MTB shoes

[malcs]

Hi - recommendation for MTB shoes. Do a bit of riding that involves hike a bike so need something I can walk ok in too. Used SIDI for years and love them but open to ideas?
Thanks

[bychosis]

Clipless or flats?

[Trevtassie]

Clipless and if you actually want to do some serious walking, Shimano XM7 or XM9. The 7 is a shoe style, the 9 a boot. Both have Vibram soles and are great walking boots, even considering they have a cleat in the middle of the sole, you just need to watch your foot placement when boulder hopping.

[Duck!]

Pick what fits best.

[chriso_29er]

I've recently purchased some Giro Chamber 2 enduro shoes.
Very impressed with how comfy they are and easy to walk in compared to my previous very stiff soled XC race type shoe.
Also very strong in case of any foot strikes, which is a problem I've also had in the past with light weight XC shoes.

[cancan64]

I use Five Ten Kestrel, have spent hours pushing a loaded bike up some pretty steep hills, some where you push the bike a bit, grab the brakes and use the bike to pull up the next bit... good grip, comfortable on long rides and can use on flats and spd's. Have even spent a day in the office in them once. They look big and are a bit ugly... but end of day they work extremely well for me,

[trailgumby]

I was going to suggest Sidi. My bike fitter reckons they're good for 5 years.

[foo on patrol]

Here's a question.............How do people find the shoes that are not stiff in the soles, treat your feet for hot foot? If I have to soft a shoe in the sole, I suffer from hot foot.

Foo

[chriso_29er]

Here's a question.............How do people find the shoes that are not stiff in the soles, treat your feet for hot foot? If I have to soft a shoe in the sole, I suffer from hot foot.

Foo

I have done 5 hours in my shoes posted above, no problem at all. Actually more comfortable that my stiff soled XC shoes.

[foo on patrol]

Here's a question.............How do people find the shoes that are not stiff in the soles, treat your feet for hot foot? If I have to soft a shoe in the sole, I suffer from hot foot.

Foo

I have done 5 hours in my shoes posted above, no problem at all. Actually more comfortable that my stiff soled XC shoes.

Okay, that's interesting, because I get the problem with flex in any road shoe on the road or track.

Foo

[trailgumby]

Okay, that's interesting, because I get the problem with flex in any road shoe on the road or track.

Foo

Normally, that's me too. However, if the last doesn't properly accommodate my varus forefoot, the ball of my foot under metatarsal 4 and 5 get quite uncomfortable even with carbon soles. How that I have an arch support and varus wedge courtesy of Aaron at Fusion Peak, it's been much better the last couple of years.

[foo on patrol]

Interesting, thanks.

Foo

[cancan64]

You can always look at flat pedals... I have wide feet and took ages to find shoes that I can wear for 12hr plus rides without being in agony... went to flats and solved all my problems.. wore five ten access shoes.. great on bike, hiking, pub outings only issue is I climb better with spd's and went to bunny hop one ride and confirmed I cant have kids... so went back to spd's but the Five Tens... have had no issues with all day riding but lately started getting sore where they clip in... thinking I may change the inner as they are a few years old now

[foo on patrol]

You can always look at flat pedals... I have wide feet and took ages to find shoes that I can wear for 12hr plus rides without being in agony... went to flats and solved all my problems.. wore five ten access shoes.. great on bike, hiking, pub outings only issue is I climb better with spd's and went to bunny hop one ride and confirmed I cant have kids... so went back to spd's but the Five Tens... have had no issues with all day riding but lately started getting sore where they clip in... thinking I may change the inner as they are a few years old now

Five Tens, I can't find the ones that you're talking about with the cleats?

Foo

[cancan64]

Five Tens, I can't find the ones that you're talking about with the cleats?

