Advice on MTB Shoes

mak78

Looking for some advice regarding shoes for mountain bike. I have a Lapierre Hardtail with flat pedals and currently use a pair of decent New Balance hiking trainers. I've started to find my toes cramping a bit and reckon it could be to do with too much flex in the sole. Would a pair of proper MTB shoes help this - do they really make a differences when riding? Any recommendations on a decent pair? I've seen good reviews for Five Ten shoes - anyone tried them? Don't really want to go the SPD route just yet until I can manage technical stuff a bit better.

redzone

Mtb shoes have a stiff sole so that would probably help with preventing your feet flexing. Ye could get them and use them for a while without the spd cleets so as just to get use to them.

I found the main problem was that my feet kept moving around on the pedals when on bumpy downhills, I was using the wide Wellgo pedals with the pins for grip. Have only recently started using the spd on the Mtb and its much better, sure there are a few falls to start with but the slagging hurt more than the fall.

Regarding the Five Tens, I don't have any experience with these, I got a pair of Shimano shoes with spd cleets and pedals from chain reaction and they are perfect for my needs.Hope this helps yor problem.:)

zil

The stiffer sole should help with the cramping as it would make it less likely that you'd be using your toes. A lot of people regard five tens as one of the best flat mtb shoes (I've even heard some people say that they're too sticky and grip their pedals too much) but they have a price to match. If you don't mind spending the cash five tens are the way to go, personally they're too pricey for me so if anyone has recommendations for a decent but most of all cheap flat shoe I'd love to hear about it.

mak78

Cheers for the advice folks ... Snow & Rock in Dundrum seem to have some Five Tens on sale so gonna drop in and see what they're like ... and the price. Some of the models have the recessed spd as well so could use them on flats or spds maybe in the future. Little worried they might be quite big and bulky compared to the Shimanos etc. I'm size 11 so there the risk of looking like clown shoes so will go try them on rather than buying online.

studiorat

I use Shimano shoes and egg beater pedals size 11. I hear great reports about the Five Tens, meant to be really grippy. Downhiller fella I work with swears by them

ravendude

Can't beat the FiveTens. They stick like glue to any half decent flat pedal and the rigid sole should help with your foot cramps.

xxyyzz

I have the 5/10 low impacts and they are very good. The grip in the sole is unreal - I think they primarily manufacture shoes for climbers. They go very well with the wellgo pedals with the pins. I've never slipped off them even in the wettest conditions. However, as was said earlier, SPD is probably the way to go once you have a bit more confidence on the bike. They make your pedalling far more efficient.

ravendude

xxyyzz wrote: »

SPD is probably the way to go once you have a bit more confidence on the bike. They make your pedalling far more efficient.

All depends on what type of riding and tracks you're into. Personally, i find flats make me ride more aggresively generally. True enough, -pedalling is less efficient, but I reckon I hit things a bit harder knowing I can bail and won't get binned (quite) as much if I do crash. Most clip pedals (non DH ones) are not positioned so great for doing jumps and drops, ie. the cleat is forward on the shoe, whereas the best position for jumps and drops is halfway on the shoe..
Also, I reckon i'm a long way yet from riding DH with clips!

So like many good answers, - it depends....