Are your bike shoes killing your feet? đ€š
In this video, I dive into the problems with stiff, narrow, flat pedal bike shoes and explore whether zero-drop barefoot minimalist shoes might be a healthier alternative for our feet. đŠ¶
Stick around to the end to see my âperfect bike shoeâ. đ
đ Splay REV HT Canvas New York đ
REV HT Canvas New York
#bikeshoes #mtbshoe #mtb #bmx #bike
Those $174 bike specific riding shoes that youÂ
just bought might actually be killing your feet. the past few years, my wife, KatieÂ
and I have been wearing classic bike specific flat pedal shoes
whenever we ride our bikes. They’re durable, stiff, grip onto the pedals nicely and blendÂ
in with what everybody else is wearing. But lately, I’ve been wondering ifÂ
they’re doing more harm than good. In this video, when I say bike specific shoes, I’m talking about flat pedalÂ
shoes because that’s what I wear. But we will touch on clipless shoes as well. Our feet have 26 bones and over 100Â
muscles. And whenever I slide my foot into a bike specific shoe, I can’t help butÂ
feel like I’m sliding it into a foot prison. The toe box is cramped so myÂ
foot can’t splay naturally, and the stiff sole mixed with the stiff upperÂ
makes my foot feel like it’s locked in place. I’ve always been told, as I’m sure you have too, that stiffer soles lead to more power throughÂ
the pedals. And while this might be true, I feel like my feet are becoming weaker andÂ
my shoes are doing all the heavy lifting. If you can relate, don’t worry,Â
because I might have just found the perfect writing shoe that ticks allÂ
the boxes without incarcerating your foot. I just want to state that I’m notÂ
an orthopedic doctor, nor am I a doctor or a scientist in any way, shape orÂ
form. So definitely do your own research before trying anything I suggest in thisÂ
video, I’m simply sharing my experience. let’s take a deep dive intoÂ
flat pedal bike specific shoes. these are shoes you could wear forÂ
mountain biking, gravel riding, BMX, basically any discipline that uses flat pedals. Most flat pedal bike specificÂ
shoes today advertise durability, gripping on the pedals and a stiff sole as theÂ
three biggest selling points for their shoes. Durability and grip are absolutelyÂ
essential for flat pedal riding shoes, so let’s just set those aside. but I’m not sold that weÂ
actually need stiff soles. This is definitely going to be theÂ
most controversial part of the video, so I’d love to hear yourÂ
thoughts down in the comments. so it’s a commonly held belief that stiffer soles allow you to transfer more power toÂ
the pedals and reduce foot fatigue. Most research on the topic of soleÂ
stiffness in bike shoes is done with high performance road cycling in mind. While flat pedal bike specific shoes are generallyÂ
more flexible than clipless shoes, I still find most flat pedal shoes to be pretty stiff,Â
especially compared to everyday walking shoes. In 2016, a study published by Straw and KramÂ
of the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder foundÂ
little evidence that stiff cycling specific clipless shoes increased performanceÂ
for low intensity, so maximal steady state cycling when compared to standardÂ
Nike running shoes used with flat pedals. But in a study done in 2020 by Berns and KramÂ
from the same department at the same school, they reported that some performance benefitsÂ
were noticed when testing sprints on a road bike. Although it is worth noting that the authors of the study were unable toÂ
rule out the placebo effect. The test subjects may have been influencedÂ
by the widely held belief that cycling specific shoes are superior to basicÂ
running shoes used with flat pedals. It’s also possible that these test subjectsÂ
were just more used to riding in cycling shoes, and were not at all used to riding withÂ
flat pedals and everyday running shoes. Just as a side note, they also used theÂ
most janky Walmart ass pedals that I’ve ever seen for this experiment,Â
so I’m not really surprised. My takeaway from these two studiesÂ
is that stiffer soles might benefit high performance riders looking to getÂ
the most out of their top end speeds. For the average rider using flatÂ
pedals, I’m not sure the positives, if there are any, outweigh the negatives. It’s also worth noting that with clipless pedals, stiffer soles are kind of needed becauseÂ
the sole of the shoe is the platform. Unlike flats where the flat pedal is the platform. That’s why this video is focusedÂ
