Road Cycling Footwear Decoded: A Guide to Choosing Your Shoes
No matter what level of road cycling you are at, whether you are a beginner, a regular cyclist, or a professional, it is essential for you to wear good cycling shoes, both for comfort and performance.. However, the choice of your shoes will depend on your practice and your needs.
A road cycling shoe consists of 3 different parts. The first part is the sole, which is specific and to which a cleat is attached. Then there is the upper and the clamp. We will go into detail about each of these three parts to explain how to choose the right road cycling shoes.
Sole
Depending on your riding style and budget, there are two types of insoles that can be found on road cycling shoes.
- Semi-rigid sole : for beginners, the semi-rigid sole will allow you to discover cycling with automatic pedals in comfort. The semi-rigid sole favours comfort over performance, making it more flexible.
- Rigid sole for the regular cyclist, looking for performance and lightness. this sole is entirely made of carbon to minimize deformation. Coupled with a micrometric tightening, it allows the cyclist to transmit a maximum of energy to the pedal. Thus it ensures a better performance during your effort.
Most of the road shoes incorporates a 3-hole sole that is compatible with most automatic pedals on the market (Look, Time, Shimano SPD-SL, Speedplay etc.).
Tightening
There are various types of tightening : scratches, micrometric and laces.
- The scratches are practical and accessible. They are most often found on entry-level shoes. They offer enough support and are easy to adjust for beginners. However, it can be difficult to get the same tightness on each foot and in rainy conditions, the Velcro can lose its effectiveness.
- The laces have their fans. Laced shoes are not very common, but some people are very attached to them. They provide a more qualitative tightening than scratches.
- The micrometric tightening is the most popular tightening, it works by using a wheel to tighten a cable. There are often two of them on a shoe. This type of tightening is the most efficient because it allows to adjust the shoe in a very detailed and homogeneous way on the whole foot, it is the best tightening which allows to obtain such a comfort. If we compare with scratches, for example, we always have a foot which seems to be too tight or not tight enough because of the lack of precision. The micrometric system allows for a high level of tightening, which allows for the best performance while still having a shoe with good support and comfort.
Comfort
A well maintained foot promotes the comfort and performance of your pedalling. Your foot should not slip into the shoe whether you are sitting or dancing. Also be careful that it is not too tight to avoid injuries (your foot will swell during exercise so the shoe should not be too tight during the fitting). Today, manufacturers mainly use synthetic leathers and/or mesh to offer lightweight shoes.
If you buy soft and well-ventilated shoes, they are very pleasant during summer but not very resistant to cool and/or negative temperatures. The use of shoe covers will then be necessary. They insulate from cold and water. Easy to use, they are available in several materials and models depending on temperatures.
To summarise
As you can see from our explanations, the choice of your road cycling shoes is very important and should not be neglected. It is the intermediary between you and the bike and therefore has an impact on performance. With the above steps, you can choose the right pair of shoes for you. Visit alltricks.com and find the best brands at the best price.