Foo

Something like below. I use them for just about everything but initially purchased them for Bikepacking until my bunnyhop incident and went back to spd's but I have ridden multi days rides in them, along with rafting, hiking, bouldering and indoor rock climbing and worn them to work, shops and pubs. I use Pedaling innovation pedals and they grip well. My spd shoes have the same sole, I have a hill to climb on Wednesday which has 1000mtr of elevation over 5km, average 20% climb with the bike loaded with bikepacking kit and a packraft and the shoes are not on my worry list.

https://www.catch.com.au/product/five-t ... GDEALw_wcB

[foo on patrol]

Okay, that was all that I could find also. I don't need anymore skin of my shins as I stripped plenty off after a ladder went out from under me.

Foo

[RonK]

I have just received a pair of Giro Empire VR90's. They have a Vibram rubber tread so plenty of grip, but have a carbon sole so very stiff. I'm planning to use these for gravel bike rides where it's predictable that I need to dismount at times but not walking for any real distance.
For bikepacking I'm wearing Northwave Escape Evo. I wear them everywhere when on bikepacking tours, don't brake any other shoes except camp sandals. They are roomy and comfortable with just enough flex to wear them even on short hiking excursions.

[m@]

I have just received a pair of Giro Empire VR90's. They have a Vibram rubber tread do plenty of grip, but have a carbon sole so very stiff. I'm planning to use these for gravel bike rides where it's predictable that I need to dismount at times but not walking for any real distance.
For bikepacking I'm wearing Northwave Escaoe Evo. I wear them everywhere when on bikepacking tours, don't brake any other shoes except camp sandals. They are roomy and comfortable with just enough flex to wear them even on short hiking excursions.

Giro make some great shoes. My VR90s were the most comfortable bike shoes I'd owned, until I picked up a pair of Privateer Laces for bikepacking (mostly to avoid trashing the Empires on the Hunt 1000's notorious hike-a-bike sections, and to avoid standing out too much in town). I've found I prefer the extra flex in the sole of the Privateers even on shorter rides!

[RonK]

I have just received a pair of Giro Empire VR90's. They have a Vibram rubber tread do plenty of grip, but have a carbon sole so very stiff. I'm planning to use these for gravel bike rides where it's predictable that I need to dismount at times but not walking for any real distance.
For bikepacking I'm wearing Northwave Escaoe Evo. I wear them everywhere when on bikepacking tours, don't brake any other shoes except camp sandals. They are roomy and comfortable with just enough flex to wear them even on short hiking excursions.

Giro make some great shoes. My VR90s were the most comfortable bike shoes I'd owned, until I picked up a pair of Privateer Laces for bikepacking (mostly to avoid trashing the Empires on the Hunt 1000's notorious hike-a-bike sections, and to avoid standing out too much in town). I've found I prefer the extra flex in the sole of the Privateers even on shorter rides!

For the Hunt 1000 I’d be choosing the Northwave Escape Evo without hesitation.
I did consider the Privateers, but they still look like cycling shoes. The VR90’s are very discreet in black - the branding is barely discernible and with laces they look like ordinary street shoes.
The gravel bike is going to be my allrounder, and will spend a lot of its life on the urban grind, with occasional gravel adventures and so credit card touring. So I wanted stiff soles like a road shoe but still be able to walk into the coffee shop without the usual roadie waddle.

[cancan64]

For the 2019 Hunt1000 I used the Fiveten Kestrals and I picked up the strava KOM by 20min on the Billy Goat Bluff Track which was the hardest hike a bike section .. there was just one little pinch that I struggled for grip, otherwise was a walk in the park...sort of.

[foo on patrol]

I have a pair of these coming from Pushy's, so I will be interested in how they go and at $89 on special, down from $379 if that's right, I couldn't not try them.



Foo

[foo on patrol]

Shoes turned up today and wow, they are very stiff.





Foo

[stevenaaus]

Vibram soles lace ups
I might have been tempted, but only lime in 42.

[foo on patrol]

Bugger.

Foo

[cancan64]

how is the width, I have wide feet being of an age that never wore shoes until high school, reviews are good on them..