more on flat pedal shoes, because they’re obviously totally different. Another reason why I heard flatÂ
pedal bike specific shoes are stiff is because it will help withÂ
the impact from drops, jumps, etc.. I get the thought behind this. But ifÂ
we’re putting our feet in a stiff shoe, we’re not allowing the muscles in our foot toÂ
actually work to naturally lessen the impact. When you jump off of an elevated surface, theÂ
ball of our foot contacts the ground first and acts like suspension to gentlyÂ
bring the heel down to the ground. Without the freedom to bend our foot. WeÂ
are landing with our feet flat on the ground and relying on muscles higher up theÂ
kinetic chain to cushion the blow. Imagine we just continue to limitÂ
our mobility up the kinetic chain. First we lock our ankles in place.Â
Then we lock our knees in place. This would obviously limit the linkage in ourÂ
bodies that we can recruit to handle the impact. So if bike specific shoes are takingÂ
over the workload for the foot. That means the foot muscles aren’tÂ
being used. At least not as much. And that means they aren’t being trained. Which means when they become weaker. Bodybuilders do a similar thingÂ
when they use lifting straps. This allows them to lift more weight withoutÂ
being limited by their grip strength. if you’re aiming to competeÂ
in a bodybuilding competition, or if you’re just trying to maximize gainsÂ
in other muscles, lifting straps makes sense. So if you’re trying to maximize power through theÂ
pedals, maybe stiff soles makes sense as well. now I’m a big calisthenics guy, and IÂ
don’t like using lifting straps because I know subsequently it’ll weaken my grip strength. Now I could train gripÂ
strength in a different way, but I prefer to train with full body movements, And because of that, I have a similarÂ
philosophy when it comes to riding a bike. In summary, the whole stiff sole versusÂ
flexible sole debate comes down to this. for power and performance focused riders. Stiff soles may increaseÂ
power transfer to the pedals. For the foot strength andÂ
functional movement advocates. Flexible soles may improveÂ
foot strength and mobility. Okay, so we got it ironed outÂ
that a good bike specific shoe should be both durable and grippy on the pedals. And I’m really curious to get your feedback onÂ
the whole stiff sole versus flexi sole debate. But there’s one more aspectÂ
of flat pedal bike specific shoes that we need to discuss. The toe box. The toe box on bike specificÂ
shoes are typically pretty narrow, and don’t allow your foot to splay naturally. This is definitely one of myÂ
biggest gripes about bike shoes. If you’ve ever looked at a standardÂ
bike shoe and then look at a healthy, normal foot, you’ll notice thatÂ
they’re two totally different shapes. Over time, like braces, our feet have conformedÂ
to the narrow shoes that we put them in. In my opinion, this is the biggestÂ
obvious downside to bike specific shoes. So if bike specific shoes aren’t good forÂ
riding a bike, what are the other options? Well, since you asked. My wife, Katie and I have been wearing barefootÂ
shoes for the past seven years now. These are actually the first barefoot shoes that IÂ
got from an REI garage sale back in 2018. Katie was a little skeptical at first,Â
but ever since she bought a pair, she hasn’t wanted to go back to normal shoes. We love our barefoot shoes because they allowÂ
our feet to move naturally like they’re barefoot. The bottoms are flat which is called zero drop. So your toes and your heels are at the sameÂ
level. Just like when you’re barefoot. Barefoot shoes have a roomy toe box thatÂ
doesn’t squish your toes so your feet can splay out naturally. And you can engageÂ
the muscles in your foot a lot better. These shoes also have a thin, flexible soleÂ
that allow your feet to feel the ground better, which will help for balance when you’re walking, running, hiking, doing sports, liftingÂ
weights, maybe even riding a bike. Over time, barefoot shoes can make your feetÂ
stronger, healthier, and more comfortable. These days I struggle to wear normalÂ
shoes longer than a few hours without discomfort. Due to the adaptationsÂ
I’ve made from wearing barefoot shoes. before you think I’m suggesting wearingÂ
barefoot shoes for riding a bike, hear me out. There’s a bit more to this. So there are at least fourÂ
reasons why you can’t just swap your bike specific shoes for barefoot shoes. Flat pedals usually have littleÂ
