Mountain Bike Shoes - A Buyer's Guide

Looking for a pair of mountain bike shoes, but can’t see the forest for the trees? Have a read through this blog and hopefully you’ll find yourself on the right track again in no time! This blog explains your various options when it comes to picking the right mountain bike shoes for you.

If you’re new to mountain biking, then it might feel a little unnatural to be stuck to your pedals. Maybe you’d rather not be stuck to your bike, and you opt to ride with normal pedals and a pair of training shoes. Alternatively, you could go for a flatpedal with a pair of appropriate shoes.

Why Use Clipless Pedals?

The advantage of using clipless pedals is that you’re physically stuck to the pedals, allowing you to pull up on them as well. This makes your power transfer more efficient and prevents you from getting bounced off your bike on a bumpy descend.

Still, flatpedals are becoming a more frequent sight. As the name suggests, these pedals are completely flat and fitted with studs. These studs grip on the special rubber soles under flatpedal-specific shoes.

This way, you’re still fairly “stuck” to your pedals and don’t just slip off at the first few bumps you encounter. Because you’re not fully locked in, you can still get your foot off the pedal if you can’t quite make it up a steep hill or obstacle just yet. These pedals are particularly popular in the freeride scene, but are becoming increasingly commonplace on “regular” mountain bikes. If this system seems appealing to you, then you could go for our Five Ten shoes and a set of flatpedals of your choice.

Clipless Systems

If you’ve decided you want to be locked to your pedals, then there’s still the small matter of choosing between the various different systems and brands of pedals. There’s no distinct “best choice”; which pedal and system you choose is a matter of personal preference.

Naturally, more expensive pedals tend to be of a higher quality. The bearings are better, the materials used to build the pedal are different, and the weight is often lower. This makes the pedal more durable, and it saves you a few grams up the next climbs.

The best-known system is the SPD system. Developed by Shimano, SPD stands for Shimano Pedalling Dynamics. Though not entirely accurate, we tend to call all cleated mountain bike shoes SPD-shoes.

There are plenty of other brands of clipless systems: Crankbrothers, Look, and Speedplay, for instance. Fortunately, all of these brands use the same cleat mount system.

Mountain bike cleats always use two bolts mounted side by side. This differs from the SPD-SL system used with road bike pedals, which have 3 bolts placed in a triangular pattern.

Take this into consideration when you’re shopping for your new mountain bike shoes!

Mountain Bike Shoe Size

If you’re buying your shoes online, it can be a little tricky to get the size right. Many mountain bike shoes tend to be a little smaller than their size would suggest, so ordering a size up from what you regularly wear certainly isn’t a bad call.

Like always though, there are exceptions: Northwave shoes for instance tend to be quite regular in size lengthwise, and slightly wider in their design. Perfect then if you’ve got wide feet.

Brands like Sidi and Mavic tend to be smaller and narrower, and you’ll definitely need to order a size up. Ideally, you have a little extra space in the front of the shoe.
Your feet expand a little as they get warmer while you’re riding. On top of that, you’ll have to walk on them from time to time, during which your feet will push forward a little. This won’t exactly be comfortable if your feet are squeezed into the edges of your shoes all the time.

Type of Sole

The soles vary greatly between shoes. The basic shoes often use nylon soles. Often, the more expensive a shoe becomes, the more carbon is used in its construction. The top-end shoes use full-carbon soles.
The use of carbon doesn’t just make the shoes lighter, but a lot more rigid as well. After all, you want the power you apply to the pedals to be transferred instantly to your drivetrain!

The more flexible a sole is, the more it will bend under load, reducing the efficiency of your power transfer. It can feel a little uncomfortable at first when riding with highly rigid soles, but once you’ve gotten used to how they feel, you won’t ever want to go back!

Besides looking at the material of the sole, it also pays to have a good look at the outside of the soles. As a mountain biker, you’ll regularly have to walk short stints on muddy surfaces. When you do, you’ll need sufficient grip so you won’t slip or fall.

Make sure the soles are fitted with sturdy and studded rubber.
Some road bike shoes are also fitted with mountain bike mounts. While this might seem convenient, they often lack a rubber outer sole, meaning you’ll be slipping and sliding on your smooth soles across leaves and rocks… Not ideal, I’m sure you’ll agree...

Retention System

The retention system is another important consideration. Some can be easily adjusted on the go, while others might need a little more time and precision to get right. Something to take into account when shopping for new shoes.

The basic models often have multiple velcro straps. Easy to use, but not quite as sturdy and they tend to wear over time because of sand and dirt working their way into the velcro.

Step up to the next price bracket, and you’ll find multiple systems are available. These systems can basically be categorised into buckle systems and dial systems. Most buckle systems work the same, but have been given different names by various manufacturers.

The buckle system allows you to easily increase the tension, one click at a time. The more expensive versions often also allow you to decrease the tension with a single click. These buckles are connected to a strap which runs over the top of your foot.

The dial systems also use a ratchet system which can be adjusted one click at a time. The main difference between this and the buckle is that the dials use a thin string running across your shoe, the tension of which can be increased incrementally.

The main advantage of this system is it places the most tension on the points with the least resistance.

This reduces the pressure points on your foot and gradually adapts the shoe to the natural shape of your foot. This system is a little more expensive and can be found on shoes starting at roughly £120.

Type of Shoe

If you’ve gone through all the considerations mentioned above, then it’s now time to decide what type of shoe you want. It pays to go for a taller shoe, or even a full winter shoe, during the coldest months of the year.

If you’re not much of a winter rider, or you prefer using shoe covers, then you won’t need one of those. It’s important to take into consideration the type of conditions you normally ride in. In summer for instance, you’ll want a pair of well-ventilated shoes to deal with the heat.

If you regularly find yourself riding in poor conditions, then you could opt for a more closed shoe with a pair of decent shoe covers. Carefully consider your personal preferences and situation before you start looking for your dream shoes.

Finally, if you suffer from sore ankles because you come into contact with the crank every now and again (for instance when (nearly) falling over), then you could go for a pair of shoes with raised cuffs such as the Bontrager Rhythm.