Keys to choosing your MTB shoes
One of the most important aspects and that, however, is given less importance is footwear, but choosing a pair of MTB shoes requires prior work. We are going to give you some tips to get you right with your next shoes.
MTB shoes are one of the most personal and important aspects of our wardrobe. However, there are bikers that guide their choice based on brands or designs, which is a big mistake. In the process of choosing shoes, many parameters must be taken into account, some of them crucial for our comfort.
- Keys to choosing your MTB shoes and products
Most cycling shoes have a universal design that makes them suitable for everyone, however, there are others in which the toe (or the entire last) is narrower, or they mark more the bridge, or the heel. … In short, small details that can benefit us, do not bother us or can make us very uncomfortable.
Choosing an incorrect shoe will cause friction, pain or excessive pressure on certain points of the foot, making the routes become an ordeal. That is why we should not leave the choice of our footwear to chance, or to the simple taste for design.
The first factor, obviously, is set by the budget. In the market we find great shoes for tighter prices and models with higher prices and with benefits worthy of the World Cup. So the first thing we must mark is the money that we can spend.
What is an MTB shoe like?
Before continuing, for novice bikers, we are going to explain in a general way what MTB shoes are like. The general key is found in the sole, since it has the hooks to which to screw the cleats of the clipless pedals. 90% (if not more) of MTB shoes on the market are SPD twin screw system ready and compatible or from Crank Brothers.
The objective of these shoes is to pedal as efficiently as possible, so the soles are rigid, made of different materials that we will see below depending on their use, and with a strategically arranged tack for when we walk with them when we get off the bike. . But it is important to know that they are not shoes to walk for a long time since they can become uncomfortable (there are some exceptions, such as BMX or DH for platform pedals).
The covers and their design also vary depending on the use that we are going to give them, but it is important to note that ventilation takes on an important role. Of course, we cannot expect to find a mesh like in a running shoe, since it would greatly weaken the structure of the cover and make it lose efficiency. Usually they have micro-perforated areas or some parts with much stiffer and thicker meshes than those of conventional shoes.
Another difference is that most do not have laces, at least in the most common models, since they could catch on the chainrings or the chain. The most common closure systems are those with a micrometric wheel type BOA or ATOP, a toothed belt with a ratchet, Velcro or Quick Lace type loops (which are then usually covered so that the laces do not go loose). The better the system (I have ordered them from more to less technical) the more expensive the shoe will be.
It is also common to find models that use two of them to complement each other, for example micrometric wheel on the upper part of the instep (looking for a better fit and fastening of the shoe to the foot) and a velcro on the bottom to avoid excessive pressure on the fingers and the plant support pads.
How to choose your MTB shoes?
Types of slippers
If we already know the budget we have, the following is, as with bicycles, to analyze the majority use that we are going to give them, since cycling has led to such a specific world that there are more suitable products for each modality. And although in reality any shoe will be good for MTB, a pure XC model is not recommended for Enduro or vice versa.
In fact, the configuration of the shoes differs a lot according to the modality that we practice, although we can finally include them in three types according to the category of Mountain Bike to which they are oriented.
On the one hand we have the XC and XCM shoes, whose main characteristics are the rigid sole, usually made of carbon fiber or similar (composite, fiberglass) or carbon fiber and nylon, and a more adjusted last with a ventilated cover. Their design is quite similar to that of road shoes and the aim is to offer the maximum possible transmission from the foot to the pedal without losing energy due to twisting, which is why they are quite rigid.
How to choose your MTB shoes?
The cover is usually made of microfiber that is easy to clean and of a moderate thickness. There are XC shoes, as is the case with road shoes, whose cover is thermoformed to adapt to the shape of our foot with the heat we give off. The objective is that it embraces the entire structure of the foot without excessive pressure points but without empty areas and thus all the force of the pedal is transmitted from the sole. They are the best shoes for pedaling, but the least comfortable.
At the opposite extreme we find the Enduro shoes, which have a rubber sole of different density and with some flexibility to facilitate the sections in which you have to get off the bicycle, lean on stones and trees, etc. But this greater flexibility has another reason, and it is to favor comfort in receiving jumps as well as foot movements to avoid obstacles, even when lounging.
Precisely for this reason, its cover is more voluminous and made of reinforced and resistant fabric to prevent it from being damaged by scratches and blows from stones, branches, bushes, etc. There are some with a slightly higher shaft to protect the ankles from bumps and sprains. Being more robust, it is common to find lace closure systems, but always complemented with a velcro or cover that hides them to avoid snagging.
In between these characteristics we find the Trail or All Mountain shoes, with a shape closer to conventional shoes, with the sole somewhat stiffer than Enduro but more flexible than XC and XCM in case you have to get off the bike. bike on a trail These soles are made with rubber of different density and with studs, also made of rubber, less rigid than those of XC. They are shoes in which pedaling performance is not as important as comfort.
In Enduro or All Mountain shoes it is also very important that they fully support the foot, without dancing inside it. In this case the reason is for greater safety when jumping or pulling the pedals to lift the rear wheel.
Latest tips for choosing your next MTB shoes
When it comes to buying your next MTB shoes, the best advice I can give you is to try on several models until you find the right one. Not only should we care about the size in terms of the length of the foot, but also the width. It is very important that you do not press on your foot at any point (if the toe, for example, is too narrow, your toes will sleep as soon as they swell a little from the heat and effort) but that it is not loose either so that our feet move.
It is very important that the entire foot supports us. It is not very pleasant that when we go to jump or move the bicycle we notice how our feet move inside the shoes or even come off if we do not choose the correct size. If the shoe does not fit perfectly to our foot, we can have a feeling of significant lack of control when we face technical sections. Therefore, our shoes must keep the heel firm and support at all times. It is another point to study carefully when we are testing them.
How to choose your MTB shoes?
When we go to try on our shoes, it is advisable to do so with the majority type of sock that we use when riding a bike. That is, if we only go out in good weather we should not wear a thick winter sock, although we should not wear thin "executive type" socks. We must also think that they are not walking shoes, so it will not be worth taking a few steps around the store. It is even better to stay still in a flexed position (simulating pedaling pressure) for a few minutes to see if friction or pressure appears at any point on the foot.
That is why it is highly advisable to go to establishments with an important assortment of shoes to try various models that fit our budget and MTB modality that we practice. And since we ask a professional for advice, it is very ugly to look for that model of shoes in another way to save a few euros. In addition, it is the best way to find a quick and easy solution in case we have problems that we did not notice at the time of purchase (we did not go with the right socks, problems with the closures, etc.).
Regarding the XC and XCM type shoes, we must know that the cheapest ones will be those with a Nylon sole (less rigid), while the higher the content of composite or carbon fiber, the more their price will rise. The same happens with the type of closure, being cheaper those of velcro and more expensive those of wheel type BOA or ATOP.
Urban cycling shoes
One last point, a type of specific shoes for urban cycling are beginning to become popular in the market. They are very comfortable and have the appearance of street shoes, although the double screw structure is maintained on the sole to hook the cleats. They are not highly recommended for MTB, since they will stain and mark more easily, but they are for those who use the bicycle for their daily trips and cannot change their shoes each time they arrive at a destination.
