MTB shoes

[p nut]

What are you guys using for MTB clipless shoes? Looking for something to suit 30-100 miler rides. I don't do many hike-a-bikes, so don't need flexible soles.

Local shop has Giro and Shimano's.

[christian]

I use Sidi Dominator and Giro Privateer. Both good shoes.

[Kirk Pacenti]

I have been using Shimano forever with no problems at all, but I may be giving the new Giro, Terraduro a shot soon.

Cheers,
KP

[DRZRM]

I've had good experiences with Giro, Lake and Shimano shoes, all with carbon soles, over recent years.

[dogdriver]

Sidi and Specialized (bought from someone on this forum, so please save me the Spec hate. In fact, I had to use a Sharpy to black out the S so that a buddy Spec hater would still ride with me). Whatever fits your foot. Pay attention, however, to the range of the mounting slot (or whatever its called)-- some brands have a better range than others.

[d_douglas]

Sidi and Specialized (bought from someone on this forum, so please save me the Spec hate. In fact, I had to use a Sharpy to black out the S so that a buddy Spec hater would still ride with me). Whatever fits your foot. Pay attention, however, to the range of the mounting slot (or whatever its called)-- some brands have a better range than others.

Ha ha - I forgot to mask the Specialized hate! I buy nothing Specialized other than their shoes, which fit my feet perfectly. What can I say - I love them! Get carbon soles - they make a difference. I own some Rimes as well as Carbon Pros and while they are very comfortable, they're a bit like slippers in terms of rigidity.

Sidis are also gorgeous, but my feet grew to dislike them ....

[nighthawk]

Mavic Alpine here... but I'm liking the looks of the Giro shoes KP mentioned. I may give those a shot, as well.

[avalonracing]

Sidi, Sidi, Sidi, Sidi, Sidi, Sidi, Sidi...

[echelon_john]

Giro Gauge. Awesome shoes; stiff, not heavy.

[csm]

I'm looking for the Pearl Izumis.


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[bewheels]

Used Sidis for years. Had nothing but great experiences. They have gotten pricey.
Tried Shimanos and they worked well too.
Currently using Pearl Isumi carbon. Again, no complaints.

I think if you stay with one of the big brands you can not go wrong. They all work with SPD style systems well (I can speak to other modern systems). The mid to upper range/models are all well made.

It likely comes down to fit and how much you want to spend.

[blessthismess]

I had two pairs of Sidi Dominators that I really liked. After the 2nd pair wore out I bought a used pair of Mavic Fury's off of the forum. In many ways I like the Mavics better, to me they are more comfortable especially for longer rides. They have a rubberized sole instead of plastic which helps provide more grip and less slipping when walking, especially when its wet. One of the downsides is that the extra comfort comes from more padding so on really hot days your feet sweat a little more. The Sidis are thinner and breathe a little better on the really hot days, also, I will not deny that Sidi has in my opinion a better retention system as well. I would recommend finding a place to try both of them on in person and see how they feel. Also consider the weather you will be using them in.

[RedRider]

The best shoe is one that fits your foot and your budget.

[dustyrider]

The best shoe is one that fits your foot and your budget.

Winner! Fortunately for me a mid-priced shimano in a 45 works every time all day.

[Cicli]

For a budget shoe I really like Northwaves. They are comfortable and take a beating. That being said, when I wear out the set I am in now I may try Giros. I run the Prolite on the road and really like them.

I agree with the comment above. Get one that fits well.

[p nut]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Looking at Shimano M162 and Giro Privateer HV. I'll have to try them on to see which way to go.

I use Sidi Dominator and Giro Privateer. Both good shoes.

Do you notice any difference on the stiffness between the two?

[AngryScientist]

using a pair of fizik's now for my rando bike(s) and absolutely loving them

http://www.slanecycles.com/images/2601-5322-thickbox.jpg

[JER3]

Don't forget to look at the soles. I've found the rubber on most mtb shoes is just too hard to stick well to rock surfaces. As a result I choose shoes with the softest and stickiest rubber I can find. This is a serious consideration if you ride in Moab or similar locales.

[zachateseveryth]

I have two seasons on the Giro Code. They're a great shoe and can be sometimes had for 50% off MSRP.

[choke]

I have to agree with Angry, I really like the Fiziks. Over the years I've had Sidi, NW and DMT but I think the Fiziks have the most attention to detail of the bunch. They also fit my feet very well. :)

[Camelstache]

I have two seasons on the Giro Code. They're a great shoe and can be sometimes had for 50% off MSRP.

Giro's are always going on sale. They fit true to size. Really. And there really isn't much difference between the Code, Gauge, and Privateer. Same buckles and straps...you're just paying more for a higher-grade carbon sole.

Scope around for web deals. You can trust that your usual street shoe size will fit.

[linger]

Sides for me. My mother in law bought me some dominators a about 8 yrs ago. I have beat the snot out of them and they will still last for probably 5 more yrs. My brother got some mavics and the sole completely separated from the shoe from the heel all the way to the ball of the foot. Mavic wouldn't warranty them.

[druptight]

I've got maybe 100 miles on the Giro Codes I bought this winter. They've been great so far. MUCH better than the flexy, low-end Shimano shoes I was using previously.

Chainlove has been selling them recently for $139.99 I think, but I got mine a few months back at Nashbar for like $100 plus shipping.

