00:02Road cycling shoes come in all different shapes and sizes but nearly all of them will allow you
00:06to clip into a pedal. Now this is done using a cleat which attaches to the bottom of the shoe.
00:13Clipped in shoes which confusingly are also referred to as clipless shoes make you engage
00:18more of your muscles throughout the pedal stroke meaning you're a lot more efficient with your
00:22power. While riding with clips in shoes may seem a little daunting at first after your first couple
00:27of rides it's fair to say you're going to feel very comfortable with them and people rarely ever go
00:31back to riding flats. Now you know a little bit more about road cycling shoes I'm going to talk
00:36you through the different types that are out there. Road shoes are for those who want to ride as fast
00:44as possible and also be as efficient as possible. You can pay anywhere from £50 all the way up to
00:50£300 plus for a pair of shoes but there are some key differences between them. Top spec shoes will
00:56be incredibly lightweight and will utilise materials such as carbon fibre so they can have a really
01:02stiff sole. They'll also have built-in ventilation to help keep your feet as cold as possible.
01:07While their upper will be pliable it's still going to have very little give and that is so all of
01:12your
01:12effort goes into turning those pedals. In terms of how they're secured wired dials have become really
01:17popular in recent years. Now you may have seen these called Boa dials however many brands have their own
01:22similar systems which might be called something different. Boa dials are quick convenient and you
01:27can rarely go wrong with this type of retention system. You'll also find shoes with laces which
01:32despite their old-school appearance do still do a really good job at holding your foot in place.
01:36Laces might take a little bit longer to put on than Boas however they are really reliable and often
01:42lighter. Finally straps and velcro have been making a comeback in recent years with Physique releasing a
01:48range of models at various budgets. When it comes to budget or mid-range shoes they'll often come with
01:54either nylon or composite soles. Now that does mean they sacrifice a little bit on weight and also
02:00stiffness. They may also just be a little bit bulkier and not as sleek than their top end
02:05counterparts. However the real world differences between mid-range and top end shoes are marginal
02:11at best and only performance-minded cyclists are going to be able to notice the difference.
02:16Finally it's worth mentioning that road shoes only tend to have a tiny amount of tread on the soles
02:20and that usually boils down to a couple of bits of rubber underneath the heel. As you'd expect this
02:25does make them tricky to walk in so if you're planning on commuting or cycle touring then their next
02:29category might be best suited for you. Commuter and touring shoes share many of the same characteristics
02:39as road shoes but with a few key differences which I think are worth mentioning. First up is a different
02:44style of cleats meaning they're normally not compatible with either road shoes or pedals. They do however
02:49use the same two bulk system that you'll find on many mountain bike shoes. The advantage to this is
02:54that the cleat can be recessed into the tread of the shoe meaning it's a lot easier to walk in
02:58which
02:59then also means you're not going to damage the cleat. Commuter and touring shoes tend to have a more
03:03subdued look meaning that they blend in with your normal clothes however there are exceptions to this
03:07should you want something a bit more exotic. The first thing to look out for is to make sure that
03:18the bulk pattern on the bottom of your shoes matches that of your cleats and pedals. Now often you'll find
03:24a three bulk setup which is common to find for Shimano look and time however if you use Speedplay
03:29pedals you might want to look for shoes with a four bulk system however they are very rare and this
03:34is why
03:34Speedplay include an adapter plate in with the pedals if you want to use their system. As I've already
03:40mentioned commuter and cycle touring shoes will usually use a two box setup so make sure that your
03:44pedals are compatible. It's also worth bearing in mind that shoes rarely come with cleats so do make
03:50sure you buy some however if you are buying pedals then most of the time if not all of the
03:55time you're
03:55always going to get cleats in with those pedals. When it comes to sizing it's worth knowing that
04:05a size 10 from one brand will rarely be exactly the same as a size 10 from another brand so
04:10my best
04:10recommendation here is to just try them on before you commit to buying them. Finally if you have
04:16particularly wide feet there are brands out there that offer wide fit options such as Shimano, Lake and
04:21Sydney. So hopefully you're now a little bit more clued up to the whole world of road cycling shoes.
04:27If you do have any questions drop them below, if you enjoyed the video drop it a like,
04:31subscribe to the channel for more content and I'll see you again very soon.
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