spikes on them called pins. And if you tried to put barefoot shoes on these, you would definitely feel these pins throughÂ
your shoes. And it would be very uncomfortable. Reason number two is the tread on theÂ
bottom of barefoot shoes is not really designed to lock up with pedal pins.Â
There really wouldn’t be much grip. Reason number three is barefoot. ShoesÂ
typically have very delicate uppers. So if a rock or something hit the side ofÂ
your shoe, you would definitely feel it. Reason number four is that barefoot shoes are made from lightweight materialsÂ
that are just not very durable. So if barefoot shoes are bad for ridingÂ
a bike, why am I even bringing them up? well, there’s a lot we can takeÂ
from barefoot shoes. And a lot that we can take from bike specific shoes. And I’m kind of thinking we can just mash themÂ
up and make the perfect writing shoe. Here is my dream bike. Shoe. It has to have a zero drop sole. Which meansÂ
your toes and heels sit at the same height. It has to have a wide toe box soÂ
your toes can splay out naturally. It has to have a durable sole.Â
Not necessarily a stiff sole, but it has to have a durableÂ
sole enough to handle pedal pins. end. It has to have tread thatÂ
actually locks on to the pedal pins. My dream shoe has to have some protectionÂ
on the uppers to protect from rocks, and some toe protection as well. So I’m sorry to tell you, but these shoes don’tÂ
actually exist yet. But I did find some shoes that are super, super close. And they’re the shoesÂ
that I’ve been riding in for the past few months. These are the Splay REV High Top CanvasÂ
New York’s, an absolute mouthful of a name. And these shoes are actuallyÂ
made for skateboarding. when I first posted these shoes onÂ
Instagram, a lot of you guys said that you actually really enjoy riding inÂ
skate shoes, and I can totally see why. Skate shoes grip up on the pedals nicely. They’reÂ
durable. They offer some level of protection in the upper. And they also aren’t super stiff.Â
So your foot can move around more naturally. my biggest issue with regular skate shoesÂ
is that the toe box is hella narrow and they also aren’t always zero drop, so my feetÂ
still end up being pretty uncomfortable. That’s why I’m stoked that Splay offers theseÂ
and a dozen other zero drop barefoot skate shoes. They offer all the same benefits ofÂ
skate shoes, just with more benefits. stack height on my splay skate shoesÂ
is 6.5 without the insole, and 10.5 with the removable insole. So taking a drop onÂ
these shoes actually doesn’t hurt at all. You just kind of feel it a little bit moreÂ
on your foot, which is a good thing. It’s good to feel things you know. again, I’m pretty used to barefoot shoes,Â
so you might not get the same results. It takes a little bit of time toÂ
get used to the thinner soles. so again, these aren’t bikeÂ
specific shoes. But I’ve been really enjoying riding in these. And myÂ
feet feel a whole heck of a lot better. I’ve been slowly introducing these shoes intoÂ
longer and more aggressive rides over the past few months, and it’s crazy. I can actuallyÂ
feel my feet getting a pump when I ride. Obviously, these shoes are made forÂ
skateboarding, not biking. So a lot of the characteristics that I would likeÂ
to see in a biking shoe are non-existent. I also haven’t been wearing these shoesÂ
as much as I would like to lately, because we’ve been getting a crap ton of rain inÂ
Pennsylvania, and these shoes are made of canvas. But for now, these shoes are the closestÂ
thing I could find to the perfect riding shoe. If you’re riding in fair weather andÂ
not riding on particularly rocky trails, I definitely recommend these shoes. really hope that Splay or another shoe company steps in and makes a bike shoeÂ
closer to what I’m looking for. I think it could really change the bike shoe game.
if you want to try barefoot shoes for everyday walks, hikes, bikes, runs, whatever. MakeÂ
sure you take your time to get used to it. Start with shorter and more mellow ridesÂ
and transition at a pace that feels natural. In the meantime, I would love toÂ
hear your thoughts on this topic. Have you ever tried barefoot shoes? What shoes do you ride in? Do you think firm or flexible soles are the move? And while you’re at it, let me knowÂ
your thoughts on pedals as well. If the shoes have to change, maybe the pedalsÂ
have to change as well. I don’t know. like this video if you found it interesting and subscribe to the channel if you wantÂ
to see me again. Thanks for watching.
