I can remember my first pair
of cycling shoes. They were a pair of New Balance that I got on a sale at my
local bike shop. The colors were green, black and gray. The soles were made
from plastic. I don’t remember now how much they cost but it probably wasn’t
too much.
Those shoes were good at the
time. For a beginner, they served their purpose and they did it well.
At the time I did not know
the difference between some of the fancier models and what I had. I knew about
Time, Sidi and some of the other expensive models. I did not know what made
them different/better besides the name.
Since then I have come to
realize that the stiffness of the sole converts into energy to the pedals. I
probably lost a good amount of my pedaling energy due to my plastic soles. They
were stiff plastic yet they would still flex under intensive pedaling strain.
Another key factor in
cycling shoes is the amount of airflow that your shoes let in. When your feet
get hot they start to fatigue. The hotter they get the faster they fatigue. So
to prevent or delay the fatiguing process, airflow is essential.
For a beginner, the type of
shoes you get is not as critical. You should really start considering these
features when you want to get more out of cycling.
If you are riding in many
races a year, or wanting to, this would be the time to consider your present
shoe condition.
Another thing to consider in
shoes is their weight. When you get to the higher levels of the cycling
echelon, weight becomes more of a priority.
The last part of the cycling
shoe that should be addressed is the fit. What I mean by this is how well it
hugs your foot. Does the shoe fit like a surgical glove, nice and snug, or like
an old sock that has lost its elasticity?
Looking back on my first
pair of shoes, they were not the surgical glove fit. They would slip on my heel
on occasion. I would tighten the straps as best I could yet they still didn’t
fit into the surgical glove category of snugness.
So
when you’re out looking for shoes remember these points and you should get a
great riding shoe for your needs.
