SPD Road shoes

[jamin100]

Looking to change my shoes as they were only a cheap buy to see if i got on with SPDs in the first place.

I like my double sided SPD pedals so dont want to change to SPD-SL

Looking for a road shoe no more than around the £80 mark

Any suggestions?

 

[ianrauk]

Check out the DHB range at Wiggle. They make some very good gear.

 

[mythste]

They all do much the same thing and with £80 to spare I'd suggest you can afford to be reasonably fussy. It's the fit thats important so if you have an evans or similar near you I'd advise going and trying on a few pairs.

I ordered a pair of shimano cheapy ones that were super uncomfortable and ended up with some specialized MTB race shoes that fit wonderfully after trying a couple on.

 

[ianrauk]

I ordered a pair of shimano cheapy ones that were super uncomfortable and ended up with some specialized MTB race shoes that fit wonderfully after trying a couple on.

Funny you say that.
I ordered an expensive pair of Shimano MTB shoes and they weren't the best. Went back to Spesh MTB shoes which are very comfy indeed. Especially over the long distances I do. The ShImano's are now only used for the commute.

 

[StuAff]

You don't want to fit SPD cleats on a road shoe- the shoes won't have a recess for the cleat so it'll stick out and be difficult if not potentially dangerous to walk on, worse than any road cleat system would be. There are plenty of MTB shoes that are well within your budget and more than up to the job. I got a pair of Sidi SDS Sierras from Planet X a couple of years back- sole plenty stiff yet still walkable.

 

[Drago]

There are some road/touring shoes designed for correctly recessed 2 bolt cleats, such as the perennial Shumano RT32. No need to resort to the weight, bulk and style of MTB shoes.

 

[jamin100]

Hmmm, was considering the Shimano R107 but as you say the cleat will be exposed. Are they that difficult to walk in? I dont commute so its only the usual saturday / sunday morning 50 miler with the lads

 

[StuAff]

There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding terminology going on here- you're not going off-roading, you basically want a road shoe but with a recess for SPD cleats. And you have many options for that. In pretty much every online store, those will be listed as MTB shoes. EG...http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-m20c-carbon-mountain-bike-cycling-shoe/ Doesn't mean they'll be heavy or less stylish, in many cases they are practically identical to the road shoe version. Apart from the not walking like you've got high heels.....

 

[Arjimlad]

I have these

http://road.cc/content/review/90820-shimano-rt82-spd-shoe

They've been in use a year, seen me through the winter. Commuting duties mainly and they still look & feel very good. They have recesses for the SPD cleats.

 

[outlash]

You don't want to fit SPD cleats on a road shoe- the shoes won't have a recess for the cleat so it'll stick out and be difficult if not potentially dangerous to walk on, worse than any road cleat system would be

Er, no.

I bought a pair of Shimano R-088's on the basis they took both 2 & 3 hole cleats as at the time I wasn't sure what system to use. I stuck with SPD's and I've never had issues with the shoes.

Tony.

 

[jamin100]

Er, no.

I bought a pair of Shimano R-088's on the basis they took both 2 & 3 hole cleats as at the time I wasn't sure what system to use. I stuck with SPD's and I've never had issues with the shoes.

Tony.

I don't do much walking only to the toilet or cafe etc, so what are they like to walk short distances in?

Am I likely to go arse over easily

 

[vickster]

Slippery, depends on the surface. Even with recessed cleats, some surfaces can be hairy!

 

[midlife]

Shimano shoes tend to be narrow and smaller than the size on the box. I'd be wary of ordering off the net without trying them on. Or be prepared to send them back

Maybe my feet are just wide. .... Quack.... Who said that?

Shaun

 

[outlash]

I don't do much walking only to the toilet or cafe etc, so what are they like to walk short distances in?

Am I likely to go arse over easily

I haven't found them to be a real pain, I would imagine you're more likely to turn your ankle over in them than anything else.

 

[StuAff]

Er, no.

I bought a pair of Shimano R-088's on the basis they took both 2 & 3 hole cleats as at the time I wasn't sure what system to use. I stuck with SPD's and I've never had issues with the shoes.

Tony.

Dave Mc Craw's review http://mccraw.co.uk/shimano-r078-r088-road-shoes-review/ has a photo of the sole with SPD cleat fitted, and it's very clearly exposed. He also says "The ability to use both three-hole and two-hole cleat systems is great if you’re looking for a rigid shoe to combine with conventional SPD pedals and only a bit of walking about". 'Only a bit' is somewhat key here I think. I've spent all day (and I mean all day) in shoes with recessed cleats without problems. No risk of tripping over or ankle turning. If you're going to do 'only a bit of walking about' and are happy to change shoes or just be careful when need be, something like the RO88s are perfectly good. No doubt some road shoes are better suited to SPDs than others.