Steel toecapped trainers as toeclip suitable cycle shoes?

[SA_SA_SA]

Has anyone tried Steel toecapped trainers as low cost toeclip suitable cycle shoes?

(I am presuming the have stiff soles due to protect against "spikey grpund").

Is any other low cost shoe suitable?

[james01]

I tried these once but found that the top of my feet got rubbed sore by the edge of the toecap on the upstroke. I've found that cheap sports shops usually stock basic trainers with very stiff soles which make excellent traditional cycling shoes. Smooth soles are better as they slide into the pedal more readily. I picked up a pair of black Slazenger trainers with real leather uppers and a rigid sole for around £13 recently. The soles are so rigid I can't imagine what sport they were designed for, but they're great for cycling.

[spanner1718]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19504

[DaveP]

Its one thing to cycle in safety footwear if its what you need to wear when you get to work. In other contexts I can see three problems:

They tend to be heavy, which does rather detract from the pleasures of riding.

The toes tend to be quite "full", both sideways and vertically. I think you'd find it difficult to find toe clips to accommodate them. You might be able to reshape metal clips but I don't think you would get far trying to mod plastic ones, except by cutting bits off altogether. I would recommend decent flat pedals for the job.

Most affordable safety footwear actually has rather soft soles. They still give protection against sharp objects (even without midsole armour) but the sole doesn't have enough stiffness to support the foot properly and allow comfortable walking. They tend to flex just by the back of the toecap which certainly doesn't suit my feet. I dread having to find a new pair and often end up having to pay £50 to £70.

Conclusion: They can be cheap. You get what you pay for. You'd be better off looking for end of line cycling shoes or trainers. I've ridden long distances in lightweight trainers, the trick is to match the pedal to the shoe. Decent flat pedals are untrendy but work very well. HTH

[Heltor Chasca]

I have worn safety boots for decades (for work) and they are comfy, well made warm and often waterproof so I understand why you want to wear them. None of the boots and trainers I've had would fit in toe clips. The steel mid soles are designed to stop nails piercing your foot [emoji16]but they don't particularly make the sole any stiffer than a decent trainer or bike shoe.

I switch between flat BMX pedals (the smaller ones) with decent trainers or my walking books and my spd pedals and bike shoes with cleats.

I've got small, wide, strong feet so tend not to suffer much. I've only experienced numbness once when I did about 30 miles in Converse trainers. I might as well have worn wet kippers...hc

[thirdcrank]

They won't fit standard toe clips of the type which used to be universally used with cycling shoes (Christophe etc.)

I once received a pair of plastic toe clips as a freebie at a One Day Sale. Presumably, they were giving them away because they couldn't sell them. I never used them and I don't know if they are still kicking about at the back of the garage, but they looked to be big enough to accommodate deep-sea divers' boots.

FWIW, I'd suggest that if you were riding in safety footwear, toe clips would offer no additional benefit.

[Vorpal]

I used to wear my work boots to cycle to and from work, sometimes. Although they were comfortable to cycle in, they didn't fit in my toeclips properly, and I often ended up using the other side of the pedal rather than faffing about with trying to get my boots in as far as they would go, adjusting the straps, etc.

[SA_SA_SA]

Thanks.

The squash shoes sound interesting.

NB I have mountain bike toeclips which are a bit taller than metal "roadie" ones, so steel toecaps might fit....

[cycleruk]

I use to mountain bike in steel toe-capped boots with clips and straps. Ideal for winter having a thick "Vibram" sole and no trouble clipping in. Plastic clips were large enough with the straps in a loose fit.
I also rode to work in them but only a couple of miles and just flat pedals.