Shoe recommendations

[toxnerd]

Hello ladies! I'm looking to upgrade to a nice pair of road shoes. I currently have low end Nike and they are killing my feet. Any suggestions?? I have a few friends in the cycling business and they recommend either Mavic or Giro. They claim Sidi is good but the other two brands give more quality for the dollar. Any firsthand experiences anyone would like to share?

[SadieKate]

I'd suggest you first figure out what fits your feet.

[zoom-zoom]

I'd suggest your first figure out what fits your feet.

That. But I LOVE my Louis Garneau shoes! I had both the mountain and road versions of their top-of-the-line shoes. The uppers are repeatedly heat-moldable in the oven. The road ones (CFS-300 is the model name, I believe) are super ventilated.

I had a pair of Sidi Dominators, but they were WAY too narrow for me and eventually I started having nerve issues in my feet. I have a very wide foot, so men's LG's work a lot better for me.

[SadieKate]

And I love my Sidi Dominators because they are the only shoe that fits my feet.

Shoes are like helmets.* Who really cares what someone else likes unless they have the exact same head shape?



*And ogres are like onions.;)

[OakLeaf]

What part of your feet don't fit in the Nikes? They're notoriously narrow, for one thing, but only you can tell if that's the problem.

If you give us an idea of the shape of your feet maybe we can help.

If you need super wide shoes, see if you can find a pair of EE width men's Lake - the heels are still narrow enough to be manageable for a typical woman's foot. If you're in the USA, they no longer have a distributor here, but you might be able to find a pair on departmentofgoods.com or elsewhere online while they last.

[zoom-zoom]

If you're in the USA, they no longer have a distributor here, but you might be able to find a pair on departmentofgoods.com or elsewhere online while they last.

I wonder if the distributor who is picking up Shebeest will be picking up Lake and Descente, too...?

[westtexas]

That. But I LOVE my Louis Garneau shoes! I had both the mountain and road versions of their top-of-the-line shoes. The uppers are repeatedly heat-moldable in the oven. The road ones (CFS-300 is the model name, I believe) are super ventilated.

+1 for Louis Garneau and their heat-moldable inserts. I really want the new Giro Carbon shoes because they are pink and black, but on the other hand, I really really really like my Garneaus.

[Karma007]

I think you just have to try a few, at different price points. I chose my Sidi Dominator's based on having shoes that I love vs like. It wasn't cheap, but I love them more than anything in the world.

[pll]

+1 for Louis Garneau and their heat-moldable inserts. I really want the new Giro Carbon shoes because they are pink and black, but on the other hand, I really really really like my Garneaus.

Since you like pink, have you seen the Diadora Aerospeed 2 (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1099462_-1_1604510_1604509_400261) (in pink and white)?

[colby]

If you need super wide shoes, see if you can find a pair of EE width men's Lake - the heels are still narrow enough to be manageable for a typical woman's foot. If you're in the USA, they no longer have a distributor here, but you might be able to find a pair on departmentofgoods.com or elsewhere online while they last.

+1 on that for anyone with wide feet.

Someone who works at the LBS said they tried bont shoes because they were THE BEST and they sell them at their store, but they weren't really wowed. I had a pair of (relatively spendy) Sidis and they were awesome shoes, but not built for my feet. Sometimes low end/less expensive shoes that are comfy get the job done ;)

Shimanos tend to be wider, also, like normal-to-wide width shoes (B womens/D mens, maybe more generous) rather than narrower as many bike shoe brands are.

I also have a pair of Keen casual cycling shoes that I used when we were in Italy, and they were about the same width as my Shimano road shoes, though they are 2-hole, not 3-hole.

Anyway, tell us what you're looking for and a variety of opinions awaits!

[azfiddle]

I have been happy with the Louis Garneau shoes I started with over 2 years ago, and I have a slightly wide foot with a bunion and arthritis in my big toe. However, they will need to be replaced in the next few months.

I got fitted by a Sidi representative yesterday after El Tour de Tucson. He said that Sidi's have a different cut in the toe box. I also have superfeet inserts in my current shoes, and he said that would add 1/2 size. So although my current shoes, are size 38, the Sidi's that fit me are size 39. The model I tried on was the Genius 5, but he said the fit would be the same on all of them.

They felt good overall, but I could feel a little bit of pressure on the bad toe- adjusting the velcro might be enough to fix that, but I'm not 100% sure.

I haven't decided if I can afford them but they gave me a 10% discount coupon at any local bike shop that carries Sidi, good until the end of the year.