What shoes?

I had been using the toe spikes but I took them out until I noticed how much the front of the shoe right into the sole was really wearing down so I put them back in

IME the toe spikes seem to stop wear on the front of the sole , also they help with traction

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Originally Posted by kootenayskier

. One of these days someone will add an off-set anatomical toe box and onto a narrow heeled cycling shoe and I’ll finally have comfortable feet, but until then the Shimanos are the best of a mediocre bunch.

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narrow heel, low volume mid foot wide fore foot ... you ^^ should try specialized , specially if you fit a mercury or vulcan with minimal work, you can usually only find them at a specialized shoes at a specialized dealer, apparently they make their dealers carry all their stuff

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Originally Posted by beaterdit

I've used them at various times. Generally handy IMO. They give you extra grip for hiking up steep, soft/loose stuff and protect the sole of the shoe some. They suck on rock. If you want to get some just go to 'sports supply' store and get a 20 pack of football cleats for $5. The bike-brand specific ones are expensive and not real different.



I liked those a lot, hopefully you have better luck than I did with the soles. I think the toe spikes did help protect them. See advice above, think I got them at Big Five. Or hit me up, I've got a handful left I'm not gonna use.

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Thanks, I hope the soles last a bit for me. I thought you had a different model of Giros that wore out fast though?

Good to know on big 5, i wouldn't have thought of that.

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Originally Posted by muted

Thanks, I hope the soles last a bit for me. I thought you had a different model of Giros that wore out fast though?

Good to know on big 5, i wouldn't have thought of that.

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Both. Shredded the Terraduros and the Privateers. The Privateers went quick, like three months. I do a fair amount of hike a bike in loose rock, that seems to be what does it.

Are any of these more hikable shoes as or nearly as stiff as the XC weenie ones? I like a really stiff sole, but want something that's a bit better suited to hiking.

I haven’t use these but I looked at the new Pearl Izumi top-of-the-line shoe that’s supposed to flex in the front and still be stiff for pedaling, maybe worth a look.

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Originally Posted by bagtagley

Are any of these more hikable shoes as or nearly as stiff as the XC weenie ones? I like a really stiff sole, but want something that's a bit better suited to hiking.

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Not that I've found. Some of them have a decently a decently stiff shank that's just shorter - it cuts off at the ball of the foot. But they're still quite a bit less stiff than a real xc shoe.

Just an FYI: Competitive Cyclist has a big sale (esp Giro and Shimano) on shoes right now. Just picked up a couple pairs at >50% off.

I'll toss in another vote for Sidi. I have been riding my Dominators for years and they are still going strong. Grabbed a set of Terraduros at the end of 2017 thinking I'd give them a shot but every time I try them out for a ride, I go back to my Sidis. Definitely a ball-punch when you first lay down the money but getting this many years out of them has been worth it.

I do agree...nothing fun to walk around in. FWIW, I found their sizing to be pretty true to my street shoe. I run a 10.5 in most of my athletic footwear and am in a 44

Probably most of the Italian brands seem to be that fit. Not sure if they’re still readily available but gaerne are/were nice, diadora, North wave. And my adidas are a really nice shoe that fits that bill. I haven’t been looking at clip shoes but been thinking I’d try north wave flat shoes(Michelin rubber) or Ride Concepts(a lot of great options with 3 rubber compounds and inside ankle protection with low on the outside). Not up to speed on either of their clipped shoes but they seem to be Developing good tech

Just saw this.maybe you want to try another pair of shimanos

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/...ay-initiative/

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by bagtagley

Are any of these more hikable shoes as or nearly as stiff as the XC weenie ones? I like a really stiff sole, but want something that's a bit better suited to hiking.

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I used to try to get away with a stiff soled xc shoe to fit both duties but since getting two dedicated shoes to suit each role I've been much happier. Shimano XC7s for most of my riding duties (I really do prefer the stiffness and lightness, relatively durable rubber for easier hiking) and if I know I'm doing longer and rockier hikes (plus bike park) then I grab the ME7s (stiff enough but noticeably less so than the XC7, unfortunately warmer and heavier). The cheap price of Shimano from Europe makes two pairs tough to ignore.

One of the original stiff XC shoes to come with rubber was the Specialized SWorks Trail shoe which I used to love for its super stiff carbon sole but it was stupid to use for long hike-a-bikes (think Mt. Cartier, 7000') due to that stiffness, plus the rubber would 'chunk' and break off (fortunately warrantied multiple times).

I've had a couple pairs of Mavic carbon soled xc shoes and their Contragrip rubber has proved to be surprisingly very durable and long lasting on rough/rocky terrain, but again, too stiff for long walks.

One trick for longevity and traction at the toe is to use aluminium toe studs (the aluminium is soft enough that I can quickly grind them down on the asphalt in the parking lot to about 50% to provide enough extra traction in soft conditions yet not hinder walking).

My perfect shoe could be if Shimano took the ME7, kept the rubber as is and replaced the sole with more carbon, replace the laces with a BOA, and get rid of that stupid lace shield.

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Originally Posted by robnow

I used to try to get away with a stiff soled xc shoe to fit both duties but since getting two dedicated shoes to suit each role I've been much happier. Shimano XC7s for most of my riding duties (I really do prefer the stiffness and lightness, relatively durable rubber for easier hiking) and if I know I'm doing longer and rockier hikes (plus bike park) then I grab the ME7s (stiff enough but noticeably less so than the XC7, unfortunately warmer and heavier). The cheap price of Shimano from Europe makes two pairs tough to ignore.

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I've been really happy with my Shimano XC5's. Super light and stiff but not XC-race stiff. I use them for everything from gravel to trail riding. I've also got a pair of AM9's which I'm using less due to their weight but I'll use them for occasional gravity ride.

Seems like a no brainer to upgrade to lighter shoes before dropping big money on carbon cranks or fragile, featherweight pedals.