Re: "Touring" shoes

Gary Jacobson said:

Good luck. Hard to find shoes without accommodation for cleats yet stiff
enough (with some flex) for efficient and comfortable riding.
Let us know if you come up with anything new in your search.

Is this what you're looking for?

http://www.wallbike.com/content/JPG/shoes.jpg
http://www.wallbike.com/

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"!Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

25 years ago or so, there were inexpensive shoes produced that were
essentially canvas sneakers with a stiff insole. I had a pair made by
Cannondale; however, there were other manufacturers at the time.
These were generally known as "touring shoes"; that's how Nashbar
listed them in their first catalog. There was no such thing as a
"mountain bike" then unless you built it yourself.
They were OK for riding and a person could also walk pretty well in
them. Further, you could wear them as you walked into the office and
everyone didn't turn their face away and snicker... a trait not shared
by much of today's bicycle attire, I'm afraid. Is that product still
on the market anyplace?

Gary Jacobson said:

I think you are referring to the Bata Biker. No longer made.
On e-bay right now there are a bunch of size 41 touring

shoes of various

Quoted message said:

brands- mostly older Sidis I think. AFAIK the only

"touring shoe" for toe

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clips are Carnac Carlite and they can be can be found in

France and England.

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Narrow. Do a search for them or try xxxcycle or something

like that in

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France. Sidi touring shoes seem to fit most people best.

They are no longer

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made, and thankfully I've stockpiled them.
Diadora Voyager, now discontinued I undersatnd, might

fill the bill for you.

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Also consider looking at Lake sneakers made for SPD, but

just leave the

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cleat off. bThese and others like them are used by

downhill Mtn. bike riders

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I think.
Good luck. Hard to find shoes without accommodation for

cleats yet stiff

Quoted message said:

enough (with some flex) for efficient and comfortable riding.
Let us know if you come up with anything new in your search.

Yes and the premium SiDi Touring shoe, too. Today there are
several mountain bike shoes which are shipped with a
tear-out panel to access the cleat mounts. Leave it in place
for exactly the shoe described:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/scarpe.html

the Lake and Answer models ship with rubber cover in place.
The soles of the two shoes shown have been opened.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A Muzi said:

Yes and the premium SiDi Touring shoe, too. Today there are several
mountain bike shoes which are shipped with a tear-out panel to
access the cleat mounts. Leave it in place for exactly the shoe
described:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/scarpe.html

the Lake and Answer models ship with rubber cover in place. The
soles of the two shoes shown have been opened.

Too bad those Lakes are only available in a hi-top. Do non-bizarre
shoes sell so badly that no shoe maker will market them? Isn't there
a reasonable subset of cyclist who don't want to wear tacky bowling
shoes when they ride their bikes?

Tim McNamara said:

A Muzi said:

Yes and the premium SiDi Touring shoe, too. Today there are several
mountain bike shoes which are shipped with a tear-out panel to
access the cleat mounts. Leave it in place for exactly the shoe
described:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/scarpe.html

the Lake and Answer models ship with rubber cover in place. The
soles of the two shoes shown have been opened.

Too bad those Lakes are only available in a hi-top. Do non-bizarre
shoes sell so badly that no shoe maker will market them? Isn't there
a reasonable subset of cyclist who don't want to wear tacky bowling
shoes when they ride their bikes?

I was thinking they looked pretty good too. Until I realized they were
hi-tops.

Quoted message said:

A Muzi said:

Yes and the premium SiDi Touring shoe, too. Today there are several
mountain bike shoes which are shipped with a tear-out panel to
access the cleat mounts. Leave it in place for exactly the shoe
described:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/scarpe.html
the Lake and Answer models ship with rubber cover in place. The
soles of the two shoes shown have been opened.

Tim McNamara said:

Too bad those Lakes are only available in a hi-top. Do non-bizarre
shoes sell so badly that no shoe maker will market them? Isn't there
a reasonable subset of cyclist who don't want to wear tacky bowling
shoes when they ride their bikes?

I wouldn't wear them either. There are many other brands of
closed-sole mountain bike shoes with tear-out panel but most
are knobby soled so as to be ungainly in toeclips.

The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5
to $10 at thrift stores. When men die their children give
the shoes away and I never want for a choice when I ride
over for a new pair.

