Cycling shoes

[marfa]

Hi Everyone,

I've finally decided to 'treat' myself and buy proper road bike shoes.

So a couple of questions,

1) Are shoe sizes unisex or is a 39 a womens?
2) What shoe and price would you buy/pay for a beginners shoe?

Many thanks

Marf x

[tantrumbean]

A 39 is just european sizing, some shoes are unisex, a lot of them aren't. If it comes in a 39 it might well be either a woman's or unisex as a lot of the men's don't start till a 40 or 41.

What shoe you can get will depend on what pedals you've got.

[VeloVT]

European sizes are unisex. A men's 38 is the same length as a women's 38, and so on. A given euro size corresponds to different men's and women's US sizes.

However, even though lengths for a 38w and a 38m are the same, women's shoes are sometimes made on a women's specific last with narrower heels. Some brands may be narrower overall in the women's fit as well.

I wear size 39 in Sidi, and I have women's 39 Sidi mountain shoes and men's 39 Sidi road shoes. They fit mostly the same, definitely the same length and they fit pretty similarly overall, but the women's is definitly narrower in the heel and maybe a tiny bit less volume overall.

You should be able to get a beginner shoe for between $100-$150. If you can catch a deal at Performance/Nashbar, you might get them for considerably less, but you need to know which brands fit your foot.

[TrekTheKaty]

I bought my first pair of Cannondale mountain bike shoes on clearance at REI for about $60. My new Pearl Izumi mtb shoes (I prefer mtb shoes because they are easier to walk in) I paid $100 for. I thought that was a bargain since sidi's can be over $300

[tctrek]

I always get confused by the European sizing. There's a few sites online that will give you the conversion, such as: http://goeurope.about.com/cs/shoppin...othes_size.htm

I like Sidi's, but most of them are a little pricey. I have a very narrow heel, so I get my normal size 38 in Sidi. But I've heard if you have wide feet to size up on the Sidi's. I've heard great reviews about the Sidi Dominator. There's some threads out here about them.

I also have a pair of Cannondale MTB shoes. I like them very much except they are heavy and make my gym bag weigh a ton. Shimano MTB shoes are also quite popular.

If you have SPD pedals, you can go with an MTB shoe, no problem. If you have some other type of pedal, you will have to match up your pedal to the type of cleat and make sure that the shoe you buy supports that type of cleat (that it has the correct # of screw holes in the sole).

[crazycanuck]

Marfa, if you're buyin shoes in perth, you'll pay anywhere from $150+. A few places to have a look could be Wembley Cycles, Malaga Cycles or Fleet CYcles(in the city). Sidi's are nice but can be $$$

If you can't find the sizes you want & end up wanting Sidi's..try TE. Shipping down to our part of the planet isn't too bad & quite fast!!!

[marfa]

Hey guys,

Many thanks for the your all your advice, I can't wait to get my shoes, even though I'm sure I'll fall over whilst stationary a couple of times!

Will keep you posted.

Marf

[VeloVT]

After a quick Google I found this:
http://www2.bsn.de/Cycling/shoe-sizing.html

There might be better ones if you are willing to do a more exhaustive search. However, I would recommend taking a trip to a bike shop and trying some on, because they all fit differently. I am easy to fit and most brands are comfortable to me, but my boyfriend tried on just about every model at every bike shop in town before he found one that was comfortable for him.

[sundial]

When you are shoe shopping consider buying 1/2 to 1 size larger than what you normally wear in street shoes since your feet will swell some during cycling.

[tribogota]

my first shoes are Specialized, women's (pink stripe and all), 85 US a year ago, totally comfortable, can ride without socks in Triathlons up to 40k with no chafing. Have ridden over 2000k on them and still look new, just started to smell a bit though...love them
still fall over occasionally though at stop lights and other city traffic moments and if I have to stop going up a steep hill I have a real hard time clipping in again when I have to get started

[meggiestardust]

When I got my shoes, I think I tried on 10 or 15 pairs before I found some that fit right. Different models in the same brand even fit me differently. I have pretty narrow feet and usually wear a size 7.5 US in converse, for the bike shoes I ended up going with specialized road shoes, I don't know the model, but they are womens and they are black, size 38.5.

[bmccasland]

I got lucky, and checked my X-country ski boots for size first as I knew they'd be in metric (European sizing). My skis are sadly in the attic of my garage, but I refuse to give them up.

[Ana]

Why don't you post a "want" ad and see if anyone has something lying around?

I got some Sidis from Nashbar for ~$60 when I was starting out Keep your eyes peeled for some good deals. Be forewarned: know your size. The sizes between brands vary a bit so make sure you know what size fits you best. Cycling shoes are meant to fit more snugly than regular shoes (I have a thumb's length of space at the top of my running shoes). When I purchased my Sidis, I ordered both sizes I thought might fit me and sent back the ones that didn't fit.

Sometimes if you purchase your bike form a local shop, they will give you a discount on other gear