Road Shoe vs Touring Shoe?

[John Driz]

So I am pretty new to road biking and was hoping someone could recommend whether I should get a Road Shoe or a Touring Shoe.  Do road shoes have a stiffer sole and transfer more energy?  Or does one have fewer hot spots than another?  I'm looking at a Shimano RT80 Shoes with Soho pedal if I go this route but I'm open to suggestions.  I've even heard recommendations to just buy a stiff mountain bike shoe and pedals for my road bike in case I want to switch between road and cyclocross.

[staehpj1]

I find that a good stiff MTB shoe and spd pedals work well for me.

Personally I think it is worth buying Sidi shoes, but I don't spring for the most expensive model.  I have the Bullet 2 model and think they were the most bang for the buck at the time I bought them.  The Dominator is too expensive and too "space alien" looking for my tastes.  I think the models have recently changed and the Sidi Giau looks a lot like what the Bullet 2 was.  BTW if you have wide feet the Mega versions of the Sidi models are great.

[JimF]

Whichever you choose, if you plan on cleats, take a look at Speedplay Frogs. Durable, float, and easily maintained. A nice feature is that they are imbedded in the bike shoe indent, which means you can walk on hard floors without "tap dancing" your presence. I've used them for years on both mtb shoes as well as adding them to new Keen Commuter sandals, which I also can recommend. You also can't go wrong with Sidi's, either, as mentioned in previous reply.

[paddleboy17]

I have mountain bike SPD pedals on all of my bikes.  I also have 2 pairs of bike shoes.  The older pair has multiple release Shimano cleats, and these are my mountain biking shoes.  I make minimal effort to keep them presentable.  My other pair of shoes, the newer ones, have single release Shimano cleats, and these are my road biking shoes.  I make a lot of effort to keep these presentable.

Some day I will have to get a new pair of shoes, probably because I have to retire the mountain bike shoes.  I will rotate the shoes so that the road bike shoes are always the newer pair.

[rvklassen]

Whichever you choose, if you plan on cleats, take a look at Speedplay Frogs. Durable, float, and easily maintained. A nice feature is that they are imbedded in the bike shoe indent, which means you can walk on hard floors without "tap dancing" your presence. I've used them for years on both mtb shoes as well as adding them to new Keen Commuter sandals, which I also can recommend. You also can't go wrong with Sidi's, either, as mentioned in previous reply.

The ability to walk on hard floors, as well as asphalt, etc., comes with pretty well any MTB shoes.  There are other advantages of Frogs, however, including weight, and lack of springs to adjust.   I've not ridden them, but of those who have, I've not heard of any who disliked them.

[santiam bicycle]

Mr. Driz,

First of all, to really get sound advice to your specific needs, please give more detail as to what you're doing. I agree with what everyone said above (minus the Frogs part as I've never owned any. However, I know several people who own them and love them.) The type of riding you do will factor into what shoes you want.

"Are road shoes stiffer?" Yes. Absolutely. They are also terrible to walk in and damage wooden floors and many spin classes no longer allow them into their building. I think they are a terrible choice for commuters and people on tours. I like a shoe I can walk into a cafe and not have to duck walk around, or to hop off the bike and walk along...say the Black Cliffs of Moher. .....However (lol) if you are on a tour with a group who like to put the pedal to the metal and grind out 100+ miles a day, then I definitely recommend road pedals and shoes.

So give us some more info as to you intended use.

[staehpj1]

"Are road shoes stiffer?" Yes. Absolutely.

That may be true for some shoes, but I have not found that to be the case with Sidis.  There is typically a road model and an MTB model that are the identical shoe except for the cleat attachment and the raised tread.   So my Thetas (road) are just the same upper and have the same stiffness sole as my Bullet 2s.  I think the Genuis is the same as the Dominator in that regard, and other MTB and road models are similarly paired.

[santiam bicycle]

Actually, I can't argue with that at all Stay-hip. I've got dominator mt. Sidi's. Not as stiff as I would like, and the more basic roads have the same sole I believe. However, the carbon soled are way stiffer. If i were going to get road shoes, I'd definitely pony up for the the carbon soled shoes.