[markie]

I cannot imagine being without a pair of Sidi dominators. Although I recently got a super cheap pair of Giro's that I am surprised to find I really like. I still reach for the Sidis first, though.

[evo111@comcast.net]

Second vote for Northwave - roomy in the toe box, comfortable and when on sale not too expensive.

[bouddha]

2 pairs of SIDI.
Solidity , Performance , Very good breath on really hot temperatures (Mtb training camp in Spain !! ) , perfect retention system....And carbon soles for rigidity .
Sidi for ever !!!

[daveyboychu]

Giro Privateers! Very stylish and durable!

[djg]

An old pair of all lorica Doms has held up extremely well for me. The lorica ones seemed to conform to the foot a little better and the retention system worked well for years. But the velcro on the straps has started to lose its holding power and the soles are showing their age, especially the lugs, and what folks say about those lugs is not wrong -- not a great sole for hustling up a stair climb, logs, etc.

I'll be trying a new pair of Giro Gauge shoes this weekend -- we'll see.

[mtb_frk]

I liked the fit of mavic fury but the Velcro strap broke after a few seasons of use. I used them in cross races, mountain bike races and for everyday training. But with no way to fix the strap I decided not to buy another pair. I picked up a pair giro code and have been quite happy with them so far. They are warmer than the mavic which has a lot of mesh. Hopefully they are not too hot in summer.

[nighthawk]

The score so far:

Fizik -- 2
Giro -- 2
Giro Code -- 3
Giro Privateer -- 2
Lake -- 1
Mavic Alpine -- 1
Mavic Fury -- 1
Northwave -- 2
Pearl Izumi carbon -- 1
Shimano -- 4
Sidi -- 5
Sidi Dominator -- 4
Specialized -- 1
The one that fits your foot and budget -- 2

:)

[malcolm]

ashamed to say I have specialized with the boa system. 2 years in they still work fine and are comfortable all day shoes. The boa business is a little fiddly when really dirty but if you just apply some pressure it opens right up.

For the fizik guys, what is the fit like relative to say a sidi or specialized if you know. length, toe box etc. ??

[KonaSS]

Another vote for Specialized. Most importantly, the fit works best for me.

Secondly, I have a road pair and a mountain pair and they just last and last. Both of my pairs are going on 4-5ish seasons of year round riding. They have survived crashes, hikes, and all the general wear and tear I can throw at them. They function as new even though you can see the miles on them.

I am thinking about a new pair for purely cosmetic reasons.

[p nut]

Didn't realize the Privateer HV was for a wide fit (High Vol??). They didn't have any regular.

I think I will go with the Shimano M162's. I've had nylon soles before, and not sure if that was the cause, but after 30-40 miles, I got hotspots right on the cleat area. I'll probably give carbon soles a try this go around.

[GRAVELBIKE]

These Louis Garneau T-Flex LS-100 fit my low-volume feet nicely.

http://cyclemotive.com/images/library/zoom/louis-garneau-t-flex-ls-100-182809-1.jpg

[NickR]

The score so far:

Fizik -- 2
Giro -- 2
Giro Code -- 3
Giro Privateer -- 2
Lake -- 1
Mavic Alpine -- 1
Mavic Fury -- 1
Northwave -- 2
Pearl Izumi carbon -- 1
Shimano -- 4
Sidi -- 5
Sidi Dominator -- 4
Specialized -- 1
The one that fits your foot and budget -- 2

:)

Another vote for Sidi Dominator. Like another poster said they run cool in the heat. Night riding can leave your feet wanting some heat retention.

[veloduffer]

I have wide feet (not super wide) but narrowish heel. I had Sidi Dominators (and Genius) in Mega but still had to remove the inner sole to fit ok.

I found Lake and ….Bontrager RXL mtb (http://www.bontrager.com/model/09604) shoes fit great. I like them so much that I got a pair in white and black. The Bontragers have a fair amount of mesh and carbon sole, so they are perfect for warm weather. They also have a 30-day guarantee so you can return them to exchange or store credit.

I use Lake leather shoes (which comes in Wide sizes too) for fall/winter.

Other shoes that I have tried are Specialized, Shimano, and Mavic.

[djg21]

Don't forget to look at the soles. I've found the rubber on most mtb shoes is just too hard to stick well to rock surfaces. As a result I choose shoes with the softest and stickiest rubber I can find. This is a serious consideration if you ride in Moab or similar locales.

This is one of my pet peeves. I don't understand why the big shoe manufacturers insist on using hard plastic outsoles. Running on slickrock, or east coast granite or pavement can be downright treacherous.

[Bob Ross]

Another vote for Specialized. Most importantly, the fit works best for me.

^^^This.

I have two pairs of Specialized (one w/ the Boa system, which I'm not too keen on, one even older w/ the traditional ratchet + velcro X2...both w/ carbon soles). Definitely the most comfortable cycling shoes I've worn.

I also have a pair of Gaernes, which are very nice, but it's nearly impossible to find a local dealer. The soles are much more compliant than the carbon-soled Specializeds, but a rigid insole seems to compensate nicely. Also, the lugs don't wear out as fast as the harder ones on the Specializeds.

If I ever manage to wear out all three of those shoes I keep telling myself I'll revisit Sidis -- their standard sizes don't fit my feet at all but I haven't given the "mega" wide versions a good audition -- I just don't see that happening for a number of years.