Re: [CR] Cycling shoes

(Example: Racing:Jacques Boyer)

In-Reply-To: <DBD44F46B7AB437986EBBEC52F583414@windows3c83f64>
References:
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:47:14 -0400
From: "Harry Travis" <travis.harry@gmail.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Cycling shoes


I'd love to be able to say that specialized athletic shoes with a pre-1980 bike are an anachronism.

Alas, Adidas, Puma, and other sports-shoes companies were already there by 1980, creating the demand for optimal footwear for as many single sports as economically feasible. It would be a research project to find out not whether bike shoes existed --there were "touring shoes-- but what fraction of all cyclists in the Western world wore them. Truth is, people then who took cycles so seriously as we are -- fetishists, we should admit we are --, would likely have gone for such shoes, even though a walking shoe, running shoe, hell -- even a boat shoe might do very nicely.

Period golf shoes with the spikes removed? Dancing shoes? Golf shoes? The heel isn't much needed, and the stiffness of the sole needed depends on the design of the pedal and your own pedaling style and foot sensitivity. I can imagine a soft rubber-eraser -like sole that came with pig-skin suede shoes (Hush Puppies?) of the 60's not being firm enough for some, but right for the rest. But, would you wear Hush Puppies or hand-crafted "saddle shoes?" Or, so help me in Oz --"Wallaby's? (sp).

Harry Travis Washington, DC USA

On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 5:32 AM, Ken Cowan <maincom@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> All the bikes I own are older than 1980 but I when on long rides I have
> only
> ever used cleats. These types of pedals don't look good on my vintage bikes
> and I have now set them up with toe clips. So, what sort of shoe is
> normally
> used? Do I just wear standard running shoes, I have checked ebay and
> everything seems to be for cleats.

>

> Ken Cowan

> Melbourne

> Australia