, the narrowest shoe that Lens make otherwise I'd agree.
As for the sticky rubber, 5;10 no longer make the sole unit available (but they do make a shoe from recovered sea plastics for the green washing effect).
However, vibram make a sticky dot sole unit that is as good, if not better. I got mine done at Feet First Resoles
Here's a thought.
I have a pair of altra Lone peak 4.5 in a half size to small (more of a concern if I run as I wear a hole in the big toe within 5km) Anyone care to hazard a guess if feet first resoles above could resolve and stiffen the sole up at the same time?
They're natural foot shaped which is great.
Shame it's lace only. If they make a velcro or BOA version I'll buy them.
@kamoemcf
I use Altra and had similar thoughts. Or perhaps a pedalling innovations catalyst Evo pedal might be large enough to avoid hot spots on the flexible sole.
Be great if they could add a toe bumper as well.
Not entirely relevant, but stupidly wore my Vivo Addis (one of their thinnest sole shoes for commute to station and around London etc on the Brompton - super uncomfy!
I use Altra and had similar thoughts. Or perhaps a pedalling innovations catalyst Evo pedal might be large enough to avoid hot spots on the flexible sole.
Be great if they could add a toe bumper as well.
I'm a fan of barefoot shoes but those Vibram Penti Cleat are ridiculous.
I’m tempted to get a pair of CrossFit/Functional Fitness shoes (Reebok Nano) as they tend to be wider with a more natural shape but due to lifting and strength parts of the sport are quite stiff (not super stiff like SPD shoes) and get them resoled. Not much toe protection but might suit me for XC and trail centre duties as I rarely hit my toes.
I’ve been tempted to get a pair of Vivo resoled for riding. That’s the big issue for me, spend enough time barefoot or wearing vivo footwear and normal stuff becomes really uncomfortable and restrictive. Like boxing gloves for your feet
The widest parts of my feet are from the ball directly across the width of the foot . from there they taper on both sides for almost two inches to the end of my big toes . That looks to me very much like the shoes and trainers that I put them in . Am I abnormal or have my feet been changed to fit my footware ?
My experience after wearing altra, lems and merrell barefoot shoes for a few years, is that I can no longer wear traditional shoes anymore as the discomfort is noticeable as soon as I put them on. I think a part of that is that my toes have been allowed to spread naturally, and part that I am no longer accustomed to the restrictive nature of traditional shoes.
@RamseyNeil, mine used to be the same and was probably due to about 20 years of wearing normal pointy shoes. Luckily in my 20s and 30s I was pretty much either in flip flops, barefoot or in big wide boots for work before switching to barefoot style shoes so they got another 20 years to revert to normal.
My mum dug out some photos from being a toddler and you could see how wide and splayed my toes/feet were before wearing ‘proper’ shoes. Especially compared to some beach shots from late teens where my toes had become much more tapered in. And now they’re more back to how they were.
My arches and stability have greatly improved as well.
@MSP - I agree.