How to choose your cycling shoes?

The market offers a very wide choice of cycling shoe models, for road, triathlon, off-road, touring, and even today for gravel or downhill mountain biking. Prices range from a few tens to several hundreds of euros, and between specificities, characteristics, comfort, and aesthetics, it can be complicated to find your way. We take stock of the elements to consider when choosing a pair of cycling shoes.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: Pixabay.com / Pxhere.com / @3bikes.fr / DR

Cycling shoes are designed to create a good connection between you and your machine, via the pedals. The objective is to transmit the effort with as little loss as possible, while ensuring the necessary comfort for pedaling for several hours. Pedaling is a circular motion that does not only consist of pushing on the pedals during the downstroke. To be effective, you must also be able to pull on the pedals during the upstroke, and minimize what are called the top and bottom dead centers (the transition phases between pushing and pulling the pedal). A good shoe must therefore allow you to push on the pedals thanks to the rigidity of the sole (where the cleat, itself engaged in the pedal, is fixed), but also to pull without energy loss thanks to the support of the upper (the upper part of the shoe) and the closure systems, to prevent the foot from lifting or floating inside the shoe. The heel can also be more or less guided or supported. And all this with the necessary comfort to avoid hot spots or pressure points in the long run, which can be very debilitating.

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Models specific to each discipline

There are as many types of shoes as there are ways to cycle. We distinguish several families of cycling shoes:

• Road shoes: designed to keep the cleats attached to the pedals as much as possible.
• Triathlon shoes: very similar to road shoes, but with a fastening system that allows them to be put on very quickly after the swimming part.
• Cross-country mountain bike or cyclocross shoes: designed for a cleat system embedded in the sole structure (with studs), to be able to walk or run next to the bike in certain technical sections.
• Gravel shoes: very similar to mountain bike shoes, but with a slightly more versatile sole.
• Downhill mountain bike or jump shoes: reinforced shoes at the top of the foot or ankle, with or without cleat placement.
• Touring shoes: designed to be attached to pedals with cleats embedded in the sole, and to walk comfortably during stops for refueling or sightseeing.
• Leisure shoes: sports shoes with a sole designed for riding on flat pedals.

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Elements to consider

When choosing a pair of shoes, you must ensure their compatibility with your pedal system. The standard three-hole triangular system for road shoes allows most cleats on the market (and therefore pedals) to be fixed. You can find specific Speedplay models (four holes), or models designed on the SPD mountain bike cleat model (two holes), protected on the edges to facilitate walking next to the bike. Pay attention to the location of the attachment points depending on the models: they may not be suitable for particular cleat adjustments, especially longitudinally (too far forward or too far back).

The arch of the sole can be more or less pronounced depending on the brand and model. This is a matter of preference and pedaling style that does not really fall into the notion of range level. Generally, those who pedal with the heel down prefer less arched soles, while “toe” pedaling styles are better suited to arched soles.

There remains the thickness of the sole, which is also more or less pronounced and influences the saddle height adjustment. Be careful because we have observed up to 5 mm difference in sole thickness at the cleat attachment point between two high-end models (Sidi and Shimano S-Phyre, for example, which are lower, meaning a reduced distance between the foot and the pedal).

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What distinguishes entry-level shoes from high-end shoes

The prices of high-end shoes can seem very high: it is not uncommon today to find models that easily exceed €400, both for road and off-road use, while the very first prices in a large sports store are around €35 to €40. However, it would be a mistake to think that the differences between these two extremes are not significant. Cycling shoes are a bit like a component of your bike. And as with the choice of your ride and its equipment, the model that suits you must first meet the needs of your practice. The differences in range levels are explained at several levels:

• The rigidity of the outsole: it depends on the material used (nylon, fiberglass, carbon)
• The upper material(s): to support and conform to the foot more or less well (plastic, synthetic leather, synthetic material, genuine leather, mesh)
• The closure system(s): for more or less precise tightening (Velcro, micrometric buckles, Boa dials, laces)
• The durability of the materials: some are more or less sensitive to repeated deformations, external conditions (rain, cold, perspiration, etc.)
• The interior finish: seams, gluing or heat-sealing of the different parts of the upper can cause or not cause pressure points
• The insole: sometimes a simple comfort sole, it can also provide arch support, which is also essential in terms of energy transmission and comfort, and ideally distributes pressure points.
• Some additional details such as replaceable toe caps or heel pads, openings under the soles to promote ventilation, reflective logos or inserts for visibility, weight, colors, etc.

