baobui Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Hey guys, I've been getting a lot of foot fatigue on long rides and have found relief by using wide stiff shoes. What shoes are wide and stiff? Answer - Flat pedal shoes used in MTB! These shoes are stiffer than skateboarding shoes, so much so that they are not that comfy to walk long distances in. However they have superb grip and support for flat pedals on MTB riding. You know what else has flat pedals? EUCs!! I find that these flat pedal shoes give perfect support for our sport and superior grip compared to other shoes. I went with Five Ten Freerider DLX but there are plenty of other brands. Cheers! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..... Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Yup, skate shoes. Been wearing them for about 20 years. Not shit for ankle support or protection, but nice and flat to get more grip on things and feel the surface youre on. I typically like flexible shoes tho, as I tend to walk sometimes... A lot of VERY cheap shoes also work, as flat soles and lack of contour must be simple to manufature. Glad you found some you like! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y4SS Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 Better to have ankle protection, 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r_713 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 How do these compare to Vans? I've been wearing Vans Sk8 Hi. Great at first but now that I'm frequently doing 60km+ rides, the Vans aren't cutting it and my feet get numb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EUCRexy Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 Personally, I'm a fan of better ankle protection. Those do look good though, and I can imagine they grip nicely. Honestly, I never even thought of MTB shoes and now I feel like an idiot for it slipping my mind, lol. I'm using the Alpinestars Faster 3 Rideknit and the Sidi Duna motorcycle shoes. Good flex, great feel, and nifty ankle protection. Both are sub $200 msrp (and I work for a motorcycle dealership, so employee discount, yay!). 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baobui Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 7 hours ago, r_713 said: How do these compare to Vans? I've been wearing Vans Sk8 Hi. Great at first but now that I'm frequently doing 60km+ rides, the Vans aren't cutting it and my feet get numb. Vans are more flexible on the sole. These will be way stiffer. In my experience, shoes that are too tight in the width cause foot fatigue the most. That’s been my experience, but I also have wide feet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrelwood Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 I used to ride with MC shoes early on, but the biggest issue for me was that they were all (4 different styles) designed for sitting more than for walking or standing. There was absolutely zero shock absorption, and the insides can only help a little. Basketball shoes are also flat on the bottom, available as high tops, and they have some of the best shock absorption the manufacturers have been able to develop. Although, I’m now riding in very light hiking boots that happen to fit me very well, and my feet no longer stops me from riding. The battery does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhpr262 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) 12 hours ago, baobui said: Vans are more flexible on the sole. These will be way stiffer. In my experience, shoes that are too tight in the width cause foot fatigue the most. That’s been my experience, but I also have wide feet. Too true. When I first started cycling with clipless pedals I bought some Diadora MTB shoes that were way too narrow for me. I didnt know any better, I thought the shoes were supposed to fit that way. Riding any length of time in those shoes was torture. I also strongly second the poster who wears motorcycle boots for protection. I do the same and have never got on my wheel in anything else since I rolled my ankle really badly in a get off, wearing sneakers. My only injury in close to 2.000km of riding. Edited March 14, 2021 by mhpr262 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn Bjerke Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) Get stud pedals and the problem is solved. Vans are nice but cold and not as safe s MC boots or other boots. Im a stud pedal fan, if you have stud pedals the boot does not really need to be flat. Ive tested this, I made some MC boots flat or rather paid a shoemaker to add extra rubber sole and thereby flatten the MC boot. I have 1. flat Van like soft boots (Hummel) 2. Flattened MC boots 3. Normal MC boots 1 2 3 Flattened MC boots: 3 Flat soled extra rubber added: With the stud pedals I dont need flat sole anymore and I prefer normal MC boots (number 2 here) - They are a little oversized for woollen socks, Scandinavian style. I really dont like cold feet. Im a stud pedal fan.. I love em, better, safer and faster riding: You need a good pedal more than you need flatsoled boots methinks. Edited March 14, 2021 by Finn Bjerke better pix 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrelwood Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 The point with the flat soles is to not have a rocking motion between the shoe and the pedal. Most shoes have some toe rise built in, some even have heel rise. MBT rocker shoes are the extreme example. When accelerating in such shoes that also has hard soles, you get instability between the shoe and the pedals, and the contact to the wheel is severely hampered. Studs won’t fix that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying W Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 I went from vans, to tennis shoes with the stiff mid sole, to hocking boots for one ride (large tread blocks didn't contact enough grip tape to grip very well, to jordans which gripped well, absorbed shock well but made my feet sore pretty quickly. Then I tried my favorite street riding shoes for the motorcycle which I've been using for over a year now. I'm now using the TCX Street Ace WP (water proof). They are wide, flat bottom and have ankle cups built in. They look like a pair of leather Converse. Walking in them is similar to flat pedal shoes. I can ride for quite a while before resting my feet, way longer than any of the other shoes I tried and in a crash they save your feel. They also grip the pedals very well, not as good as the vans but close. The gortex liner also keeps the feel warm if it's cold, which for me isn't anything like you guys in snow get (I'm in southern California so my cold is another's swimming weather). I love these shoes, they show almost no wear. Only grip is the stock laces don't last long. Replaced them with para cord. These aren't sport bike shoes, they are made for naked bikes and cruisers so they feel natural standing upright. A little pricey but they last so long the value is great. With the limited wear the sole gets standing on pedals the shoes may outlast me. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielleNelms Posted April 14, 2023 Share Posted April 14, 2023 On 3/12/2021 at 12:11 AM, baobui said: Hey guys, I've been getting a lot of foot fatigue on long rides and have found relief by using wide stiff shoes. What shoes are wide and stiff? Answer - Flat pedal shoes used in MTB! These shoes are stiffer than skateboarding shoes, so much so that they are not that comfy to walk long distances in. However they have superb grip and support for flat pedals on MTB riding. You know what else has flat pedals? EUCs!! I find that these flat pedal shoes give perfect support for our sport and superior grip compared to other shoes. I went with Five Ten Freerider DLX but there are plenty of other brands. Cheers! That's a great tip! Flat pedal shoes designed for mountain biking can provide excellent support and stiffness for EUC riding, especially for those experiencing foot fatigue on longer rides. The Five Ten Freerider DLX is a popular choice among EUC riders, but there are many other brands and models to choose from. Thanks for sharing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhpr262 Posted April 14, 2023 Share Posted April 14, 2023 On 3/13/2021 at 11:03 AM, Y4SS said: Better to have ankle protection, Very true. I have suffered exactly two not so minor injuries during my 11.000 miles of EUC riding and both times it was a badly rolled and sprained right ankle. I exclusively ride with my heavy, calf height motorcycle touring boots anymore. Those also have a thnin, flat but very stiff sole, plus the ankle protection. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brahan Seer Posted April 14, 2023 Share Posted April 14, 2023 @DanielleNelms This is a previous discussion you might find useful.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glock43x Posted April 15, 2023 Share Posted April 15, 2023 personally, i prefer mid top anti slip work boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn Bjerke Posted April 16, 2023 Share Posted April 16, 2023 Stud pedals are essential shoes are less important if you have good stud pedlas like Nylonove. I use Thermo boots forfast low temperature riding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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