There are no longer stores which sell good leather shoes in
my neighborhood and the last cobbler anywhere near me closed
some time ago so it was with great joy I discovered thrift
store shoes! Premium quality leather shoes are comfortable
all day and thick enough to ride comfortably in toeclips.

Cyclists seem never to be well served by popular culture as
you note but in this case I've found my accommodation. YMMV

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A Muzi said:

The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5
to $10 at thrift stores. When men die their children give
the shoes away and I never want for a choice when I ride
over for a new pair.

Dead man...riding?

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't wear them either. There are many other brands of
closed-sole mountain bike shoes with tear-out panel but most
are knobby soled so as to be ungainly in toeclips.

Several brands make "touring" shoes which have a minimal tread so they work
well with toeclips. Some models are more flexy than others, which might be
more comfortable if you are walking a lot. Some brands of touring shoes I have
seen are Shimano, Lake, and Diadora. The Shimano shoes are most often
available at local bike shops. All have pretty plain styling (mostly black).

Some companies also sell "police" cycling shoes, which are designed for bicycle
cops who need to run as well as ride. These are mostly high-top styles in
solid black. Here is one: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=6197

S o r n i said:

A Muzi said:

The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5
to $10 at thrift stores. When men die their children give
the shoes away and I never want for a choice when I ride
over for a new pair.

Dead man...riding?

Shoes for Victory. Shoes for the dead.

--
BMO - Give up your shoes. For Victory!

"Ken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in

news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't wear them either. There are many other brands of
closed-sole mountain bike shoes with tear-out panel but most
are knobby soled so as to be ungainly in toeclips.

Several brands make "touring" shoes which have a minimal tread so they

work

Quoted message said:

well with toeclips. Some models are more flexy than others, which might

be

Quoted message said:

more comfortable if you are walking a lot. Some brands of touring shoes I

have

Quoted message said:

seen are Shimano, Lake, and Diadora. The Shimano shoes are most often
available at local bike shops. All have pretty plain styling (mostly

black).

Quoted message said:

Some companies also sell "police" cycling shoes, which are designed for

bicycle

Quoted message said:

cops who need to run as well as ride. These are mostly high-top styles in
solid black. Here is one: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=6197

Most all of these shoes are not laced, but have straps in a place that they
will interfere with toe clips, and none of them have "slots" to engage the
pedal cage. Possible to dremel them in I suppose.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY

Boyle M. Owl said:

Shoes for Victory. Shoes for the dead.

Ahh, Boyle . . . though I believe it was "Shoes for Industry," my hat
is off to /anybody/ who finds an appropriate opportunity to sneak in
some Firesign Theatre.

Bravo!

A Muzi said:

Tim McNamara said:

Too bad those Lakes are only available i n a hi-top. Do

non-bizarre

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

shoes sell so badly that no shoe maker will market them? Isn't

there

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a reasonable subset of cyclist who don't want to wear tacky bowling
shoes when they ride their bikes?

I wouldn't wear them either. There are many other brands of
closed-sole mountain bike shoes with tear-out panel but most
are knobby soled so as to be ungainly in toeclips.

The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoe s. They are $5
to $10 at thrift stores. When men die their children give
the shoes away and I never want for a choice when I ride
over for a new pair.

There are no longer stores which sell good leather shoes in
my neighborhood and the la st cobbler anywhere near me closed
some time ago so it was with great joy I discovered thrift
store shoes! Premium quality leather shoes are comfortable
all day and thick enough to ride comfortably in toeclips.

I agree although I personally would not wear dead men's shoes. There
are still shoemakers in England that also make similar shoes
specifically for cyclists, although I believe none of them have any web
presence, and perhaps never will. Regular high quality dress shoes are
just about as good, if you get the right kind.

However, I don't use them. Get yourself some Tiger Corsairs, Nike
Cortez's, Adidas Countrys, Puma Romas, or any of many similar shoes,
and a set of platform pedals, and you'll never look back. The Cortez's
in particular have extremely stiff soles. They all slide in and out of
clips easily and the ripples lock nicely into the bumps on MKS GR-9s.µ

Quoted message said:

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A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:
I wouldn't wear them either. There are many other brands of
closed-sole mountain bike shoes with tear-out panel but most
are knobby soled so as to be ungainly in toeclips.