[staehpj1]

Actually, I can't argue with that at all Stay-hip. I've got dominator mt. Sidi's. Not as stiff as I would like, and the more basic roads have the same sole I believe. However, the carbon soled are way stiffer. If i were going to get road shoes, I'd definitely pony up for the the carbon soled shoes.

Yep true enough that carbon shoes will be stiffer and Sidi makes carbon MTB shoes too,  A bit rich for my blood though.

BTW are you located near Santiam Pass?  My daughter and I should be riding through there some time near the end of June on our Sierra Cascades tour.  We rode McKenzie Pass on the TA in 2007 so we were near there then.  That part of Oregon is a beautiful part of the country.

[John Driz]

So being new to road biking I'm still in training only riding 20-30 miles for now, but that might have something to do with how uncomfortable my Keen Trail shoes are with platform pedals.  I just ordered Exustar MTB Carbon shoes for $50, Nashbar Soho pedals (Shimano A530 copies) $40 at Nashbar.  I'm going to have to figure out how to shorten the screws on the cleats so they don't dig into feet.
I had so many different responses from bike shops around town on whether to buy road or mountain bike shoes for road biking.  I really appreciate your guys input and honest answers!  Thanks

[MTNGator]

I have used Teva sandals with plain step-on pedals, Look 296 road pedals with mega-buck Sidis and just about everything in between on my touring bikes. My current set-up includes Shimano A530s with either very old Cannondale mountain shoes or somewhat newer Specialized "touring" shoes - both with Shimano multi-directional cleats.

I loved the Tevas but they slipped off the pedals when the soles were wet and the Sidis were the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn but the soles were too slick and I found myself having difficulty putting my foot down on wet asphalt when stopping. The present set-up, while not as "cool" as some works really well for me - just my 2-cents.

[rvklassen]

I loved the Tevas but they slipped off the pedals when the soles were wet and the Sidis were the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn but the soles were too slick and I found myself having difficulty putting my foot down on wet asphalt when stopping. The present set-up, while not as "cool" as some works really well for me - just my 2-cents.

I have a pair of Lake cycling sandals.  They're not as light as I'd like, and the sizing is a bit small for the numerical value. But, they do clip on, and come close to Tevas in other respects.  It has to be very cold (at least -5C) before a good pair of hiking socks under those sandals isn't adequate for warmth.  And on a warm summer day when it rains, I don't mind as much when I'm barefoot in sandals.

[Tourista829]

I have Specialize Shoes with SPD cleats. The souls are hard enough unless you are racing. There are road shoes that are set up for both types of cleats. Like the other people who posted, it is not fun to walk on your heals. The SPD's with the recessed cleat are better. I am not familiar with Speed Play Frogs. Shoes have come a long way from when I started, some of you may remember, a pair of Advocet "Touring Shoes'" with toe clips. (Still popular in the UK) Maybe they know something we don't.

[edmilkman]

Touring shoes should have a full rubber sole to walk on, except for the recessed part where the snap-in part is, which is best because it will not wear down quickly like cleats on a mtn shoe.


May I add that I love my Frogs, but I made the mistake of buying a top-of-the line SIDI Dragon mtn bike shoe because they had a replaceable set of cleats.

The problem was that the cleat replacements cost $80 which I did not check before spending the money. So now I just use the Dragons as my stiff road shoe, and I'll be looking for a new pair of flat sole "touring" shoe before I go on my summer tour.  I wore out my very nice Nike ACG (whatever that means) touring shoes last summer because I tried to do a long day hike over loose rocks in them at Hoosier Pass in CO on the Trans Am.

So if you like to hike on your tours like I do, be smarter than me and buy or carry  pair of sneakers for that !

[whittierider]

"Are road shoes stiffer?" Yes. Absolutely. They are also terrible to walk in and damage wooden floors

Get Kool Kovers rubber cleat covers for when you need to walk into a store, restaurant, etc..  They eliminate the slipperiness and won't damage hardwood floors.  They're easy to put on and take off.  They won't turn your cycling shoes into hiking boots, but they eliminate the objections commonly raised about road shoes.  I and my family use them.



The wider support base of a road shoe is a benefit for many.