Look at these shoes...

[KnottedYet]

That cleat placement is rather odd, but I suppose it would compensate for the narrow-ish stance of standard pedals, vs the wider stance some women need.

Kinda think I'd rather mess with spindle length than with cleat placement, though.

[Wahine]

Not only that, the cleat placement is farther toward the front of the foot than what you would normally want. Looks odd to me.

[ehirsch83]

all i can say is.. the are made by schwinn... not exactly known for their great products.

[Zen]

Ahhh, but once upon a time they were.
Who never lusted after a Stingray or Varsity?

Anyway, now I think I've narrowed it down to either
the Adidas Diva

or the

Cannondale Roam

The Cannondales look sturdy but the Adidas look like they'd be cool on a hot day.

[sgtiger]

I have a pair of the Cannon Roams in a size 8 regular that I purchased last year. Very comfy. Feels like a sneaker but with a stiff sole. I did replace the original insert with a blue Superfeet insole though. It just makes the fit that much better for my rather-low-but-long-arched feet. Just so you know I have very wide feet - 7 1/2 EEE with narrower heals. These shoes fit me quite well even though they are a regular width, so if you have narrow feet they may not be for you. In fact, many of the wide width cycling shoes I tried before these pinched my feet.

[emily_in_nc]

Ahhh, but once upon a time they were.
Who never lusted after a Stingray or Varsity?

Anyway, now I think I've narrowed it down to either
the Adidas Diva

or the

Cannondale Roam

The Cannondales look sturdy but the Adidas look like they'd be cool on a hot day.

I have some very similar Cannondales from several years ago. They are comfy but feel very clunky and heavy to me -- more like hiking boots than bike shoes. I also had to shave a lot off the sole to work with Eggbeater Candies pedals, and still had some clipping in issues even after that.

I also have some Pearl Izumi MTB shoes that are a similar style to the Adidas Diva and like them MUCH better. I use Speedplay Frog cleats with them, and they completely recess so I can walk in them without contacting the cleat. They are lighter and sleeker than the Cannondales. I like the look of those Adidas a lot!

Emily

[Trek420]

Looks odd to me.

Yes, but who cares about the fit ... and your knees ... and eventually your back ... and .... just lookit that price Clipless and so cheeeeap too.

[emily_in_nc]

They may be on such a good sale because they are not good. I would be very wary of them -- I value my knees.

Emily

[KnottedYet]

I'm kinda diggin' those C'dale Roams....

[Zen]

They may be on such a good sale because they are not good.

Some brands/styles, yes (see the Schwinns).
Otherwise, it's inventory reduction time.

[emily_in_nc]

Some brands/styles, yes (see the Schwinns).
Otherwise, it's inventory reduction time.

Oh yes, sorry -- I meant the Schwinns. I have the opposite problem than these shoes seem to address. I have narrow hips and need as narrow a q-factor as possible (especially since my pelvic fracture), which means moving my cleats as far outboard as possible on my shoes. The Schwinns would be a big no-no for me.

Emily