SPD compatible shoes I can walk in

[jrenaut]

I have a pair of Shimano MTB shoes. They’re falling apart and smell like a dead skunk. I’d like a shoe I can walk in comfortably. It would be nice if it was somewhat water-resistant and a little more insulated so I don’t freeze in the winter. Not looking that much like a bike shoe would also be a bonus, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of laces, so I may be out of luck.

Recommendations?

Topic

[hozn]

There’s also https://www.amazon.com/Ergon-TP1-Shimano-Cleat-Tool/dp/B001UAJ9XI/ if you want to get fancy. I’m not sure how universal that is (i.e. does it work with any shoes?). I have one for road cleats, which I figured was worth the $20. Of course, it just confirmed that my cleats were in the right position, but it’ll be useful as I am testing out some different shoes.

[jrenaut]

@hozn 142896 wrote:

There’s also https://www.amazon.com/Ergon-TP1-Shimano-Cleat-Tool/dp/B001UAJ9XI/ if you want to get fancy. I’m not sure how universal that is (i.e. does it work with any shoes?). I have one for road cleats, which I figured was worth the $20. Of course, it just confirmed that my cleats were in the right position, but it’ll be useful as I am testing out some different shoes.

Hmm. I wonder if The Bike Rack (where I got the shoes) has something like that. Seems like much less work than Harry’s method…

[mstone]

@jrenaut 142890 wrote:

So I bought a pair of Giro Rumble shoes. They’re great to walk in. So now I’m wondering if there’s a technique for getting the cleats lined up right. I figure I can go ride around the block a few times then try to adjust, but I was wondering if there was a more scientific technique.

start by trying to get the cleats to hold your foot in the same position it would be in without the cleats. if the cleats force your foot to turn oddly, you will end up in pain. sit on something that lets your feet dangle, note how they are pointing, and use that as a starting point for aligning the cleats.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@jrenaut 142897 wrote:

Hmm. I wonder if The Bike Rack (where I got the shoes) has something like that. Seems like much less work than Harry’s method…

I like the Ergon method for replacing cleats. But for new shoes, I do prefer starting from scratch.

[hozn]

@jrenaut 142897 wrote:

Hmm. I wonder if The Bike Rack (where I got the shoes) has something like that. Seems like much less work than Harry’s method…

To be fair, though, you still have to go through the “work” of identifying the ball of your foot and using tape (or the little included stickers) to indicate where that is on the shoes so you can then line that up with the “0” mark on the guide (at least that is the recommended starting position).

[jrenaut]

REVIEW OF THE GIRO RUMBLES:

I have maybe 50 miles on them, plus some non-trivial walking. Longest ride of about 10 miles, and they haven’t really broken in yet.

Off the bike: Great. Really great. Way more comfortable than my old Shimanos. I forget I’m wearing bike shoes.

On the bike: Good. I have very narrow feet, and this may be part of the problem, but I’m having trouble getting them as snug as my Shimanos were. It’s possible if I carefully tightened the laces all the way up the shoe every time I put them on, I might be able to fix it, but that’s a lot of work that I’m not likely to do. I think there’s a bit more flex in them, too, but that might be just because they’re a little loose sometimes.

So, if you’re willing to give up a bit of performance in return for being able to walk normally, these are the shoes for you. If shoe performance is super important, look elsewhere. I’ll update if things change as the shoes break in.

[Author]

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