MTB trail shoes

Big JD

Big JD

Wheel size expert
I need some new shoes and I'm tossing up between Specialized sworks trails and Shimano 162s (like m200 trails without the lace cover and ankle guard).

I like the extra protection these trail show provide and hopefully comfort too. The sworks has a carbon sole and cant walk in them. They would be great on the bike but terrible off. While the Shimanos offer more flex for walking but how do they pedal. Always had XC shoes and wondering if trail shoes would be stiff enough and more comfortable for longer rides
 
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Ivan

Ivan

Eats Squid
I have the 162's and am disappointed at how quickly the stitching tore on the uppermost strap of both shoes. Apart from that they've been good.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455616222.934098.jpg
 
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mitchy_

mitchy_

Llama calmer
my last 2 pairs of shimano's have fallen apart pretty quickly. my current backup pair have bits of sole/tread hanging off all over the place.

recently switched to Spesh 2FO cliplite, by far the best shoe i've ridden in. they dont feel as bulky as the Five Ten, etc. equivilents.
 
Nautonier

Nautonier

Eats Squid
Why not go for something super comfortable and bullet-proof like the AM9s? Still work well on hot days and will last forever. Vast improvement over the AM45s and from what I've seen of the M200s, they fall apart in a month or so. It would definitely be a toss-up between these and the Spesh 2FO cliplites Mitchy mentions.
 
C

creaky

XMAS Plumper
Are you really doing much walking in them JD ? For gravity stuff, I understand the flexier sole has some merit but for a clipless xc and trail shoe I reckon that you appreciate the stiffness of a carbon sole much more than you curse when walking for brief periods.
 
B

bikeyoulongtime

Likes Dirt
Had 162s, warrantied them because of Ivan's issue. The replacement pair were also warrantied. The 163s which came because of that have been bomber for a solid year and 7000 or so km, all because the strap design is different! Long story short, ignore 162s even if they're super bargains!

Really happy with 163s still. Next pair for MTBing will be AM9s, just for racing down hills really. but I will keep replacing with similar-to-163 shoes for commuting/cx/long days in the saddle.

by the way, the 163s you can put your cleat a looooooong way back. I ride about the same position in cleats or flats now, which is a win! And sometimes nearly fall over commuting on the cx bike because I trackstand at lights and have occasional toe/front wheel issues.

Know nothing about specialized shoes :/
 
S

SDA

Likes Dirt
The tongue of the ratchet on my Giro Privateers snapped off when I was at the Specialized demo day a couple of weeks back. The friendly guys at Specialized let me borrow a pair of new 2FO Cliplites for the day. Great shoes.

If the warranty on my Giro's don't come in, I will be picking up a pair of 2FO Cliplites.
 
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Big AC

Big AC

Likes Dirt
The spesh s-works trail shoes appears to be a bit more of a XC shoe with some armour and better grip. The full carbon sole will transfer power well, but it won’t allow much lateral movement when cornering.

The M163 looks to be a bit more of a middle ground, slightly less stiff (8 out of 11 according to Shimano) but will better lateral movement (the whole Torbal thing).

It’s a question of what you want and what fits best.

You could probably get 2 pairs of the M163s for a single pair of the s-works trails.

Any chance you can try some on?
 
Big JD

Big JD

Wheel size expert
creaky said:
Are you really doing much walking in them JD ? For gravity stuff, I understand the flexier sole has some merit but for a clipless xc and trail shoe I reckon that you appreciate the stiffness of a carbon sole much more than you curse when walking for brief periods.
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I have been doing trail maintainance in my shoes and they have beaten the crap out of my feet. I know that's really dumb and xc shoes aren't made for digging.
 
Big JD

Big JD

Wheel size expert
Big AC said:
The spesh s-works trail shoes appears to be a bit more of a XC shoe with some armour and better grip. The full carbon sole will transfer power well, but it won’t allow much lateral movement when cornering.

The M163 looks to be a bit more of a middle ground, slightly less stiff (8 out of 11 according to Shimano) but will better lateral movement (the whole Torbal thing).

It’s a question of what you want and what fits best.

You could probably get 2 pairs of the M163s for a single pair of the s-works trails.

Any chance you can try some on?
Click to expand...
Specialized has a sale on these- around $250. What is this lateral movement that you speak of. Sounds like something that would be useful
 
C

creaky

XMAS Plumper
Big JD said:
I have been doing trail maintainance in my shoes and they have beaten the crap out of my feet. I know that's really dumb and xc shoes aren't made for digging.
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Maybe grab a set of the casual style cheapies like low end shimano doobies just for those days.
 
H

HamboCairns

Thanks for all the bananas
I'm looking at the 2FOs as they have some great reviews and they're easier to find in my size than Five Tens.

Has anyone managed to get a discount on retail? Also, can I get the clip in version but use them on flats until I'm more comfortable with clipless pedals?
 
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