Total customisation is even possible in some cases, both in terms of colors and measurements, for prices ranging from €500 to €3500 (€3500 for two pairs – race and training – for example for Hanseeno U95 shoes, entirely molded to the foot and extremely light). An extreme solution aimed at a hyper-demanding public. While returning to a little more reason, is a price beyond €350 for cycling shoes justified? Not always. Especially since in terms of rigidity, support and comfort, there is no universal solution: everyone is different, and what may suit one person depending on the shape and width of their feet may not suit another. So you don’t choose a pair of shoes because you like them, but primarily because they fit. This choice is all the more difficult because despite the large number of brands on the market, each bike shop cannot stock, and for you to try them on, all models and all sizes. There remain some obvious points regarding the technical solutions offered for rigidity or comfort, which depend on the materials used and the care taken in their manufacture.

=> SEE ALSO: Buy Gravel shoes

What are the real differences?

Let’s talk about comfort first. A shoe model that fits you perfectly should feel comfortable under different conditions and after several hours in the saddle. In this area, various elements come into play, such as the upper materials, which should ideally conform to the foot without forming creases, especially when tightened, the placement of internal seams to avoid creating friction points on the foot, the superposition of layers between the tongue and the upper, the placement of the closure systems, or any padding in certain areas of the shoe. The ventilation system can also be important, but it should be noted that most problems related to extreme cold sensations in winter or unbearable heat in summer stem from poor blood circulation, linked to poor foot support in the insole, or pressure points in the shoe (with a poorly placed seam, for example).

Some entry-level models, with good padding and wide Velcro straps for example, emphasize comfort of the last shape, but are more limited in terms of rigidity and support. They are therefore primarily reserved for less competitive cycling.

In the mid-range, you can already find models with carbon soles and closure systems borrowed from the high-end, with micrometric buckles or a notched dial. But the comfort and finish (mainly due to the choice of materials) are not yet quite at the high-end level, a category where normally every detail is studied to ensure performance and comfort.

In terms of pure performance, there is indeed a difference in performance between entry-level shoes and high-end shoes. This comes from the rigidity of the outsole, the fit of the foot in the shoe, its support, and the absence of material deformation during torsion or pulling on the pedal. But be careful, this difference is mainly expressed at high intensity, during very violent efforts, power surges, or sprints. Depending on your practice, it is therefore not necessarily useful to always aim for the most expensive models.

Finally, it should be noted that most high-end shoes benefit from durable materials that deform very little despite repeated stresses or changing weather conditions. Carbon soles, or the synthetic materials used at this level, ensure good performance for a long time, which is not necessarily the case for lower-end models.

How to buy your cycling shoes?

Cycling shoes are numerous on the market. There are at least 25 brands officially in France, each offering about ten models for road cycling (sometimes as many for mountain biking, and we are not talking about the available colors!), and not counting the brands that can be found online. In this case, it is impossible for the customer to try everything, and at the same time, it is very risky to order blindly by mail order. Depending on the brand, shoe sizes do not necessarily correspond. The same applies to shoe width, or the support provided by different systems (Velcro, micrometric buckles, Boa dials, laces…). Each foot being different, the placement of the various closures may not be suitable, and over time, may create discomfort or unbearable pain.

The presence of models in stores is therefore a key element, allowing you to try on and choose the right shoe for your foot. This explains the difficulty of distributing certain brands, which must therefore benefit from a good distribution, marketing, and dissemination network. You can also order online, but on the condition that you know the model and size that suit you perfectly. A good deal is when a model from previous years that you know well is being cleared out by an online seller. But otherwise, generally, serious brands do not allow models at discounted prices to be distributed to online retailers, in order to respect bike shops that take the trouble to stock different sizes and models.

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