34 Comments
Have you ever tried barefoot shoes? đŠ¶
What shoes do you ride in? đ
I went down this rabbit hole many years ago trying to find the widest toe box cycling shoe for flat pedals. The Shimano GR5âs are the widest toe box cycling shoe available, Iâve looked into them all.
That said I have a wide foot and I still have to remove the insole and wear super thin socks for it to work. Iâve been running them for 4-5 years now. I prefer the stiffer sole shoe for cycling. Iâm a bigger dude that rides single speed 90 % of the time. When Iâm mashing on the pedals I donât enjoy feeling the pins. Off the bike, I too have been wearing barefoot shoes exclusively for the past 9-10 years, fixed my foot pain and made my feet strong.
At the end of the day, every kind of shoe is a compromise. You're encasing your foot in an artificial, mass-produced and (usually) non-custom item. But try riding 50km of rough trails in some plimsoles or boat shoes. You'll quickly find out which end of the stiffness spectrum you prefer.
This video is quite timely. I've been getting back into MTB and Gravel riding and just like the problem I had 5-10 years ago, I still cannot find shoes to fit my paddles called feet. The FiveTens I have make my pinky toes go cold and numb after 20 minutes of riding. I've tried Shimano, Giro, <insert all "wide" namebrand shoes> and they all suck for actually-wide feet in the toebox and forefoot area. Lately I've been using my minimalist "foot shaped" shoes similar to the Splays you have and while my feet are a lot more comfortable on flat pedals they definitely cannot withstand trail-use clipping the ground in turns and whatnot; they work for gravel/greenway trail riding though. If anyone is looking for SPD 2-bolt cleat style shoes, the only ones that fit my feet are the Lake MX169 (laced) or MX201 (Boa dial); I'm still on the hunt for flat-pedal shoes and will give the Splays you mentioned a shot. If one of these companies could make a Splay-shaped shoe with the rubber and toe-protection of a FiveTen I'd be in heaven.
As a barefoot and zero drop wearer for about 15 years, MTB shoes are my one compromise. They suck, but I need that toe protection, stiff sole and I ride magnetic pedals. 5.10 has started narrowing their toe box so much that I canât wear them. Ride Concepts has been the only ones Iâve tried lately that doesnât feel insanely cramped. I have massive size 14 shoes and itâs always been tough to find riding shoes, (though most companies make bigger sizes now), and now theyâre narrowing to me boxes more. Luckily, I really am like a 13.5, but the 14 in the two clipless models RC makes feel ok to me. I wouldnât walk in them for long, it they work for mountain biking. I would kill for a zero drop/zero arch wide toe box MTB shoe, though. Iâve played with it how I could come up with one, but I donât have the energy or capital to do it. Iâve seen a few things online where people had concepts or gofundmes to make them, but no products yet. I donât know what is wrong with shoe manufacturers. Weâre not riding horses. We donât need pointy shoes.
I agree toe-boxes are terrible.
But everything else… I don't know đ€
The two scenarios I worry about are smashing through a chunky rock garden at speed and flying through the air off a jump.
When I step onto my pedals with regular shoes, it does not feel secure. It feels squishy. When I'm jumping, I scoop my feet back a little and push forward on the handlebars to essentially create a wedge that keeps my feet on the pedals. Any flex in my shoes seems like it will weaken that wedge effect by soaking up some of that energy. I'll have to push harder to make up for the added flex and sponge.
And in rock gardens, I'm pushing into the pedals to keep the bike in front of me and push it over the terrain. Similar concern there. If my soles flex more, am I losing some of that energy I'm trying to put through the pedals? I guess it's just adding shock absorbtion. I have a 170mm of travel. So maybe it would feel like 171mm?
On the other hand, it might not matter. Your body and brain tend to adapt to whatever equipment you're using. It's like clips versus flats. Clips aren't more efficient because you push/pull with each stroke as people usually think. They can be more efficient because they ensure the rider's foot is always in the exact same position which results in more consistent pedal strokes and overdeveloped muscles needed specifically for that stroke. Whereas a flats rider will never get their foot on the pedal exactly the same each time so their muscles develop more broadly to accommodate a range of strokes.
