Cyclocross shoes?

[jpw]

Seeking recommendations for cyclcross shoes, and insight about shoe design features that work well. Thx.

[Bruce K]

Specialized Pro (or the higher models if you choose) MTB shoes.

Not too pricey. Good support. Easy to install/replace toe cleats.

BK

[gomango]

Pure luck for me, but I bought my two pairs of Sidis off our local CL inexpensively.

I ride Dominator 5s and Diablo GTXs.

The D5 fits me beautifully, is fairly light and durable. I wear this shoe on 90% of my gravel, mtb and cross rides.

The Diablo has a high top Gore Tex upper that worked great for me last winter here in Minnesota. My feet were never wet last season and that's a good thing when the temp floats down into the teens and twenties.

....and lower. The other advantage of the Diablos allow me to get a little thicker wool sock in comfortably.

Both were purchased by their previous owners online and they were the wrong sizes.

I spent about $200 for both pair versus the usual Sidi pricing. They were trying to recoup $$$.

In addition, I was ready to pay a lot more for Lake MXZs till I saw the deals pop up.

Most of my riding buddies use Lake shoes in the winter here in the Twin Cities.

@op Think about the conditions you will be riding in. Will there be lots of slush, rain and cold conditions or will you have a dry track with the occasional mud bath?

Have that guide your decision as well.

[weiwentg]

I have a pair of Specialized road and MTB shoes, and I really like the shoes and how they fit. But I am less satisfied with the boa closure system. It does micro adjust very well. But over time, my boas have become pretty inconsistent with holding their adjustment. My dials have been slipping some since this year (shoes are now in their 3rd year). I have had Sidis before, and while the shoes don't fit me as well, the buckles have been more durable.

Boa will replace the laces and the internals for free. But it would have been better for them to design a more durable system so they would not have to keep replacing the stuff for free.

Ymmv.

[christian]

Giro Privateer. I use Sidi Dominators too, but Privateers are easier to run in and the buckle doesn't clog from mud as much. They only fit me about 80% as well, though.

[rockdude]

Don't go for stiff, a little flex is a good thing. Also look for rubber cleats and not plastic. What this equals to is mid to lower end shoes in most brands. I have had a bunch of CX shoes and my Fav is a discontinued Lake lower end. Mavic makes some good lower end shoes that I also race. Keep in mind the Most important thing with saddles and shoes is fit.

[Jawn P]

I really like my Bontrager RXL shoes.

Carbon sole, stiff but not unreal stiffness. Shape-able heel cup too, so no heel slip on steep run ups.

[christian]

Listen to Jawn P. He is a cyclocross god.

[rice rocket]

Didn't Pearl Izumi have a shoe that was supposed to come out that had a stiff sole but flexible toe box? What happened to that?

[Bkat]

Sidi Dominators. My road shoes are Genius and, since it's basically the same shoe (different sole) it's what I'm used to.

[Lovetoclimb]

Listen to Jawn P. He is a cyclocross god.

ehhhhh, he is okay . . .

Seriously though, John knows some stuff.

I have used Giro Gauge, Northwave low end something, and most recently Mavic Fury. The Mavics are the most comfortable shoes I have ever used. If the road version was not so stripped down I would use those as well. But the Fury MTB shoe is seemingly tailor made for cross, having a really supportive sole while being incredibly easy to run and carry the bike in. Might be just the best fit for the shape of my feet, but I see now why they are so popular on the CX scene. Pricey, but usually last year's models are blown out at a reasonable offer.

[11.4]

Obviously, fit and comfort.

After that, a few pragmatic observations (and all this from a trackie, so take it all with a grain of grit):

1. Many mtb soles tend to clog badly with mud or dirt -- they're made for a little off-the-bike time, not for the amount you're running in cross. Shimano had a couple years of MTB shoes that clogged with clay or mud and nothing short of a power washer would clean them out. Needless to say, you were skating within half a lap.

2. On uppers, if you get highly breathable designs, they are both cold and also fine silt and dirt gets into the shoe. Unless you're doing cross in Florida, think about shoes with mostly solid uppers.

3. Heels are critical. Most mtb shoes are made, like road shoes, with a focus on the forefoot. You want a solid usable heel strike area and a heel cup that keeps your foot from slipping out when running.

