Enhanced power transfer, more efficiency and added comfort. A well-chosen bike shoe should do it all. We test eight pairs around the competitive £100 price point
Buyer’s guide
Shoes are one of the few contact points you have with your bike, so getting the right shoe for you and your cycling is crucial. Put simply, if you get the wrong footwear, you won’t enjoy your cycling. And while it’s possible to spend a hefty amount on your next cycling shoes, many of us are likely to part with around £100. So what should you expect at this real-world price point?
If you’re commuter, mountain biker or ride mainly for leisure, SPD (Shimano Pedalling Dynamics) pedals and compatible shoes are a good choice as you can walk in them safely and comfortably when you’re off the bike. If pedalling efficiency is more of a priority, similar (but inevitably incompatible) three-bolt systems from Look, Time and Shimano are your friend. These can be paired with very stiff soles, and even at around £100 or so you can now find stiff soles made from carbon fibre.
The resulting shoe and pedal pairing offers a much larger contact area than you get with SPD and a much more efficient pedalling platform as a result, but the prominent cleats make walking any distance in these shoes a tricky proposition.
Most of our eight pairs of test shoes have three-bolt systems, some of them maximise versatility by letting you choose between both pedal and cleat options. But who’s put their best foot forward?
Your tester…
Simon Withers
● Simon has been testing bikes and gear for over 25 years and in that time has rated hundreds of road and commuting bike shoes.
Compatibility
● Some shoes on test here are compatible with both two-bolt and three-bolt pedal systems, but many are only compatible with one or the other. Check your pedal compatibility before you buy.
Pedal set-up
● To avoid threading your cranks, remember that the right/crankside pedals tighten by turning clockwise, left pedals tighten anticlockwise. Grease the pedals before fitting.
Key considerations
What are SPD shoes?
● Two-bolt/SPD shoes are more common in off-road riding and are easier to walk in and unclip. Three-bolt are more for road and should offer more efficiency due to the stiffness and wider platform. More overleaf.
The benefits
● The plus points of wearing bike shoes should be that you’ll get an increased power transfer from the sole and pedals, plus they should h
