Road shoes buying

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My current roadie shoes are about 3-4 years old now and are very scuffed on the toes (nearly to the point of a hole), and a huge scrape on the left heel from a crash. Plus I am finding the fit depends on what socks I wear, if I wear NZO socks they are good and snug fit, but wearing a pair of Time socks I have the foot moves around enough to be annoying. The sock thing is not the end of the world though. They are Shimano RO75 in size EU42.

I am contemplating replacing them.

How tight is your foot meant to fit in road shoes? As I understand opposed to walking or running shoes, fit is better if your toes fit quite snugly without the finger length you would often need past the toes, because your foot is not moving around in the shoe as much as a running shoe. How much does this idea of a snug fit matter?

I wonder also if it is worth thinking about something like Louis Garneau heat mouldable road shoes (can get from Cycling Express for less than $250) or other expensive road shoes? Is the mouldable shoe a great idea, as good as it sounds, or more of a marketing tool? Does spending $250-$300 mean you are better for riding than a $100 pair of Shimano shoes similar to what I have now? And what is the ratchet type of closure like – is that type of shoe worth the cash?

And how would be a good way to purchase? I can buy from CyclingExpress.com with free shipping over $100, and then return if fit is not good. Or am I better to go to a decent shop with a good selection, seeing that shoe fit can be such a difficult thing? Even if I got a correct size for one brand of shoe, maybe another model from them would fit differently, like be a wrong width? Is it REALLY worth buying roadie shoes from a shop?

 

[leitch]

As far as fit goes, leave a bit of space around your toes. If your cleat is positioned well, you will be driving virtually straight down anyway so slippage will be minimal (and your straps should hold your foot in position anyway). Having the extra space allows for better blood and air flow as your foot swells.

As far as buying shoes goes, I'm a big advocate of actually trying them on. Whether this means taking the price hit and buying from a shop, or doing the dark glasses/trench coat/hat routine and trying them on in a shop then buying online is up to you.

In regards heat mouldable shoes, a friend of mine rides in the mouldable Bont shoes and loves them. I've never tried them, but I can see how they would be appealing.

For what it's worth, I ride in the Specialized Pro Road shoes which have the ratchet top strap and velcro mid and lower (unfortunately not the Boa like the S-Works shoes which is flipping' awesome). I find they have a lot of good things going for them. First up they're really light and stiff. The carbon sole makes a huge difference over the old entry level Shimano shoes with resin sole I rode in up until late last year. Then, they're also well ventilated, and have a big square toe box which leaves plenty of space for my wide flat feet to spread out in. Combined with the BodyGeometry footbeds it's easy to get a really good, comfortable fit. The ratchet top strap helps here too - I find I do it right up til it's tight and my foot is secure, then back off one step for comfort. Finally, they match my red and white Assos socks. (I jest... but they're great shoes).

There are a lot of options, but I'll throw my vote in for Specialized. They're virtually impossible to find online, but you can get the top of the line S-Works model for ~$250AUD from HERE which is a ridiculously good price. Lower models are also all there for similarly cheap (in comparison to local prices)

 

[akashra]

My Specialized road shoes are over 4 years old and showing no signs of wearing out any time in the near future.

And yes, buy from a shop. When I got my M300s, they only had R300s to test, which were a completely different fit. You really do need to make sure you'll feel comfortable in them.

 

[McRae200008]

Response

Mate the road shoes should be firm but comfortable a better quality shoe that will last you a long time is the Garneu road biking shoes! They have a massive range but if your looking for a long lasting shoe get a better quality one $159.95 Velcro strap harnessing shoes, they provide better support and will last a lot longer than the standard road cycling velcro shoe.

Hope this helps!

 

[scblack]

Cheers guys I forgot about this thread, I bought some Sidi Genius 6.6 shoes. Awesome ride quality with a carbon sole, what a quantum leap up from the plastic soles on the old Shimano shoes. Bike Shed Mortdale sorted me out, cheers guys!