MTB shoes are Fugly!!

OK….I can see some sexiness in those….chicks dig squiggles….[HTML_REMOVED] the logo is not too obvious.

Wearing Vans now - will always wear Vans

/start thread

What's so good about those 510s?
With studs on your pedals, I find it hard to imagine someones feet not sticking with vans.
I wear a beat up old pair of ipaths every day for riding, rain or shine and they were my.longboarding shoes prior to being my bike shoes, my feet do not slip.
On Fridays, sometimes I wear my globe suade skate shoes home from work and my feet feel almost TOO stuck to my pedals.
A nice fresh pair of vans is high on my list of things to get, probably this weekend.

all that money and they don't even do the laces up

Where did I go wrong?

1. When you decided to take up mountainbiking.

2. When you posted this trolling thread.

Mountain biking and fashion are mutually exclusive. The worst thing you can wear is something that a hiker would use for an overnighter. I don't get why so many mtb shoes are so overbuilt for the riding most riders do. Yeah sure, if you are signed up for the rampage then give'r. Even Shimano's dh shoes - those are comfy and all, but my god they're about a pound each, and super bulky. Why?

That gets me to thinking why can bmx'ers get away with using slightly stiffer skate shoes while riding a fully rigid bike on hard concrete, yet we seem to need what is essentially hiking boots. If I were riding flats exclusively I would only use mid top bmx shoes. Way cheaper, looks 1000x better, and functionally as good if not better.

/fashion blog

1. When you decided to take up mountainbiking.

2. When you posted this trolling thread.

Loosen up your laces….so to speak.

Mountain biking and fashion are mutually exclusive. The worst thing you can wear is something that a hiker would use for an overnighter. I don't get why so many mtb shoes are so overbuilt for the riding most riders do. Yeah sure, if you are signed up for the rampage then give'r. Even Shimano's dh shoes - those are comfy and all, but my god they're about a pound each, and super bulky. Why?

That gets me to thinking why can bmx'ers get away with using slightly stiffer skate shoes while riding a fully rigid bike on hard concrete, yet we seem to need what is essentially hiking boots. If I were riding flats exclusively I would only use mid top bmx shoes. Way cheaper, looks 1000x better, and functionally as good if not better.

/fashion blog

Yes, I suppose getting those plates [HTML_REMOVED] cleat hardware probably add some bulk to the base.

There was this one time I got dropped off on Mtn Hwy [HTML_REMOVED] forgot to grab my riding shoes from the car….had to do Bobsled in $10 flip flops on my clipless pedals. It was do-able, but the thought of having to bail [HTML_REMOVED] windmill my legs with nothing but a few mm of rubber barely held on by dental floss, was somewhat adrenaline-inducing (I suppose I could have slowed down, or simply headed directly to the pub…but hey, I was out for a ride).
Somewhere between flip-flops [HTML_REMOVED] Himalayan double boots lies the perfect solution.

Btw…remember when the de-riguer footwear of choice were the Nike Lava Domes? OK….maybe that's going waaaay too far back.

What's so good about those 510s?
With studs on your pedals, I find it hard to imagine someones feet not sticking with vans.
I wear a beat up old pair of ipaths every day for riding, rain or shine and they were my.longboarding shoes prior to being my bike shoes, my feet do not slip.
On Fridays, sometimes I wear my globe suade skate shoes home from work and my feet feel almost TOO stuck to my pedals.
A nice fresh pair of vans is high on my list of things to get, probably this weekend.

I find 5.10s much, much better than Vans for riding. The 5.10 sticky rubber gives you much more grip on the pedals (and on the rocks for those times you need to push!), the soles are stiffer so your feet don't get tired from standing on the pedals, and they have nice touches like ankle protection on the inside only where you need it. I also find the fit and comfort of the 5.10s to be much better (but that might just be a personal thing).

dating myself , but yes i remember lava domes . . . . that was like " day one " of mtbs .

i actually remember doing surgery on a pair to put in an SPD cleat . the idea worked , but my brain was still programmed for road clips , so the experiment didn't last long . my riding skills declined to the point i wasn't even enjoying riding 'cause i was so worried about the inevitable " bail fail " .

I don't get the drama about footwear. Ride what works for you.

I've smashed my foot a few times hard enough to have broken my toe if I hadn't been wearing 5.10 impacts. The grip is better than skate shoes and the rubber helps for climbing down rocks when I get pussed out. Don't really get riding anything else.

Well, 5.10 sticky rubber is also good for drawing smiley faces on floors/sidewalks. Any little scuff leaves a huge black mark!

I don't get the drama about footwear. Ride what works for you.

My grandfather was an old school Italian cobbler….I have a recessive genetic shoe fetish.