Author Topic: Shoes for toeclips?  (Read 1584 times)

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Shoes for toeclips?
« on: 13 September, 2021, 11:22:49 pm »
I like riding my early-50s Claud Butler during appropriate events. It took me round a >200km l’Eroica a few years back and did the Tom Simpson Memorial ride last Sunday.

I can sort out most of the worn-out stuff for a reliable and pleasurable ride but my feet are a significant issue. I used to race and do long brevets with Brancale cleated shoes and double straps but nowadays I can’t find any shoes that fit both me and the pedals.

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m6b0s154p3382/EXUSTAR-Stelvio-SP-705 killed my Achilles tendons at l’Eroica which limited my riding for a couple of months (for sale, low mileage!).

http://www.rufflander.co.uk/shop/heritage-footwear/arturo-cycle-shoe/ Arturo shoes are nice to my Achilles but cramps my third and fourth toes and is a little too narrow across the ball of my foot. After 70km, I stopped by the side of road, took a shoe off and had to massage the foot, just to finish the ride. These shoes will be going to someone else after less than 200km of riding.

Time to stop nickle-and-diming myself. Where can I get some custom cycle shoes for toeclips? Failing that, a pair of size-45-ish cycling shoes designed for human-shaped feet, rather than something with winkle-picker toes?
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #1 on: 14 September, 2021, 08:41:15 am »
If those don't work for you, could you not wear SPD shoes but without removing the plastic cover over the cleat bolts?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #2 on: 14 September, 2021, 08:57:54 am »
The Exustar shoes are SPD-compatible and I did exactly that. If they don’t fit, it is a waste of time.

Most SPD shoes have velcro straps and other lumps and bumps on top and they hang up on the toestraps when sliding my feet in and out of the clips. No good for actually riding. I also want something that looks like proper cycling shoes from 50 years ago. Many current cycling shoes look like utter crap and/or skaterboy stuff.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #3 on: 14 September, 2021, 09:14:29 am »
For reasons I’ve forgotten, I have a set EBay search for “ classic cycling shoes”, that regularly delivers multiple results.
I bought something of the sort a while ago. I’ll see if I can find them . Brexit has obviously made acquiring things from that Europe, but not usually impossible.

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #4 on: 14 September, 2021, 09:46:14 am »
I’ve sent some  photos of the shoes I bought, Prouu or something , to a mutual friend for you. I can’t unpick the code for posting photos on here I’m afraid.

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #5 on: 14 September, 2021, 10:19:43 am »

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #6 on: 14 September, 2021, 10:51:13 am »
It turns out Arturo do custom shoes. Perhaps that might do the job.

Those Spanish shoes look lovely (never seen them before) but most European shoes use narrower lasts than my duck flipper feet require.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #7 on: 15 September, 2021, 10:10:51 pm »
I was going to say I'd heard good things about William Lennon cycling shoes, but it turns out they're the Arturos you already know about.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #8 on: 15 September, 2021, 10:19:27 pm »
They replied to my enquiry:
“Thank you for your email.  Sorry to hear that your cycle shoes are not comfortable for you.  We can only build the shoes to the lasts that we have here in the factory. A little extra width can be added in general, but not specifically at the toe-box.  If this would help at all please let us know and we can discuss further.”

I’m not sure yet if that means I can have more width for my toes or not. Something to chase up.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #9 on: 19 September, 2021, 07:44:57 am »
My father got a pair of hand-made shoes from afar in the 1960's. The cobbler, Thomas Rogerson asked him for a template by getting someone to draw round his feet whist standing on a piece of paper.
Result, a perfect fit.
BTW the shoes were half sprung lightly nailed for hillwalking.

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #10 on: 19 September, 2021, 02:01:59 pm »
A look for traditional cycling shoes turned up this https://dromarti.com/  in french for me but they're actually english. Not a sign of a price!

I am going to have to look for some reasonably unnoticeable lace-ups for a similar use to yours but I'm not a purist, these should do me fine https://www.decathlon.fr/p/chaussures-velo-route-a-lacets-spd-cyclotourisme-rc500-noire/

My father got a pair of hand-made shoes from afar in the 1960's. The cobbler, Thomas Rogerson asked him for a template by getting someone to draw round his feet whist standing on a piece of paper.
Result, a perfect fit.
BTW the shoes were half sprung lightly nailed for hillwalking.

We needed new school shoes in the mid-60's before going back to boarding school. My dad took us to a cobbler who drew round our feet and two days later we had our shoes, all fitting perfectly. School was in N Wales, cobbler was in Bukoba, Tanzania. No I can't remember his name!

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #11 on: 19 September, 2021, 02:25:14 pm »
Don't slotted cleats* fit modern 3-bolt road shoes like Sidis?

*if you're brave/mad enough
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #12 on: 20 September, 2021, 10:51:42 pm »
Dhb Dorica from Chain reaction cycles . Might be worth a look .
Its More Fun With Three .

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #13 on: 24 September, 2021, 05:05:28 pm »
Don't slotted cleats* fit modern 3-bolt road shoes like Sidis?

*if you're brave/mad enough

Yes but many modern shoes have lumps and bumps on the uppers that hang up on toestraps. On the other hand, there are some classically-styled shoes with laces that might work (DHB Dorica, as suggested above). I was hoping for some walkable touring shoes as a 46x24t low gear is pretty tough to muscle up steep pinches on dirt.

It is surprisingly difficult to find slotted cleats that fit Look drilling. Vittoria 1976 cleats are the perfect thing but they seem to be unobtanium currently.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: Shoes for toeclips?
« Reply #14 on: 24 September, 2021, 09:39:33 pm »
Cleats:
https://steel-vintage.com/classic-pedal-cleats-detail

You can look at the shoes too.
If you ask there may be some possibility of getting made to measure. It sound like he uses a chap in Padua for at least some handmade shoes.