Also, it's not just the tread pattern of mtb shoes that lock into the pedal pins. The rubber compounds are optimized for biking. Skateboards usually have a grit texture. I assume skateboards are optimized for that texture. Maybe mtb pedals should have a grit texture, too. đ
Wow. You have done two things with this video. One saved me a knot inconsiderable amount of discomfort, pain and airport hassle by not wearing my cycling shoes with a steel place in them. Two you have allowed me to have comfort back in my cycling every day. While I do cycle 50 to 100 miles at a time, 200 to 375 W average, I am no longer required to do that in the shoe prison. I can find some stylish lightweight, running shoes, and go, proverbially nuts đ€Ș
Lake MX169 đ
Great vid- as a barefoot/minimalist person for whom they saved my running for about another 15 years, I went down this road too with riding shoes. It is why I donât ride clipless- I cannot stand the shoes- literally.
Before I give my thoughts – what I ride- I ride with Deity TMacs or Deftraps- both are a big flat pedal. And I only mtb. No road riding.
I rode Vans and minimalist and barefoot shoes when I first started riding again after years away from it bc itâs what I had and, as for Vans, itâs what I rode when I last mtbâd around 2000.
Now I wear Ride Concepts Vice exclusively. A Vans-like waffle sole but much stiffer with a decent width toe-box. They are a little narrow further back though and I have wide feet, so I keep them laced pretty loose down low and then cinch them tight at the top which works well for me.
IMO- no comparison. Minimalist and barefoot shoes donât provide nearly enough protection and I would hurt my feet, and they hurt like â$@$ in gnar or drops bc they are just too flexy. Vans were better, had amazing grip, and certainly can be worn all the time, but the flexy sole of Vans gets really tiring with all the pedaling we do mtbing compared to bmx. The RC Vice for me is the perfect mtb shoe.
My bottom line- donât try to get every health benefit from cycling as it does not train the whole body well at all. Mtbing is better than road or gravel at training more of the body, but it is still not complete. If you are interested in true fitness, you just have to do other things. Itâs why I speed hike in barefoot/minimalist shoes and wear them almost exclusively around. Itâs why I hit the gym, carry sandbags etc. This way I donât have to worry about the cast effect of mtb shoes bc I have other ways of making sure my feet remain strong. In the grand scheme of things, locking my feet in casts for 2-3 hours maybe 3 times a week isnât a big deal if I do these other things.
Shimano shoes are very wide and they make flat pedal shoes too so maybe look into them.
Idk my specialized 2fo feels like slippers. My vances feels pretty good as well, but I really don't like how they fold on big drops
So funny you came out with this video as I was just thinking of getting new MTB shoes. I assume you have but have you tried regular Five Ten Freeriders? They're a lot less stiff compared to the pros. I actually prefer them to the pros since I get better pedal feel. The problem I've had is they have 0 ankle support and not much toe protection. Landing drops/jumps just a bit awkwardly leads to ankle pain for me.
A sidenote but I'm in northern DE and like you mentioned the weather has been crazy! Rain, wind storm and now scalding heat. It might be a hike as I think you're towards central PA but you guys need to check out Brandywine Creek in Wilmington DE some time!
Mainly ride bmx so maybe it's different but skate shoes all the way
Dude whatever your real opinion is. You clearly have been sponsored by the company and you should have disclosed that or made it more obvious.
I've liked the Ride Concepts range of shoes since I discovered them. For what it's worth, they do make versions with less stiff soles – i think everyone just goes for the all-mountain which are the stiffest. I'd been tempted to try the other ones, and maybe I will after I wear through this current pair I bought this year. By that time, maybe there will be other options.
I wear five ten freerider proâs everyday. Riding or not. But I used to wear work boots everyday until I took an office job. Maybe thatâs why they feel so comfortable to meâŠ.
I love my Ride Concepts (not super stiff), BUT I use Pedaling Innovations, which offer greater support front to back.
Why wear "bike specific" shoes if they don't even have cleats.
Youâre NOT a doctor or scientist? I feel so confused now!
Well, I really liked the way you did this video. You made a good points. Back in the day, I used specifically use a more flexible soul shoe cause I believe they gave me more feel on the pedal, but since then I went along with the flow and went for stiffer soled shoes although I canât get mtb specific shoes cause Iâm size 14
If you are not a doctor or a scientist maybe keep your assumptions to yourself.
Also the lack of research is incredible.
The whole barefoot shoe argument about it being more healthy because our feet is not evolved to wear shoes really needs to stop..
