Welcome to Bike Shoes, the Internet’s leading bike shoe review website.  On this website you can find out about the different ranges of bike shoes available.  We list bike shoes in different price ranges, for different types of cycling, from all the major brands.  Along with this, we hunt high and low, all across the internet to bring you the best prices from the UK’s leading cycling retailers!

Clip-in Pedals

Bike shoes are specialist footwear that you can wear when cycling.  Many people start out just using an old pair of trainers, but this is far from ideal.  Cycling shoes are specially made for the different types of cycling, such as road cycling and mountain biking.  As well as this, they give you the option to clip into special pedals, called SPDs or cleats.

Clip-in pedals may sound a little bit daunting to someone who hasn’t used them before, but they’re really easy to get to grips with.  Clip-in pedals make sure your feet stay securely on your pedals, give you extra power and you can still put your feet on the floor as easily as you can without them!

To use clip in pedals you push your bike shoes into the clip-in pedal.  You will hear a click and you are now attached.  To un-clip, you simply swivel your foot and the bike shoe un-clips.  When you first get them set them to the looses setting, and then slowly tighten them so your feet stay in place but you can still take your feet out.

The biggest fear most people have with clip-in bike shoes is forgetting to un-clip and toppling over.   They say this happens three times to begin with and then you are okay.  When I first got mine I filtered to the front of long queue of traffic, forgot to un-clip and toppled over (much to everyone’s delight).  It makes for a good story when you stop for a coffee or pub stop and is not something to be worried about!  The other times I forgot my bike shoes unclipped themselves so everything was okay.

After using your clip-in bike shoes for a few rides, clipping in and clipping out becomes second nature.  Clip-in pedals definitely make cycling easier and more enjoyable.

Types of Bike Shoes

Buying a pair of bike shoes isn’t as simple as just picking a pair.  There are different types of bike shoes, and clip in pedals, for different purposes.

MTB Bike Shoes

Bike shoes for off road usually use Shimano’s SPD cleat system.  These will be recessed in the shoe, so if you need to get off to push or carry your bike you can do this easily.  In general, MTB bike shoes have a more casual style and look a bit like a walking shoe.  MTB bike shoes have a stiffer sole than other shoes which again makes walking off road easier.

Road Cycling Shoes and Road Racing Shoes

Road bike or road racing shoes provide the most efficient levels of power transfer from your legs to the bike.  Road bike shoes try to keep weight to a minimum, while still offering a stiff soled shoe.  If you enjoy road cycling, or take road racing seriously, then you definitely need to invest in a pair of road bike shoes.

Triathlon Shoes

Triathlon shoes are designed so that they can be put on, and taken off as quickly as possible.  When you are swapping between activities, you do not want to be doing up multiple buckles or having to tie up shoe laces.  Triathlon bike shoes only use one strap, and generally allow for water to drain off from swimming stages.

About the Author

Thomas Etherington on Tour of the Hills

Bike-Shoes.co.uk has been written by Thomas Etherington.  Thomas Etherington is a keen cyclist, going out with a local CTC group as well as cycle commuting and going out for short solo rides.  He set up bike-shoes.co.uk to help cyclists find out about the different types of bike shoes available and the most affordable places to buy them from.

Thomas Etherington rides a Specialise Allez road bike, and also does a little bit of mountain biking on a Specialized Hardrock (although he spends more time in the bushes near to his MTB bike, than on it….).