Shoe Question

[PMK]

FWIW, I got the bike and have been using / riding each night to learn basic skills. That was the plan and honestly, it is a lot of fun and much different than riding the mtb or the tandems. Kind of makes this old guy feel like a kid again on his beater BMX wannabe bike at the time BMX was born. With luck and practice maybe I can ride a fraction of what others here ride.

I do not ride flat pedals on any of my bikes except this Inspired. The flat pedals are no big deal and make sense as has been posted by others. Long before the trials bike I have worn Vans shoes. Just for day to day use and so forth.

I have been riding in a spare pair of Vans on the bike and they work well overall.

For me though, I think I would prefer a more rigid sole that flaexes less. Typical of a mtb cycling shoe. Any thoughts or suggestions on this.

Maybe my years of racing mx and mtb riding have me too much on the balls of my feet.

If I thought riding in my Alpinestars Tech 8's would work I'd try them.

My leg muscles are fine, I just feel the load on my feet and at my age don't want a broken foot.

PK

[dngr2self]

I'd say wear whatever feels best. I started out wearing skate shoes but found the soles ripped apart too easy. I wear Adidas Terrex Solo's these days but I've seen people riding in all sorts of footwear. I've heard the Danny Mac signature shoes are good in terms of durability but I'm not rich enough to find out for myself )

[isitafox]

If you want some shoes with pretty rigid soles but really grippy then try and get a pair of Adidas Slack Cruisers. They have the same Stealth rubber soles as on FiveTens and are really comfy, so much so that my pair I bought for riding have become my everyday wear now!

[PMK]

I'll see if the Addidas are available locally.

I did find a I have an old pair of Shimano SPD mountain shoes that will never be used for mtb again. Plan to remove the cleats and just try a stiffer sole.

I saw the recent topic about the foot injury aand inside was a video of Ali C tearing his foot up pretty good. Not sure if a stiff sole would have helped prevent the injuries or done them worse.

http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/topic/189631-broken-foot-recovery/?hl=foot

PK

Edited January 3, 2015 by PMK

[psiron]

And for the discerning rider the 'Five Ten freerider', you can find them discounted on ebay etc. These shoes are excellent for trials especially as they are quite well padded and offer a lot of support, which is useful for when you bale, they are very grippy and the sole is reasonably rigid, the only downside with these shoes are the cost.

[peter_t]

I wear vans, something with a soft flexy sole like most skate shoes seems to grip the pedals better. Something too stiff and i don't feel connected with the bike and am less conscious of where my feet are. I tried walked boots in the winter on my mountain bike and it just didn't feel right! Stiff shoes are great for SPDs when your clipped in and can get the power down but for me i need to feel those pins doing their job with flats!

[PMK]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to look for the Addidas and see how they feel. The Vans work without doubt. I'll take the old MTB shoes and give them a try. See what feels best.

PK

[Mark W]

Vans with a cup sole rather than vulcanised feel quite a bit stiffer, so if the Vans you've had previously have been vulc-soled then maybe try out some of their other models. Admittedly though compared to planks-of-wood-with-laces like FiveTens and so on they're still comparatively flexy.

[jnthebiker]

FiveTen Freeriders are definitely the best I've felt so far! So grippy and feel amazing!

Edited January 23, 2015 by jnthebiker