Mountain Biking Footwear.

[nausea]

Re: The Shimano boot. They are essentially just a goretex hiking boot with a recessed cleat. They have a Vibram sole which is used extensively among top end hiking and military footwear.

I'd be surprised if they weren't actually manufactured by a reputable hiking boot company and then modified slightly and rebranded for cycling. They're low-profile enough not to scuff against cranks and they probably allow a bit more ankle movement than a normal hiking boot. The materials used are way more resistant to scratches and scrapes than a normal cycling shoe.

The Goretex lining means they are 100% waterproof. I've not got wet feet yet and there seems to be no leakage through the cleat area - although I've yet to do a full Winter with them though.

Although the boot extends quite high up the ankle, the back is cut quite low so they're not going to protect you ankle deep in puddles. However, the tongue is linked to the boot uppers so water is not going to get in through the top of the shoe.

As for comfort, I often just keep them on for a while after I've returned from a ride as the cleat is properly recessed - I can happily walk around a supermarket in them. In terms of warmth, I'f not sure how they would compare against thermal, winter-specific boots but I'm sure wearing winter socks would be ample. The fact that they're waterproof will go a long way to keep my feet warm.

I'm really surprised no-one else makes a boot like this - I spent a very long time searching and there was nothing similar. The soles are not as stiff as a pure cycling shoe (although I don't notice any real loss of pedalling efficiency) but this does make walking a lot easier and there is WAY more grip on the soles as they have a rubbery texture rather than the harder plastic texture that a pure cycling shoe would have.

Basically they get 11/10 from me!

 

[doctor-bond]

I'm really surprised no-one else makes a boot like this -

Really? They are surely pointless: if you do more hill walking than cycling then choose from the many available walking boots on the market not compromised by embedded cleats, and use them for cycling with flat pedals.

If you need to extract every ounce of pedalling efficiency from your bike because you are a fit, competitive off-road racer (i.e about .9% of Retrobikers), then get something that fits with cleats and embrace being awkward when you have to get off your bike.

If you are a retro ponce, get some Axo Ponys.

Otherwise, lightness is far more important than stiffness or cleatness: as light as possible, as waterproof as necessary:

in Summer

or something light with a bit of grip for winter:

 

[nausea]

I'm really surprised no-one else makes a boot like this -

Really? They are surely pointless: if you do more hill walking than cycling then choose from the many available walking boots on the market not compromised by embedded cleats, and use them for cycling with flat pedals.

Pointless? Not so... When I said I needed them for walking I'm referring to the times I have to dismount and carry the bike across unridable terrain. Doing so in cycling specific shoes can be downright dangerous if your trying to traverse slippery wet rock for example and the high tops reduce the risk of turned ankles.

In my old residence in the smooth Surrey Hills I wouldn't have felt the need for such footwear but in the rocky Peaks I couldn't live without them.

 

[doctor-bond]

Yes, but why do you need the added trouble of cleats? Clipping in and out on extreme terrain is a faff too far, and the dynamic advantage of clipless must be outweighed by the weight and bulk? Why not get some light Brashers: better for walking and no worse on the bike?

One argument I'll grudgingly concede is that if you (for some misguided reason) use cleats normally, then it's easier to change shoes than pedals, so such boots would save you some spannering. But it's a bit like getting a muzzle for your pet crocodile.

 

[Jezmellors]

Yes, but why do you need the added trouble of cleats? Clipping in and out on extreme terrain is a faff too far, and the dynamic advantage of clipless must be outweighed by the weight and bulk? Why not get some light Brashers: better for walking and no worse on the bike?

One argument I'll grudgingly concede is that if you (for some misguided reason) use cleats normally, then it's easier to change shoes than pedals, so such boots would save you some spannering. But it's a bit like getting a muzzle for your pet crocodile.

I disagree with pretty much everything you say. Just goes to show we're all different. And we ride differently.

 

[doctor-bond]

I disagree with pretty much everything you say. Just goes to show we're all different. And we ride differently.

That's okay. Why do you think you need walking boots with cycling cleats?

 

[nausea]

Well, I'm a die hard cleat man. I find riding without cleats really sketchy. Aside from the far greater efficiency, they keep my dodgy knees nice and straight and they also stop my feet floating off the pedals on rocky descents. I see plenty of people riding without them but it's just not for me.

Where the need for walking boots comes in is that my old Specialized shoes got torn to shreds walking up stuff like this...

...and come to think of it, walking down stuff like that too! It is possible to cycle down here, but as I was at the top looking down, three words sprung very clearly to mind: "Career. Ending. Injury!"

 

[WD Pro]

I can see your view point dude - having dragged the bike up the zig zags etc they would have been useful

WD

 

[Jezmellors]

I disagree with pretty much everything you say. Just goes to show we're all different. And we ride differently.

That's okay. Why do you think you need walking boots with cycling cleats?

Because i always ride clipped in, i've been doing it so long that riding flat pedals feels very strange to me, even dangerous and sometimes you have to get off and walk, as we've already covered.

 

[doctor-bond]

I disagree with pretty much everything you say. Just goes to show we're all different. And we ride differently.

That's okay. Why do you think you need walking boots with cycling cleats?

Because i always ride clipped in, i've been doing it so long that riding flat pedals feels very strange to me, even dangerous and sometimes you have to get off and walk, as we've already covered.

Fair enough. I always wear socks with my sandals: to change now would be too weird. And anyway I've made some cardboard brogue-shaped snoods to disguise them for interviews and weddings, so it's all good.