I recently picked up a set of 'Merrell Continuum Jam'
(http://tinyurl.com/3doz6g) shoes, intending to use them for MUni.
I have been looking for an ideal MUni shoe for a while now, and haven't
found anything really acceptable. The characteristics I'm looking for
in a shoe are:
* Tread pattern sufficient to grab pedals, but moderate enough that you
can easily adjust your foot
* Tread composition appropriate for hiking (because you wind up hiking
a lot in MUni)
* Little or no arch to foot base
* Toe protection (I just injured my toe on a rock, again)
* Light weight
* Removable insole (to be able to use Active Ankles)
Skate shoes have a decent foot base, but they hike poorly and have no
toe protection. Most hiking shoes are too heavy and have too much
tread to adjust your foot on the pedal. I've been using trail runners,
but they often don't have much toe protection, and have too much arch,
which affects ability to position my foot properly.
I found these at REI. They're "rock shoes," intended for bouldering.
They include stiff rubber toe protection--it's not steel, but it's a
lot better than most similar shoes:
As you can see from the top picture, there's a light tread which seems
reasonable for hiking, but not so chunky that you can't adjust your
foot on the pedal. There is a bit of arch, but it's fairly small:
I've taken them out on one ride so far, and they performed pretty well.
The perfect shoe would have slightly less tread and no arch, but this
is the closest I've found so far. Others who have similar criteria may
want to look into them.
--
tholub
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