Flat pedal shoes 2020

[Wheelie87]

So I tested the laces this afternoon - not tight at all quite loose, made no difference to me on the long descents unfortunately. lamvoete 
Will hopefully get the insoles tomorrow (No Dischem in Stellenbosch) and test out later this week.
Will report back

[Spafsack]

I have been down that road before [excuse the pun] No matter what i do with my laces it makes no difference. 

[Chadvdw67]

Pity it did not help for you

[scubes]

This is what I want to hear...which insoles did you get?

Don't recall the name.. they're in my shoes lol.. from Clicks.. they have a good small section.. blue ones.. made in the USA. Affordable too, think was like R100 for 2.

[Duane_Bosch]

I've got freeriders and the "new" impact lows. I had a pair of the old impacts until they finally disintegrated about 2 years ago

 

5.10 freeriders are not great for longer rides. IMO the sole is too thin and the shoes are too flexy for big days out. I don't think an insole is going to make a discernible difference.

Edited July 7, 2020 by Duane_Bosch

[Duane_Bosch]

Chad, how you finding the large stamp 2's? What did you have before them? Did you also have some sort of slight concave versus the stamps which dont. Will check my laces later today when i go for a spin. 

I've got Stamps on my trail bike and stratlines on my DH bike.

 

I find my feet do move around a bit more on the stamps. But not to where it feels dangerous. Regarding strength I BLIKSEMMED a rock with then a while ago and had the biggest OTB of my life. I bent my crank arm but the pedal was fine.

 

Having said that my mate who also has stamps snapped a pedal 2 weeks ago. Scary moment for sure.

Edited July 7, 2020 by Duane_Bosch

[Myth]

In terms of options:

 

5-10: New "adidas" sizing, smaller last than they used to use. 

Spaz: About the same sizing as old 5-10 (pre-adidas) and v comfy. Also slightly cheaper

ION: Slimmer than Spaz & 5-10, but damn nice and well priced.

RC: New on the market, not sure on sizing

Leatt: New on the market, not sure on sizing.

Shimano: Yeah, not sure on pricing, local availability or sizing, but in EU they have a few options. 

 

Another option, if your shoes are in good enough condition, is to get them re-soled at Barksole or one of the shoe repair places. You can get Stealth Rubber sole (or an equivalent) for about R600 per pair. 

 

I have a pair of the RC's, so for everyone's interest I've found them to run true to your usual shoe size. They are very comfy and have slightly less stiff soles than the Spaz shoes (which is my only other point of reference i.t.o flats).  They are more comfy to me than the Spaz shoes also.

 

I sometimes also get hotspots or dead spots from my clipless shoes, and have not had this issue yet so far using the RC shoes coupled with Spaz Boomslang pedals.

[Spafsack]

Myth, this is intersting. How would you rate the rc's versus five tens, do they flex allot, or stiffer sole. I am starting to think everything has to do with sole stifness.....

 

I have decided to put back my old giant pedals, test those, i dont think my feet like the crank brothers, will be adding them to market place shortly. Looking at around R900 bucks, few months old, i will include free shipping. It seems my feet are used to the Giants as when i used the c brothers it made no difference at all with regards to the numbness. 

 

Will shop around for uk11 flat shoes and see what i can find, i dont want to go back to clipless. 

[BaGearA]

Myth, this is intersting. How would you rate the rc's versus five tens, do they flex allot, or stiffer sole. I am starting to think everything has to do with sole stifness.....

 

I have decided to put back my old giant pedals, test those, i dont think my feet like the crank brothers, will be adding them to market place shortly. Looking at around R900 bucks, few months old, i will include free shipping. It seems my feet are used to the Giants as when i used the c brothers it made no difference at all with regards to the numbness.

 

Will shop around for uk11 flat shoes and see what i can find, i dont want to go back to clipless.

Still to go up or did you sell them already?

[milansosic88]

Im using a pair of Vans BMX shoes for my riding is this asking for trouble ?? Im relatively new to all of this. 

[Spafsack]

Hi bA

Will load tomorrow, still available

082 9277 168

[V18]

Shoes not mentioned here that solved my numb/cramping foot issues. Adidas Terrex trail cross shoes. The ones meant for flat pedal riding. Bought some off a buddy that imported the wrong size in 2017. No quality issues. Grips better than my 510 freeriders. Stiffer sole and roomier front foot box. Got a second pair just in case. Really the best shoes for guys with ample foot volume.

[MarcHD]

For those wondering about Ride Concepts

 

My partners at Get Stoked Distribution are the importers of this shoe brand and would be happy to arrange a demo set be sent to anyone curious about how they perform.

 

All that is required is to request a demo via our e-commerce portal which you can find here:

https://getstokedonline.co.za/demo-request/

 

You can also try out the DMR flat pedals - arguably the most well known brand in the flat pedal game and brand of multiple award winning Vault 

 

 

--

 

As for the foot cramps or hot feet sensation experienced by many users, I hope I can help here too.

With many years experience working in bike shop's I can say it's likely to be one of, or a combination of the following:

 

- Aches, usually in the form of a tearing like sensation or stabbing pain in the arch of the foot is usually caused by soles that flex too much especially if the rider has "flat feet" and inserts or a custom orthotics is a good solution. (I suffer from this and have used both to much success) This is why some people get on perfectly fine with flexy soles as they have high arches and therefore a natural "leaf spring" support in their feet. 

 

- Cramps or general pain are often caused by your bike setup being wrong (or not ideal for the trail and your condition) things like too hard suspension and tyre pressures are the first place to look here. It must be added however, that the above issue (aches) can compound the cramping, as well as just generally being off the bike for long periods and your body not being conditioned any longer.

 

- Hot foot sensation is largely caused from shoes which are too tight and restricting blood flow. This is where I found huge success in using Specialized's original insole footbeds as they incorporated a "metatarsal button" which helps spread the bones in your feet out (metatarsals) and promote better blood flow - it works VERY well, but doesn't correct entirely for shoes which are too small.

 

 

As a shameless punt to Ride Concept, their soles are stiffer than Fiveten Freerider Pro's if that helps some people. 

They also include D3O memory foam inserts under the metatarsals (ball) and heel of the insole which help dampen vibrations and feedback.

 

Cheers all and remember - "flat pedals win medals"

Edited July 19, 2020 by MarcHD

[Spafsack]

Hi Marc, what an awesome gesture. I have requested a demo. Cant wait to give feedback. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Im using a pair of Vans BMX shoes for my riding is this asking for trouble ?? Im relatively new to all of this. 

Nope. Just won't have ass much support for your foot, and less toe protection. But they do the job just fine. 

[MarickH]

Shoes not mentioned here that solved my numb/cramping foot issues. Adidas Terrex trail cross shoes. The ones meant for flat pedal riding. Bought some off a buddy that imported the wrong size in 2017. No quality issues. Grips better than my 510 freeriders. Stiffer sole and roomier front foot box. Got a second pair just in case. Really the best shoes for guys with ample foot volume.

Is there a specific type of Terrex for cycling, or are you referring to the regular Terrex cross shoes? I have a pair for gym and casual, and they are amazing.