At London Cyclist we love to receive your requests for topics to be featured – and when we covered casual commuter shoes for women, on request, we were soon flooded with requests for a mens equivalent.
Riding clipped in allows you to utilize more of your muscle with every pedal stroke, waste less energy, and it cuts down the chances of your foot slipping in the wet. However, traditional road shoes are tricky to walk in, and traditional mountain bike shoes don’t tend to blend with your outfit.
There are a range of commuter focused clip in compatible shoes that are designed to engage with pedals via MTB cleats, but still look like normal shoes when you’ve locked your bike.
Below are some of our favourite men’s commuter friendly, clipless pedal friendly shoes. If you know any additional options we haven’t mentioned here, please do post them in the comments for others to find.
DZR – Purp, $95 & H20, $175
We were limited talking about DZR in the women’s post, but for men they make a wide variety of shoes for “life on and off the bike”.
The casual, pump style shoes start from $95 for the ‘Purp’ no laces slip on, and go right up to $175 for the ‘H20’ which is treated with a clever waterproof membrane.
The casual slip on ‘Purp’
On all their urban bike shoes, DZR use a full length nylon midsole which promises stiffness for riding, whilst still being flexible when walking, whilst rubber soles offer optimum grip and a co-molded power plate allows you to really work the pedals.
The waterproof ‘H20′
Shimano MT44 Mountain Bike/Leisure Cycling SPD Shoes – £57
These MTB specific shoes are ideal as a multi-purpose option – unlike more casual looking DZR options, they are designed for proper off-road adventures, and use a dual density EVA (Ethylene vinyl acetate) sole.
EVA is not as stiff as the carbon on expensive cycling shoes, bit it’s easier to walk in, making it a great compromise for those after decent power transfer on the bike and comfort off it. The sole is made from a dual compound rubber and is fit for trekking should you be walking the off-road way between the shops and the office.
Breathable synthetic leather panels are durable, shouldn’t cause your feet to swelter, and will look smart enough during the day, too.
Specialized Cadet – £65
This great shoe came up in our women’s post, too – and Specialized haven’t left the man uncatered for with the Cadet. These clip into your pedals as normal SPDs, but they also provide plenty of cushioning and stability, even being fit for a trip the gym (we don’t recommend the treadmill).
A breathable mesh upper removes chance of overheating, and you still get all the great Specialized Body Geometry offerings – footbeds to improve comfort and pedaling efficiency, and a sole stiffness index rating of 4 with an EVA midsole.
You can get these in a strikingly bright blue, or black for a more formal look.
Giro Republic Road Cycling Shoes – £124.48
These are the ultimate in stylish. The Giro Republic SPDs use a two bolt system, despite being called a ‘road shoe’. An EVA molded footbed is used, and these provide medium arch support for your feet, too – and they’ve got an anti-bacterial treatment, too, to keep your tootsies smelling fresh.
The sole is made from injected nylon, making it more akin to a solely cycling focused shoe, but you do get replaceable high traction walking pads to keep you pottering about in comfort.
The laces are of course non-slip, so you needn’t worry about any embarrassing chain catching situations, and these come in black, or ‘lead’ (otherwise known as grey).
The post On and off the bike: 5 stylish clip shoes for men appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.