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Getting to the end of my tether trying to figure out what's wrong with my knee, so for the sake of at least being able to ride to work in comfort am prepared to consider flat pedals (and in truth I doubt I'll notice any difference in speed or efficiency).
Is there such a thing as a 'road' flat shoe?
Needs to be stiff-ish, low profile (no massive freeridey BMX shoes) and ideally not suede/foam construction, looking for something that doesn't end up waterlogged after a couple of puddle splashes...
Basically I'm looking for a road shoe upper with a flat shoe sole! Not finding much online as of yet.
Ta
My Shimano AM7's are stiff but ok to walk in.They don't have the sticky soles of other brands but conversely are easier to change foot position while pedaling.Got them super cheap too.
Shimano GR900?
Spesh 2FO Flats are about the nearest. If you're bothered about the looks or streamlining, wear overshoes.
Thanks both, yep found the Shimano GR7s which are like the AMs but without the stormtrooper flap over the laces. Sounds like they're relatively lightweight construction too. Just need to find somewhere to try them on though as past experience with Shimano sizing has left me confused at best!
Actually the little Wiggle sidebar ad over there >>> has been quite helpful, just suggested a Giro Republic R knitted shoe with a rubberised base surrounding the usual 2 bolt cleat fitment.
Wonder if that would be grippy enough on flats?
What about Adidas Terrex Curb -
I ride flats on all my bikes including road. I use Adidas Terrex Solo (older model with full Stealth sole) and sometimes Adidas Terrex Trail Cross SL. Both are plenty stiff and very grippy. Because I'm not doing loads of walking in them I got half a size bigger so I can fit thicker socks in winter.
Overall way more comfortable and warmer than even my previous winter road spd-sl shoes and there was no drop in speed from clip ins so no downside at all for me.
Aha looks like DezB has nailed it.. Newer model looks ideal.
Adidas does look ideal, thanks folks, will investigate.
Addidas looks good... I was going to recommend the FiveTen Freerider Pro as it has a reasonably stiff sole and fantastic grip.
Dromarti?
for the sake of at least being able to ride to work in comfort
(and in truth I doubt I’ll notice any difference in speed or efficiency).
So...
Is there such a thing as a ‘road’ flat shoe?
Yes. it used to be called a training shoe and we all rode bikes absolutely fine wearing them as kids. Something football inspired with a leather upper like Adidas Samba, given a coat of dubbing and worn with sealskin socks will meet your criteria for not ending up waterlogged after a few puddle splashes.
Needs to be stiff-ish
why? Stiff soles grip a nice concave flat pedal far worse than a flexible sole and that stiffness really offers no huge gain in pedalling efficiency. not to mention reduced comfort.
low profile
Why?
Basically I’m looking for a road shoe upper with a flat shoe sole!
Far Uglier football inspired leather upper trainers are available. If that's your aim?
I use Burgtec penthouse on my cx commuter, with whatever running shoes are lying about (4 or 500 miles sees them retired from running duties), with sealskinz below.
An odd combo, yes, but works for me. It's only 8.5 miles tbf.
Wonder if that would be grippy enough on flats?
No.
And what geex said.
got to agree with geex here. a stiff flat pedal shoe is crap.
I toured for years in a pair of these, and they are pretty perfect.
Stiffness because I thought it was the accepted wisdom that a flexible sole would lead to discomfort if you're pushing the pedals for hours through it. Idea being that a stiffer sole distributes the pressure better? Am contradicting myself a little as I did say I only wanted them for riding to work, but if it's a success I'd probably end up doing more miles on them. I don't suffer any discomfort from the sole of the shoe and that's riding a variety of properly stiff road shoes. I think the middle ground is a 'stiff' flat shoe, rather than a rubberised SPD shoe sole.
Low profile as in not big clumsy free-ridey things, not looking for extra weight (padding etc) where I don't need it. Also ideally my existing overshoes would fit over them, so big/lugged soles probably a non-starter.
Far Uglier football inspired leather upper trainers are available. If that’s your aim?
The aim is to get a functional flat shoe that looks as close to a road shoe as possible. Will be wearing with all my road gear e.g. lycra 3/4s or lycra leggings, not a good look with freeride shoes. I'm not immune to vanity, I still want to blend in with the other roadies! Several suggestions up there tick the boxes thankfully.
I just picked up some Adidas terrex trailcross. Can confirm they are grippy, stiff and comfortable for walking. Got them for £59 from wiggle.
lycra 3/4s or lycra leggings, not a good look with freeride shoes.
Sounds like you're in need of help to try to get out of the habit of intentionally trying to look like a cyclist all the time. They look pretty awful on the whole. If you're on a bike folk will still "get" that you ride one 😉
I think you'll also find a normal trainer is a better more manly look (even in leggings) to everyone on the planet except cyclists. There's little point in a straight adult male being vain if their target for admiration is other male cyclist. YMMV
on the all day comfort thing. normal trainers don't cause any more discomfort than stiff soles do. infact quite the opposite is true when riding flats for long distances/periods of time.
if the whole point in switching to flats is to relieve your knee of pain I'd suggest swaying away from a grippy sole like a 5:10 as they are so grippy you will actually end up with your foot in an even more fixed position on the pedal than when clipped in.
also don't do your laces up tightly.
