145 Stockwell Road, Brixton,
London SW9 9TN (find us)
9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday except
10am to 7pm, Thursday
Cycle Shoes
Pedaling means you have to transfer the power in your legs though to the pedals. This can be hard work for your feet. You can help them by making sure your shoes have stiff, supportive soles. Floppy soles mean your feet have to be tense to push the pedals around, and that usually makes them sore. Ordinary shoes take a beating, so dedicated cycling shoes are worthwhile to save your normal ones from being destroyed.
Some are designed to be worn as casual shoes, so that you can walk around in them when you arrive at your destination. Examples are Specialized Sonomas. These have a slightly flexible sole, so that you can walk properly, and are in neutral colours. Dedicated racing shoes are much stiffer, to transfer maximum power through to the pedals. Our favourite off-road shoe is the Sidi Dominator, with ratcheting closures.
SPD and similar systems are designed so that your feet stay firmly on your pedals, but so that they will release instantly when you need them to. You need specific pedals, which come with a pair of cleats to be attached to the bottom of your shoes. You also need specific shoes with slots in the bottom to bolt the cleats into. Pedals start from £30, and shoes from £40.