4. I haven't seen that one sole material works better than another. The particular compound used in a particular shoe design is what matters, as does tread design. It's like cross tires. And it's a tradeoff. What sheds mud more easily may also slip on a wooden step or barrier. The better you are on your feet in cross, the more options you have with shoes.

5. Toe spikes.

6. Closure systems. Some velcro gets useless in cross dirt. I've seen too many BOA-type systems fail as they get crudded up with the dirt as well. Simple systems are usually best.

7. You have to be able to run in them. Take a look at some of the new enduro shoes. The old common wisdom was that you needed a flexible sole. New shoe designs incorporate flexible toes (in front of the cleat) that give you road-shoe like cleat stability but let the ball of your toe flex when running. I tried a pair and really liked them. Worth trying them on.

8. Room. You want room for heavier socks and not quite the tighter fit you look for in road shoes. I may be anomalous, but I size up half a size in cross shoes.

Those are general warnings. Your riding conditions, your style, and your ability to run well (including how much you have to dismount) have a lot to do with shoe choice. I've bought enough to have made enough mistakes. That's just part of cross.

[evo111@comcast.net]

Try Northwave very comfortable. Work well in the dry. Have not ridden in the mud.

[Spoonito]

I just ordered a pair of Northwave Rebel shoes. Haven't had the chance to test them out yet as I'm still in the process of building up my CX, but they feel pretty comfy. They seem to run a bit bigger than my Mavic road shoes though.

[RacerJRP]

Didn't Pearl Izumi have a shoe that was supposed to come out that had a stiff sole but flexible toe box? What happened to that?

Some issues with the factory that was producing the soles. They will hopefully re-launch the line for 2014.....One can hope.

[pdmtong]

I'll second the mid range shoe vote. you have to be able to run, so a high end carbon sole just isn't a good match.

Dom 5s may fit well, and I get the keep it in the sidi family thing, but for me the lack of armor around the toe and sides is a deal killer. they simply shred to easy for cx and mtb and the bottoms tend to be more slippery IMHO

Giro shimano and specialized probably the most readily available mid range shoe.

a nice secure fit is everything. even though you may think the situation can tolerate more slop.

get a nice foot bed. the pounding my foot takes on the running section is much more than hammering while pedaling, and some extra cushion feels nice.

[gavingould]

put a couple years on Specialized Pro MTN, they tended to get pretty beat up.
using Giro Gauge this season for gravel and cross, so far so good.

my opinion is that anything with an ultra-stiff sole will be hard to run in, and every closure system has a weak point. BOA probably the weakest for a shoe that's going to see a lot of mud/abuse. might want to stock up on spare parts ahead of time if you go with a BOA shoe. i recently replaced the reels and wires in my 3-4 year old s-works road shoes, took a while for them to get me the parts - if you race every week it could be a problem.

[Jnnybrns]

I can't seem to recalls specific cross shoe although lake was making that inroad this year and northwave is having a go at it in 2014.

Of all the shoes mentioned, as everyone has noted, pros and cons come with. I have found for cross the mavic fury to be the best blend of stiff/ flex and a great compound/ treads on the sole for grip/bite.


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[Anarchist]

Louis Garneau T-Flex 300's

Re moldable heel cup and good grippy soles.

[FlemishCompact]

Can anyone comment on Lake shoes for cyclocross? Specifically the Lake MX200?

The price is right, $65, online, and it has removable toe spikes. With a ratcheting buckle, i think the price is hard to beat.

Too good to be true?

[alioup]

Do you have/like your road shoes? If so, get the mtn version of said shoe.

[Bruce K]

The new Lake shoe with the baseball style cleats is getting very positive reviews.

BK

[FlemishCompact]

The new Lake shoe with the baseball style cleats is getting very positive reviews.

BK
I've been lusting over those ever since I've laid eyes on them.


http://www.competitivecyclist.com/images/items/900/LKC/LKC000B/ORA.jpg

[carlineng]

I love my Privateers. Really surprised by the quality for such a budget-friendly shoe.

[AgilisMerlin]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7254/7637655714_8001b047aa_o.png

ooooooooooooooooooooops, I mean these

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/bikes-and-gear/clothing/shoes/1332776215122-12t3wtolbrubw-399-80.jpg