Tips for choosing cycling and Mountain Bike shoes: size, model, sole

 Tips for choosing cycling and Mountain Bike shoes: size, model, sole

It is now possible to ride a bicycle or mountain bike, so put on your cycling shoes and… Wait, if you don't have cycling shoes or mountain bike shoes or are considering changing them, read carefully some essential tips to choose the one that suits you as a glove. Take note.

- Tips for choosing cycling and Mountain Bike shoes: size, model, sole and products

Tips for choosing cycling and mountain bike shoes: 5 key points
Do not think that it is enough to go to your cycling store or your favorite website, choose the model you like and start pedaling. At least, if what you want is a good pair of cycling shoes that fit well to your foot and allow you to enjoy, and not suffer, a bike ride. For this, it is very important to take into account some variables that play a fundamental role when deciding on good mountain bike shoes. And it is not only important which size to choose, which will also be discussed below, but also some other issues that go more unnoticed. And here are 5 things to keep in mind.

1. First of all, not all mountain bike or cycling shoes are suitable for any discipline. Yes, it seems obvious, but it is important to advise. You should know what discipline you practice (we assume you know what bike you have), in order to know which mountain bike shoes are best for you. And we say mountain biking, because it is without a doubt where there is more variety. At least, at the very least, you should differentiate between disciplines that need more anchoring and others that require a looser foot. In summary, we could group them into two general groups, although with nuances.

There are mountain bike shoes that require constant anchoring, to practice XC, for example. In them, not only is the anchoring fixed, but consequently, as they are not designed to step on the ground (even if they have a studded sole, in case) they usually have quite rigid soles and much tighter lasts. They are the most similar to the rest of road or cross cycling shoes.

At the other extreme, would be the mountain bike platform shoes in which the feet are loose, free as air. In them, the anchoring disappears in disciplines such as Enduro, or at least it is about grips rather than anchors, with good grip on the pedal but which are also capable of allowing walking on uneven terrain. You can see the shoes that professional cyclists wear, in case it helps you. Between the two, an entire intermediate range allows you to be more or less extreme and rigorous when choosing the mountain bike shoes according to your discipline.

2. The fit system is the second aspect of your next cycling shoes to analyze. Without a doubt, micrometric wheels have revolutionized the entire foot adjustment process. Some brands, such as SIDI, manufacture their own wheel, but without a doubt there is one that has taken over the market: BOA. The adjustment system with BOA is so simple and intuitive, working in both directions and releasing the shoe with just a pull of the wheel upwards, that it has been imposed without a doubt, at least in all models of cycling shoes from mid and high range. It is not essential, but if you can afford it, do not hesitate: it is worth such a quick and precise adjustment. Of course, it is not the only system: there are velcro and there are laces. The least advisable is the lacing, although its fit is good, untying and tying, especially if you wear gloves, is a task of titans. Velcro has a good and easy fit, but they tend to lose properties over time. If you cannot economically reach a model of cycling shoe or mountain bike shoe with BOA, try a model that combines a wheel and velcro.

3. The sole and the last. Cyclists take great care of this part of any cycling shoe. In fact, it is important, although the question is sometimes incorrect: the question is not whether the sole is made of carbon fiber or other materials such as nylon, but rather that what is truly significant in a cycling shoe is the hardness or rigidity of this sole. And there are soles that are not made of fiber whose stiffness is very close to it, so that the same outlay does not end up compensating you. We also consider that greater stiffness means a better result, but remember what we have said about your demands and especially about your discipline. So consider analyzing the sole: is it finished well? Does the stud allow you good support without damaging the cleat? Does it flex a lot if you force it or is it quite rigid? And, what is essential, does the sole adhere to a narrow or wide last? Because there are brands that manufacture with so narrow lasts that many cyclists have their cycling shoes hurt the front of the foot. The sole does not completely determine the last, but it influences a lot, since you think that to build the mountain bike or cycling shoe, a clock that fits and seals perfectly on a sole will be placed. So take a look at the sole and ask those questions.

4. The reinforcements. There is nothing more painful than paying a good amount of money for a mountain bike or cycling shoe and, after a few trips, you notice that small frictions, bumps or scratches have caused considerable damage on it. This depends largely on the materials of its manufacture, but also on this nuance, on the reinforcements and finishes. Because look and you will see that in your cycling shoes the damage abounds in the same parts: toe especially, heel, and outer and inner instep. So analyze, especially for mountain bike disciplines, if these parts are well finished and if they include reinforcements, added, that they have considered their exposure to overprotect them. It is also good that you know when the time has come to change your shoes.

5. Materials are essential. Until quite a few years ago, leather was considered the pinnacle of a cycling shoe. Make no mistake, today there are materials whose properties considerably exceed natural leather: they breathe very well, fit and mold excellently and are hundreds of times less delicate and more resistant than natural leather. Synthetic leathers include brilliantly made cycling shoes, with anti-abrasion materials that are almost unbreakable. Also look at the inside of the mountain bike or cycling shoe: see if it is breathable, if it includes support parts of the sock to prevent them from coming off or slipping (such as the inner clarino heel) and if the shoe's ventilation is anticipates good.



What size of cycling shoes to choose?
And here is the crux of the matter, the big question, the big question for most cyclists: what size of cycling shoes do I choose? A first tip, which will be very useful not only in mountain bike shoes and cycling shoes, but with footwear in general: know the size of your foot in centimeters, do not be guided by the number. Because each manufacturer has their lasts and their sizes, so there are variations, and surely you already know. But with your size in centimeters there is no room for error. To do this, rest your heel on a wall, mark the tip of your longest toe (remember, it is not always the big toe), and measure the result in centimeters.

Once you have the size in centimeters, everything is simpler: here we leave you a comparative table by brands, although we advise you that when you have real size, look for the size that is some millimeter greater than your foot size, as well as 4 or 5 millimeters plus. Never choose a smaller size, if you hesitate between 2 sizes, it will surely be the largest one that does not hurt you. Because your finger should not touch the tip of the cycling shoe. Of course, try it on with the socks you use to go cycling and with your insoles, if you use a special one.