Barefoot shoes can just as well ruin your feet or knees because we are not evolved to walk or run on concrete or ride a bike for that matter.
And you can just buy shoes of ANY kind with a wide toe box.
There are plenty of clipless shoes with just as light and thin upper without getting damaged like the DMT KRSL.
And there are also plenty of cycling shoes that provide a wide toe box.
Another thing you can do is also exercise your feet in the gym.
You can also not wear shoes at home which limits the time your feet spend in any given shoe (I know that's a weird thing in America but pretty common in the rest of the world)
Shoes I use:
DMT KRSL for road cycling
Specialized Recon for anything off-road cycling (I do mostly use my DMTs anyway since I rarely ever need to get off the bike and run/walk)
Brooks ????? for running
Barefoot shoes for some exercises in the gym otherwise my running shoes or socks
and of cause generic shoes for everyday use and fine shoes for events.
I ride in adidas 5-10 Freerider canvas shoes–they also have weather resistant versions with very inflexible uppers. I also bike in RideConcepts LiveWires. In terms of comfort, the 510s fit me great and for RCs, I tend to size up by one or even two sizes. The shoes are made to be tighter based on the conditions they are made for and the casual freeriders are bike around town shoes, but the LiveWires are meant to be for competitions where if you lose a shoe, you're in danger.
You need stiff soles absolutely for clipless pedals, so that the pressure from the 2 or 3 bolt connection can spread out over a larger area of the foot. As a good flat pedal already has quite a large surface area, that spreading effect isn't needed. For bike commuting I always used flat pedals and the shoes, I had to wear in my workplace, that were safety shoes. That worked fine, but hiking shoes or sandals would also be nice.
bought a pair of Fox Unions with the laces just a month ago…and already part of the sole is coming off !!! i dont think its my pedals because i dont see any indents in the sole…and they are not that sharp that it could damage the rubber…but im pissed with fox first they sold me a demo shoe ! which was not mentioned on their site and now this…
I didn't know where you were going with your narrative but I was wondering if you'd ever ridden in thin soled shoes. I've always found it to be a terrible experience leading to foot pain. Then when you started talking about skate shoes I thought oh ok. I ride a number of skate shoes, latest being an Etnies model. None of the skate shoes I've ever tried have thin soles.
I just bought a pair of Splays. I love them. I use them mostly just for every day wear. It would be awesome if they made a bike shoe. I'd have them carried in the bike shop I manage.
but then riding clipless with superstiff soles+ relying on foot pedal mechanism connections must be the worse. some people ride flexible vans using they feet to "curle around" the padals definitely using their feet musles more.
you aren't supposed to walk around in cycling shoes.They are not killing your feet.
I ride in skate shoes and they work fine for me with no 'cage' feeling squashing my foot.
Try whacking your foot into a stump at 15 – 20 mph with a running shoe. My 5/10s got me out of that all good.
I've always rode in vans for bmx jumping off houses and 10 stair gaps to flat. Why would anyone need a special shoe when bombing a hill on dirt on a full suspension đ€· i still ride vans to this day for mtb
Ride Concepts are some of the narrowest MTB flat pedal shoes on the market, hated the pair I had. When I rode flats Five 10 Freerider Pros were probably the ones that fit me best and I have fairly wide feet. Since switching to clipless I now use Crank Brothers Mallet shoes (but with Shimano SPD pedals), which are a clipless shoe but with a flat sole like a flat pedal shoe, they fit extremely well and are very comfortable for me, much roomier than even the five 10s. Also being an enduro/downhill shoe they have excellent protection from rocks, etc. I tried a pair of zero drop Merrells a number of years ago, they were comfortable for daily wear, but the sole was not up to hiking on rocky trails, for me I need a stiff~ish sole for hiking or the rocks give me plantar fascitis.
This has SOME truth to it. Indeed, Walmart's FUBU 95% of people/trailers find that $25 Hi-Top Sneakers work well for one to two hours. Although it is a great training shoe, it is not suitable for enduro or DH raising. Not all of their models have the biggest toe box, but Fife Ten is widely known for producing trail shoes.
Yesterday I was talking about barefoots shoes with friends and boom today algorithm gave me your video! đ Very nice video, I hope some companies will see this and make your dream bike shoes for everyone đ