Suitable Footwear for endurance riding in flat pedals.

[morbihan]

Morning all.

We have just ordered a couple of sets of flat pedals (VO and compass) for long distance touring. I'm interested in going this route on the next ultra ride too after struggling with clipping-in on TCR in the high country.
To date my experience of clipless has been old running shoes and a trip to the shops.
Is there a consensus on the best type of shoe for all day (and night) riding? Walking shoe?
Plenty of time to break some in before the off.
Thx.
 

[drossall]

I'd go for something like Shimano MTB trainers, and just not remove the cover over the cleat fittings. Bike shoes have rigid soles, to spread the pedalling load over the whole foot. Even with flat pedals, you may get it concentrated in some places. Whereas soles on racing shoes are almost completely rigid (because you rarely walk in them), those on touring and MTB shoes tend to flex upwards (for walking), but not downwards (in order to support the foot when pedalling, as above). Any non-cycling shoe will generally be less suitable.

[mattc]

Arabella [of this parish] swears by desert boots. Suspect she's done a couple of SRs + PBP + LEL in them, despite trying SPD ... [ED: that's enough acronyms for 1 sentence, laddie!]

[Bolt]

I find these walking shoes from Decathlon perfect for cycling and incredibly comfortable https://www.decathlon.co.uk/arpenaz-500-mens-walking-shoes-khaki-orange-leather-id_8328361.html

[morbihan]

cheers all.
I'll have a nosey at walking shoes. The couple of pairs of mtb shoes I have are pretty heavy and probably didn't save the cleat covers.
Back in the day before cleats were a thing, I guess we used sneakers, but then wasn't riding so far.

 

[Frank9755]

Interesting, Jonah...

I've switched entirely to flat pedals now, and was seriously considering using them in the TCR last year, if I had ridden. 

For the UK I use FiveTens, which are not bad.  My longest ride in them was 200km back in April, and I have to say that my feet were getting a bit sore from pedal pins by the end.  I now have different pedals with slightly shorter and fewer pins and have not had such issues since, but have not ridden more than 100km since June. 

Problem with the FiveTens is that they are pretty warm for hotter climates.  For the TCR, I was searching for something a bit cooler.  I was looking at:
- other shoes for flat pedals (https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/g20046461/the-best-mountain-bike-shoes-for-flat-pedals/)
- walking shoes along the lines of those Decathlon ones linked,
- a light pair of trainers
- maybe even sandles for south of the Alps (with socks, obvs, to avoid sunburn!). 
I even bought a pair of crocs to try out (as recommended by ultralight Igor http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com/p/equipment-reviews_12.html) but didn't get round to it.   
I think that with the right pedals, you can pretty much wear anything.  You don't want the tread to be too chunky or you won't be able to fine tune your foot position so easily, which could be the issue with hiking shoes.  And I think ankle support might be important, so don't want something too floppy and low cut.

Do tell me if you find the right shoes - this is a bit of a niche!

[grams]

I've successfully used trail running shoes. They have much thicker soles than normal running shoes but are still vented and comfortable. Also grippy tread on the bottom for both gripping the pedals and pushing your bike up muddy hills if your route doesn't work out...

[zigzag]

as an idea - how about attaching a custom cut piece of stiff(ish) rubber platform to a road shoe (by glueing and screwing it to the sole)? this would give a light and stiff shoe that is compatible with platform pedals.

[rafletcher]

Arabella [of this parish] swears by desert boots. Suspect she's done a couple of SRs + PBP + LEL in them, despite trying SPD ... [ED: that's enough acronyms TLA's for 1 sentence, laddie!]

FTFY 

[Frank9755]

A few people do report good results from trail running shoes, Salomon Trail Runners were used by a few riders on SRMR. But I've not actually knowingly seen a pair yet so have no first hand opinion.  How are they for being able to fine tune your foot position by slipping over the pins?

You don't need stiff shoes if you're not using cleats. However the idea (sticking rubber to the sole of cycling shoes) is not crazy as, in other respects, such shoes would tick boxes for better ankle support and breathability.  But would be no good for walking, and the stiffness might actually reduce the grip, so probably not!

[adenough]

I need a stiff shoes on flats. In trainers that have a soft sole, with the ball of my foot on the pedal my heel drops and I suffer tendonitus. Looking for a firm soled normal looking shoe I came across these from the dreaded Sports Direct. They worked perfectly. A very stiff sole and heel with leather uppers. I can't recommend them enough. I've toured France in them, and rode all around Mallorca in them. Supremely comfortable and clean up well. I paid £20 for mine. I even bought a spare pair.
https://www.sportsdirect.com/lonsdale-camden-mens-trainers-110054?colcode=11005440