I still want to blend in with the other roadies! Several suggestions up there tick the boxes thankfully
But what you came here for was psychological help, not which shoes you wanted. Didn't you know that?
ps. Adidas Samba - £100
Adidas Terrex - £60
Well googled but Sambas are £50 in actual shops not far from the OPs commute
Hmm, I suffered from numb toes on a 75 mile road ride in 5 10 freeriders. Was wondering whether it was the over-bendy sole that put all the pressure through the ball of the foot - perhaps a stiffer sole distributing the pressure might improve that?
(temporarily going back to SPDs for next long road ride - not that that helps you, sorry OP!)
Those Terrex flat shoes look decent for wet/winter MTBing!
I also have flexible Five Ten Access trainers with Stealth sole for general use, trail running etc. They are fine for riding but definitely not as comfortable on longer rides than the ones I mentioned above. Maybe I can feel the pins on the pedals after a bit but anyway I don't generally use them for longer rides than eg an hour, unless I'm on holiday or away. And I've found that normal running trainers slip off the pedals too easily (especially in the wet) either because they aren't flat soled I guess or the compound isn't ideal.
I was presuming you meant using pins rather than totally flat pedals though.
I get the theory from what Geex says. My trial and error results were different though.
I think Geex is talking bollocks. I ride round London In 5-10 macaskills or impact vxi which are great - loads of grip on either Brompton or pinless plastic flats. I also regularly ride in Adidas- ok for a city distanced but much less grip and too flexible. 20miles plus and my feet ache.
Any SPD MTB shoe
DezB
Subscriber
Oh, he should get those then, the gayer.
Nice
I still want to blend in with the other roadies!
Good luck - a true roadie can distinguish between a true road shoe and pedal; and a cross country shoe on mtb spd pedals from up to a quarter mile in good lighting conditions.
Good luck – a proper whankstain can distinguish between a true road shoe and pedal; and a cross country shoe on mtb spd pedals from up to a quarter mile in good lighting conditions.
FTFY bro.
Any SPD MTB shoe
Have you tried this Al? Couldn't remember if the shoe being unable to conform to the shape of the pedal (as suggested above somewhere) meant it was more likely to bounce off...
talking bollocks
gayer
whankstain
Lol! So much aggro about pedals 😁
Sometimes this world confuses me...
The OP wants to fit in with roadies, WTF seriously... who cares !
I've done 100mile SDW rides in 5'10's without any issues. Some of the models are more/less water absorbant than others... but they're my go-to footwear i wear every single day (4 pairs now) I use them for road, trails, BPW, turbo in the garage and walking to the shops.
Needs to be stiff-ish
why? Stiff soles grip a nice concave flat pedal far worse than a flexible sole and that stiffness really offers no huge gain in pedalling efficiency. not to mention reduced comfort.
because a flex sole over road bike distances will male your feet ache as the sole deformed around the pedal. road shoe stiff soles are there to support the do it not just aid power transfer.
because a flex sole over road bike distances will make your feet ache as the sole deformed around the pedal.
That's absolute nonsense Rdog. (unless you are using absolutely awful/tiny pedals the shoe won't deform so much your foot isn't still supported)
Do you sell cycling shoes for a living or something?
FWIW one of my feet has had complete reconstructive surgery and now suffers from mild arthritis if I walk too far but I don't get any pain at all riding 4hr+ rides in normal flexible soled trainers (Etnies, not Sambas).
Oh, he should get those then, the gayer.
Nice
Yeah, thought it might be too subtle for some. Read geex (long) post above it, for the reference.
Good luck – a proper whankstain can distinguish between a true road shoe and pedal; and a cross country shoe on mtb spd pedals from up to a quarter mile in good lighting conditions.
FTFY bro.
Oh they will all be able to tell, most will keep it to themselves. Only the whankstains will then tell you about it.
Five Ten Freerider Pro +1
Bought a brand new pair before a big tour (160km a day, every day for 20 days) and had no discomfort whatsoever. I did start wearing through the soles by the end though but the LBS and then distributor sorted me out with a new replacement pair when I finished! "I've only had them a month mate - look at the state of them!"
Wow, people are really getting deep on this one!
The OP wants to fit in with roadies, WTF seriously… who cares !
I'd love to do a poll on this, see how many people really don't care about fitting in with their peers. At least I'm honest enough to admit it, part of road cycling is the image, I like that image, as do, evidently, the majority of the people who do it. And why not, it's not hurting anyone, part of being human is 'belonging', after all, we all started off living in tribes (or is it troops?) swinging through the trees.
I guess the important caveat is that I'm not willing to screw my knees up cycling in uncomfortable shoes just to maintain an image, but given the choice on the market these days it seemed entirely valid to ask for a pair of shoes that still looked reasonably road-ish, and I was vindicated by the fact that there are several pairs suggested which fit the bill.
Phew! Getting intense for a 'what shoe' thread.
