Hi,
I need you opinion, I am looking for new shoes (road) with a carbon sole. I am not looking for someone to sell me his shoes, but rather a model suggestion. I am looking a good bang for the buck shoe, maybe not out of control 700$ Sidi shoes (a mid-range Sidi would be fine I guess). My foot is a bit wide, and I am looking for shoes available in Montreal ideally. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
i too have feet on the wider side of average. I have found both Sidi and Addidas to fit on the narrow side. I ended up going with Nike. Perhaps I loose a bit of Euro flair, but the shoe fits.
Sidi’s fit slim, like Mike said. Sidi expects you to seek out their “Mega” size shoes if you need a wide fit, which is reasonable. I have a pair of Genius 5’s, and they have served me well. Sidi engineers a little flex into all of their shoes (including their carbon ones,) in the name of comfort. This is something to consider, since a shoe that is too stiff can be just as uncomfortable as one that is too flexy. Carbon can be nice in shoes, but don’t get oversold.
I’ve always found Pearl Izumi’s to have a nice, boxy toe. The first year I worked at a shop, their Vagabond shoes sold better than any others in their price range, and crushed Shimano’s offerings, which were narrower and more “European”-looking at the time. In subsequent years, Shimano has adopted a similar, wider design, and are more comfortable (and sold better) as a result, so I would look into them, too.
I’m very happy with my shimano’s. I tried SIDIs and while they are beautiful I found them narrow and uncomfortable on the bridge of the foot.
I have a pair of carbon Lake’s which I pretty much stole for 30$ at the KMI warehouse sale. they are uberstiff and not too narrow. So far I love them.
I just got myself Specialized S-Work road shoes. I have slightly wider feet and the shoes fit snug but comfortable. They are pretty stiff, however the main reason for me to get them was the fact that I do not get pressure zones on the top of my feet even if I nicely tighten them up so that my feet do not move in the shoes; also, I do not get hot spots on the sole. Both are very important to me because in order for my older Shimanos to be comfortable I had to wear them slightly loose and hence slipped around in them slightly when I pulled hard. Another thing to look for is that the heel is nicely capped, which also prevents slipping during a hard pull. I guess it’s important to wear them for a while in the store even if the shop assistant may not like it.
I am very happy with the Specialized shoes.
I’ll second Andreas’ plug for the Specialized shoes. Nice stiff shoes with different in-sole options depending on the shape of your arch. They also manage to avoid cheap ratchets/straps so they’re reliable.
Wow quick reply from everyone, thanks! Great info. I have a few questions/comments on your recommandations.
Are the Sidi wide shoes available in Montreal (MartinSwiss, Abc? ) and are they full on wide or just not so slim? (if that makes sense)
About the nike shoes, can you buy them in Canada? No mention on the Nike canada website… Are they rigid? Carbon sole available?
I didn’t thought about Lake shoes, I’ll check them out thanks
For the Specialized shoes, I already had good comments, you confirmed it. I will try them on if you say they are pretty stiff and solid.
AJ good point with the heel… I’ll make sure to have a close look at it
Whats are good places to get shoes in Mtl, Martin Swiss? Abc? Any other good ones?
I also have a question regarding a new cassette, I’ll post it in a different topic… Hopefully I’ll get another enthusiast response
I got the Nike’s at Cycle Regis up on Van Horne, and yes they have a carbon sole.
for the shops:
Cycles Gervais Rioux: sidi + adidas
Abc cycles: shimano + specialized + time
Régis: nike + sidi + diadora + dmt
Martin Swiss: ?? probably nike
Mountain Equipment Coop: sidi (some models only)
Okay and I learnt something else interesting.
Road shoe sizes don’t necessarily make sense.
I wear 10.5 shoes but I found a pair of size 42 Diadoras (listed as US 8.5 Mens) and they fit like gloves.
On a related note;
I started out as a mountain biker and as such have been using mountain shoes when I road bike. My question is, what are the advantages to road shoes? Is it worth the money to buy a new set of pedals and shoes?