clippy shoes

i'm in a clips cycle this summer and i'm interested in your opinion on clip shoes. i have 2 pairs and here's a quick review of each:

Shimano ME7- great flex pattern, quite stiff but decent for walking. weird lacing system is a bit annoying. shallow and lose heel cup. neoprene cuff is warm for summer but fantastic in cool wet weather, works wonders at keeping crud out of shoes. i shoe goo'd the top of toe vents to make them a cool weather shoe and they are great for this. great performance shoes.

Spesh cliplite 2FO- i found a pair on sale in my big size and they were too cool looking to pass up (green camo, freaking killer techy style). amazing fit, stiff and deep firm heel cup. boa system is amazing, first time i've used this. decent venting but still good in damp weather. balance between breathable and solid fabrics. outsole is incredible for walking. light even in size 48 and eva midsole makes for much more comfortable walking than the ME7's. so impressed with these shoes. as good or better than the rave reviews out there. 

what shoes do you use and like?

I have the ME7s and I like them when the sole is not peeling away from the cleat. They lasted about a year before I had to glue them. The glue isn’t working that great. Not sure I will replace them with the same because this is a common problem they have, but great shoe until they break 😀

I also picked up a pair of Diadoras for XC ish riding and they’re working great when I’m on the bike (park included) but the boa mechanism is starting to not work so well after not-a-ton of riding in them and I’m worried they’ll leave me stranded. They’re TERRIBLE for walking across super slick wood too with the minimalist hard sole.

I’ll look into you Specialized’s. Absent something better it’ll probably be ME7s again

Giro Terraduro HD (HV?). On my second pair in a few years now. Power transfer is at least as good as in the NorthWaves they replaced (something rather XC-ish, can't remember the model), they're really comfy and they last quite long. Have some NorthWave Celsius for winter riding, but usually just use the Terraduros with SealSkinz and wool socks since I like them so much more. Walking around, well' it's still a cycling shoe, but ok for what it is. Not intended for prolonged hikes, but do ok on the  occasional hike-a-bike section.

Had the Giro Terraduros - really liked the fit bit they were too stiff so my feet hurt on the descents. The sole also fell off (this was a common issue with the early versions of this shoe).

Now I have the Mavic Deemax Pro and it's perfect for me - fits really well, stiff but not too stiff, cleat sits pretty deep into the sole so you get good pedal contact with the rubber, fine in the dry/wet/warm/cold, and very high quality construction - not falling apart at all after a full year of use in all conditions.

I have the Cliplite 2FO with BOA. They're amazing. Best shoes I ever had. Stiff, light, comfortable, good pedal interaction. Great shoes.

Posted by: Bagheera

Giro Terraduro HD (HV?). On my second pair in a few years now. Power transfer is at least as good as in the NorthWaves they replaced (something rather XC-ish, can't remember the model), they're really comfy and they last quite long. Have some NorthWave Celsius for winter riding, but usually just use the Terraduros with SealSkinz and wool socks since I like them so much more. Walking around, well' it's still a cycling shoe, but ok for what it is. Not intended for prolonged hikes, but do ok on the occasional hike-a-bike section.

Finding wide enough shoes is the rub. Sooo many shoes in narrow widths, but if your feet are even moderately wide choices dry up.

No shops I've found in Vancouver stocks wide widths, so it's order blind and hope they fit.

I've got a pair of Giro HV's too. Giro's taken the odd approach of widening the shoe along the entire length. So, along with a toe box that now happily fits you also get the *bonus* of a wide midfoot, which no one needs, and an even more useful widened heel cup.

Northwaves used to be a go-to wide shoe, but newer models I've tried are on a narrower last.

The biggest issue I'd say for clipless shoes, (aside from the fit), is finding a shoe that will unclip without interference, yet have enough grip that you don't eat shit when you need to bail and run. 

Hiking comfort, breathability, waterproofing, weight, etc  would be lower on the priority list IMO than being able to unclip/get footing when bailing out.

I really like my Terraduras. They could be a touch stiffer as I can feel my pedal when I’m grinding hard up hill. I also have a pair of ME7 Shimano shoes. The stiffness is better but the fit a bit loose. The next size down was too snug. My Giro are actually the Terradura which is the women’s version of the Terraduro. They fit more narrow than the men’s in the same size.

I'm desperate. 

Not that way. 

The bottom of my Lakes are all but ground away and I can't find anything that fits. 

Boo hoo.

The world's best fitting bike shoe is SIDI. Italian made. Last forever (seriously, I just get new ones because the sole has turned into a road shoe after 10 years. I used to just buy new mountain shoes and use the old ones for commuting. They also make wide fit. Clipping in and out is also quite good compared to others I have tried.

The only thing I don't like is that the soles are fairly hard and slippery on rocks. I have the Giro Terraduro as well and the Vibram sole sticks to everything so when you are clipping out cause you screwed the pooch climbing some slick rock face, you can usually clip out and find some footing as opposed to having your foot skid out from under you and you end up on your ass with your bike on top of you. The fit of the Giro is almost as good but not quite. Neither shoe is stiff enough for me. Both turn soft in about 1/2 season but hey, it's a mountain bike and I'm not racing anymore.

Posted by: tungsten

I'm desperate. 

Not that way. 

The bottom of my Lakes are all but ground away and I can't find anything that fits. 

Boo hoo.

Bonts fit similar to Lakes if you can find them.

RAH, I'll agree with you. My Sidi Mega's (wide) we're the best fitting shoes I've ever owned, like painted on fit.

while i don't use any pure xc type clip shoes, i was super impressed with the line of Fizik shoes i saw at the MEC recently. build quality and materials were top notch. i tried a pair on and the fit was incredible. prices were reasonable too. if i were looking for a super light racy shoe, these Euro slippers would be high on the list.

I've had 3 pair of Specialized, they all fit the same,  a narrow heel/ low volume mid-foot/ wide forefoot.

5.10 Impact Clips and Giro Codes