Quoted message said:

"Ken" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Several brands make "touring" shoes which have a minimal tread so they

work

Quoted message said:

well with toeclips. Some models are more flexy than others, which might

be

Quoted message said:

more comfortable if you are walking a lot. Some brands of touring shoes I

have

Quoted message said:

seen are Shimano, Lake, and Diadora. The Shimano shoes are most often
available at local bike shops. All have pretty plain styling (mostly

black).

Quoted message said:

Some companies also sell "police" cycling shoes, which are designed for

bicycle

Quoted message said:

cops who need to run as well as ride. These are mostly high-top styles in
solid black. Here is one: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=6197

Gary Jacobson said:

Most all of these shoes are not laced, but have straps in a place that they
will interfere with toe clips, and none of them have "slots" to engage the
pedal cage. Possible to dremel them in I suppose.

There's a wide selection, just maybe not every possible
thing. Lake's Police shoe, for example _does_ have laces and
_is_ toeclip-pedal compatible. It isn't everyone's
aesthetic but it does meet your two criteria.

Everyone agrees there should be more models, except the
manufacturers who don't always 'get it'

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A Muzi said:

...
The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice $300
wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5 to $10 at thrift
stores. When men die their children give the shoes away and I never
want for a choice when I ride over for a new pair....

Well, if you wear a suit (like Mr. Muzi) while working on bicycles, you
should have the dress shoes to match.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth

Tom Sherman said:

A Muzi said:

... The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5 to $10
at thrift stores. When men die their children give the shoes away
and I never want for a choice when I ride over for a new pair....

Well, if you wear a suit (like Mr. Muzi) while working on bicycles,
you should have the dress shoes to match.

He is sharp lookin' at the shop, I can attest to this for a fact.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A Muzi said:

... The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5 to $10
at thrift stores. When men die their children give the shoes away
and I never want for a choice when I ride over for a new pair....

Quoted message said:

Tom Sherman said:

Well, if you wear a suit (like Mr. Muzi) while working on bicycles,
you should have the dress shoes to match.

Tim McNamara said:

He is sharp lookin' at the shop, I can attest to this for a fact.

Geez, I'm an over-50 wrench!

You guys should check out your own Armani at a thrift store.
They are cheaper than dry cleaning!
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Neil Brooks said:

Ahh, Boyle . . . though I believe it was "Shoes for Industry," my hat
is off to /anybody/ who finds an appropriate opportunity to sneak in
some Firesign Theatre.

You're right, it is Industry.

Heh. Glad someone identified it.

--
Boyle M. Owl (what Firesign album is my name from?)

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 23:41:14 -0600, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice
$300 wingtips and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5
to $10 at thrift stores. When men die their children give
the shoes away and I never want for a choice when I ride
over for a new pair.

There are no longer stores which sell good leather shoes in
my neighborhood and the last cobbler anywhere near me closed
some time ago so it was with great joy I discovered thrift
store shoes! Premium quality leather shoes are comfortable
all day and thick enough to ride comfortably in toeclips.

This brings up an idea I often have... I would like to take my
thrift-store leather shoes to my cobbler so that he can install
stiffer soles. He has told me that he would do it if I could find the
stiff soles. Does anyone know of a source for stiff replacement soles
or have a suggestion on what would be a good material to sandwich
within a rubber sole to make shoes more pedal friendly?

Jennifer D

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A Muzi <[email hidden]> writes:

--
The past ten or twelve years I've been wearing / riding nice $300 wingtips
and similar premium leather shoes. They are $5 to $10 at thrift stores.
When men die their children give the shoes away and I never want for a
choice when I ride over for a new pair.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

==========================================================
What a fantastic idea! Those wingtips will have soles thick enough to
hammer in the old TA shoe plates. The last time I checked my LBS had a box
full of the plates both the metal type and the leather ones, but no shoes.

Yuji

"Boyle M. Owl" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:TNSUd.4299$2s.2563@lakeread06...

Quoted message said:

Neil Brooks said:

Ahh, Boyle . . . though I believe it was "Shoes for

Industry," my hat

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

is off to /anybody/ who finds an appropriate opportunity to

sneak in

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

some Firesign Theatre.

You're right, it is Industry.

Heh. Glad someone identified it.

I could have identified it, but I was having an acid flash-back
at the time. -- Jay Beattie.