Road Bike Shoes Or Mountain Bike Shoes?

hi i am new to cycling. i went to rei and looked at their cycling shoes and i picked one that had the bolts that match my pedals. when my friend saw them he said "oh you got mountain shoes?" i didn't know there was a difference, but i kinda like the ones i got because walking around isn't too uncomfortable. should i exchange them for road shoes?

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12 Comments »

answer said:

the only difference is that mountain bike shoes have tread on the bottom. They will work and look fine, but road bikers may notice that they are mountain bike shoes.

# 20 February 2010 at 10:53 pm

Tom D said:

Both are good.
Mountain bike pedals are usually called “SPD” (if they’re made by shimano). The cleat (the part on the shoe) is quite small and clips in and out fairly easily (including in muddy conditions) and the pedal is usually double sided. They tend to be easier to walk in because the cleat is smaller, and you can often find shoes that look almost like ordinary shoes, so they’re very popular with commuters. I use SPD’s and Specialized Taho shoes for commuting.
There are many types of road pedals from different brands, but the most common are the Shimano SPD-SL. They’re bigger and flatter, and single sided. For longer rides (i.e. >40 miles) these are much more comfortable than normal SPD’s, as the pressure is distributed around a bigger area on your foot. You can also put more power through the pedals for the same reason. The downsides are that they are harder to clip in and out of, and the cleat on the shoe is much bigger and awkward to walk around on. I use SPD-SL pedals and Specialized BG Elite shoes for training and racing.
So I’d say stick to the mountain bike pedals, but if you get serious about your cycling, get some road pedals.

# 21 February 2010 at 12:27 am

solvent said:

Congratulations! You just bought yourself the right shoes compatible with the pedals on your bike
Besides the heavier weight, road bike shoes not as comfortable/suitable for walking around (looks like penguins walking)
You got the better of the two types of shoes: mountain bike shoes which are more comfortable/suitable for walking around and safer for dismounting from any bikes (road/mountain)
Many/most using road bike shoes are ignorant about these
Where I live, I use the cheapest rough terrain running shoes on the bear-trap platform pedals (safest version) Got two separate Runners-up at the first two competitions I particiapted in my whole life

# 21 February 2010 at 5:48 am

Alex said:

The road shoe will have a very stiff sole, since you are not expected to leap over fences or jump over logs in them. This means that you get a better power delivery. Also, the road cleats tend to be lower on road shoes.
MTB shoes have a slightly flexible sole and viable tred, so allow you to do the above. I would keep them, since they are not going to make that much difference to your riding and will be more comfortable for walking in.
Luck

# 21 February 2010 at 9:29 am

Walletma said:

Depends on what you’re into, if you’re into road racing you’ll want road shoes because they are more stiff and therefore transfer more energy they are also more aerodynamic. If you’re into commuting mountain bike shoes are probably better since you’ll be stopped at traffic lights and will need to unclip and put your foot down and you’ll also be required to walked in them. If you’re into cycling just for fitness either is good its up to you.
Hope that helped, its fairly breif but you get the point

# 21 February 2010 at 1:22 pm

Be responsible towards others said:

I only use the Time ATAC pedals on my road and MTB due to the high quality, ease of use and safety.
MTB shoes are much easier to walk in and this way you only need 1 type of shoe that works with all your bikes. You do not have to worry about forgetting to take the right shoe for the right pedal system.
The Time MTB pedals are as good or better for your knees than any other system out there.
The Crank Brothers pedals are popular but not near the quality and durability of my 6-10 year old ATAC pedals.
If you have the $ and interest the LOOK MTB pedal may be worth checking into also.
ALSO The ATAC pedals work at least as good in all conditions than all the rest- mud/rain/snow.
I have not tried the LOOK pedal system, that maybe the only other I would even think about at this point!
RIDE A LOT AND HAVE FUN!

# 21 February 2010 at 7:25 pm

panzer10 said:

Oh, no dude, dont take them back or get new ones. The ones you have will be great. The only thing is that if you have road pedals then your mountain shoe wont work. But if thats the case just get mountain bike pedals. Any will work. I have heard that many road users use CrankBros. Eggbeaters and they seem to work fine .
I guess if you want to start putting tons of miles on your road bike (assuming thats what you have) Then maybe road shoe/pedal combo is your best bet. but if you are going to be using it for more of a casual road bike thing, then mnt stuff should work fine.

# 21 February 2010 at 9:04 pm

Bob A said:

No, it’s not necessary if you like them. There are a lot of people that use SPD shoes and pedals on road bikes just for that reason. I use the same shoes for my mountain bike and the road bike and have no problem. The road bike shoes will be liter like track shoes but have the exposed cleats that are a pain to walk around in.http://www.caree.org/bike101cliplesspeda…

# 22 February 2010 at 3:47 am

Paul RN said:

If you have a road bike, you should consider exchanging them for the newer walkable road shoes, that use mtn cleats. Best of both worlds.

# 22 February 2010 at 5:47 am

painting said:

I have both road and mountain bike shoes. Both are stiff so they work well cycling. I prefer the mountain bike shoes because they are easier to walk in when I have ridden somewhere.

# 22 February 2010 at 10:25 am

Art said:

Any kind of shoes will be ok to ride any kind of bike, it’s hard to walk with cycling anyways.

# 22 February 2010 at 5:06 pm

stevenmc said:

nah. use em if you like em

# 22 February 2010 at 7:08 pm