Anyway, since my morning 'no more knee pain' physio routine has just resulted in a nice little back spasm (seems I'm incapable of squats, even straight backed half squats while using a door frame for balance) I'm beginning to think a prolonged spell off the bikes is the answer, doesn't seem to be any amount of money or physio I can throw at the problem which will help it. Bummer.
There's sound advice in what I said about sole flexibility and avoiding using super grippy flat shoe soles with a knee problem. The rest, I'm sure you realise is mainly just me taking the piss.
Dress how you like. Try to fit in or don't. It shouldn't really matter to anyone else. (But fully I realise it does)
Get well soon.
The rest, I’m sure you realise is mainly just me taking the piss.
Ah, bugger, no, I totally misread your tone, I just thought you were some weirdo with a massive chip on his shoulder about people wanting a certain style of shoe! 😆
oh and + 1 for the not-too-grippy-sole thing, I actually remember this being a problem even when I rode DH, certain shoes and pedals were just too grippy!
What about clips n straps? Then it doesn't matter much how little grip you have (eg, those shoes you put a pic of up there ^^ )
As for fitting in, can just say you're going retro 🙂 If they were good enough for Eddy Merckx...
(Hope the back heals up)
Member
because a flex sole over road bike distances will make your feet ache as the sole deformed around the pedal.That’s absolute nonsense Rdog. (unless you are using absolutely awful/tiny pedals the shoe won’t deform so much your foot isn’t still supported)
Do you sell cycling shoes for a living or something?
no, just based on 45 years of riding experience, but hey you know best.
Giro Rumble?
no, just based on 45 years of riding experience
would that be a nice handy study done split between cycling in trainers and super stiff soled cycling shoes on the same flats over a prolongued period of time? or just wildly irrelevant anecdotal evidence based on getting sore feet once or twice in a random pair of guttys a few decades ago on a shit set of pedals and wearing proper cycling shoes ever since?
A decent modern flat pedal doesn't require a particualrly stiffer sole to support the foot than it does for walking or running or skateboarding or standing at the bar down the pub.
Why would it?
Sounds like the bloke's just cycling to work to me 😉
I suppose I kinda was looking for the same as the OP for a kinda similar reason. Whether it is me, the cold weather, how I slept the previous night, or elves moving the cleats or saddle during the night, some days my knees are fine clipped in and other days they're not. Some days they would just never seem to be right, other days they'd start off fine/moany and during the ride become moany/fine. (No, I've never had a bike fit.)
Anyway, my personal solution is Shimano M089s and dual platform pedals. Okay, so they're MTB shoes but they're roadish looking. I can clip or not, depending on how things feel. And I've not died yet.
That’s absolute nonsense Rdog. (unless you are using absolutely awful/tiny pedals the shoe won’t deform so much your foot isn’t still supported)
Not my experience. I ride round London in both my Adidas Campus, a pair of Adidas skate shoes (that have a particularly flexible sole) or my 5-10's. I notice the difference in comfort inside an hour of riding.
On the shoe suggestions no-one has mentioned the Specialised 2FO. The 2019 1.0 are meant to be really good, not too lurid and dry super quick when wet
oh and + 1 for the not-too-grippy-sole thing,
If you do still use a 'grippy' 5-10 type sole it means you can run 'not very grippy at all pedals' like this which don't tear clothes and shins...
On the shoe suggestions no-one has mentioned the Specialised 2FO
Apart from when I mentioned them right at the start of the thread*, I guess they haven't 😉
*while it was still a sensible discussion 😆
Had spotted the 2FO 1.0, was definitely a contender.
My physio gave me a proper talking too yesterday, think I may be guilty of thinking myself in circles on the issue (see: this thread, many previous threads, and kitchen table covered in new Speedplay pedals, custom axles, pedal extenders, etc. etc.).
She told me just to focus on the basic exercises (wall sits, single leg dips) and to try and 'relax' as my back issues were predominantly down to being too tense and guarded.
She also told me to stop trying to 'hold' my leg in the position I thought would help the knee pain, and instead just let it find its own position w.r.t the pedals. Just because it appeared to be tracking inside of the pedal (i.e. 'too close' to the top tube) didn't mean that was the cause of the issue, a knee can track poorly but so long as the quadriceps muscles are controlling the knee cap properly you shouldn't experience pain.
Long story short, I rode in today and tried to just relax and let my leg do what it wanted. Surprisingly pain free...
Psychology eh? No wonder my physio session yesterday almost became a therapy session...
Psychology eh?
Blimey, didn't I also mention that on page one?? (Yes, slightly different context 😀 )
Glad you're getting somewhere!
2nd page and so far no one has mentioned a proper bike fit?
OP, if you are getting knee pain from riding then its likely down to improper bike fit and not to do with shoe type.
I agree with Geex, I’ll quite happily do 100k on the road bike using flat pedals with an old pair of worn out Sombrio flats or whatever weather suitable shoe I happen to be wearing. Never felt any issues or it holding me back.
At least I did until until the last myopic bellend tried to flatten me and reminded me how terrible road riding can be.