Ford, Chevy? Chocolate, Vanilla?

[CyclChyk]

Ford, Chevy? Chocolate, Vanilla? It's tired, I know. Like beating a dead horse... But the saddle question shows there is a decidedly favorite one amongst TE.. Brooks... So I have to wonder if there is a decidedly favorite road bike shoe? I am looking at trying the Speedplay Light Action's but with all the shoe choices, have no idea which is best....

Can anyone offer input as to what they have tried and loved or hated? It might help me save some money by not buying shoes repeatedly.....

Thank in advance for any input .......

[pll]

Like shorts or saddles (or as with any shoes, for that matter), it depends on fit and how you ride. I like Sidis, some find them too narrow.

[malkin]

Lots of people here ride happily on saddles other than Brooks, OTOH some of us went through many trials and tears before landing on Brooks and we became zealous in our devotion to them.

As for shoes, I have these: http://www.dromarti.com/index.php?ma...products_id=29

I just looked up the post I made shortly after they arrived and that was July 2010. They feel as wonderful as they look, maybe better even, because they are leather and now they know my feet very well.

[Sky King]

I have been drooling over those shoes since about 2010. Heard a great comment the other day "buy once, cry once" as opposed to "buy price, buy twice" Good to know they are worth it

Lots of people here ride happily on saddles other than Brooks, OTOH some of us went through many trials and tears before landing on Brooks and we became zealous in our devotion to them.

As for shoes, I have these: http://www.dromarti.com/index.php?ma...products_id=29

I just looked up the post I made shortly after they arrived and that was July 2010. They feel as wonderful as they look, maybe better even, because they are leather and now they know my feet very well.

[malkin]

Same idea, my dad used to say, "Buy the best; cry once."
I haven't regretted those shoes for a minute!

[rebeccaC]

as pll wrote it's a personal choice made with riding/feet in mind. i bought a pair of Carnac's when i was in college, starting to do brevets and when money was very tight. i'm glad i did as they are as comfortable today as they were 5+ years ago and with care they still look almost new. plus they were made in Gesté France which isn't far from where i grew up.

[OakLeaf]

+1 it's mostly about the fit, and once you've got that (NOT before), take into account the conditions you ride in.

For me, my men's Lakes are the only cycling shoes I've tried on in 30 years that are wide enough for me (and because I still have to go a couple of sizes long to get the width, PLUS I have long toes, cleat placement still isn't ideal with them).

Once you've got a pair that fits, you can think about your weather. If you've got one pair of shoes that you'll be riding in year round, including cold weather, you probably don't want something super vented. If you often ride in the rain, you might want to stay away from leather (which takes much longer to dry, plus a little extra attention when it's saturated). Et cetera.

[CyclChyk]

Excellent points everyone, thank you for your input. I have been thinking in terms of the shoe sole primarily, and now I see that is pretty naive. Of course conditions will play a big factor. Why did I not think of that?? I think I am OVER thinking and that is my real problem.

Thanks again everyone!

[cosc]

I wore sidi dominators for several years, but was doing my forefoot no favors with the narrower shoe. Trying on shoes wasn't an option since I live in a place without much for cycling apparel.
I changed to spd-sl road pedals a month ago, purchased some men's giro factor shoes from internet, which fit my feet better. The toe box is wider than my women's sidis. I wear a women's 8 1/2 street shoe and the men's giro 40 1/2 fits my foot. Fit is paramount when buying a cycling shoe.
The sidi's reliability and longevity is probably better though.
Try on locally if you can for best fit.