The Perfect Shoes for Bike Touring

Shoes for Bike Tours and Cycle Journeys

Those who love being on tour and riding long distances – be it after work or on a cycling holiday – need cycling shoes they can rely on. Therefore, we offer bike shoes for outdoor use that are fit for their purpose thanks to the materials and features they offer. You don't know which leisure cycling shoes or bike touring sandals to choose? This buying guide will help you find the right shoes for your needs! We stock a wide range of women's and men's bike shoes and sandals in all common sizes by renowned brands like ROSE, SHIMANO, MAVIC, FIVE TEN, VAUDE, NORTHWAVE and many more.

Summer Cycling Shoes

If you want to enjoy your bike tours on warm days, you should make sure the cycling shoes you buy are made of lightweight and breathable materials. These materials help wick excess heat and moisture away to the outside where it can evaporate. As an alternative, you can select bike sandals with holes to attach cleats. With these sandals, you are also perfectly dressed for your next tour in high temperatures.

Winter Cycling Shoes

Some manufacturers offer cycling shoes that keep you warm while riding, so that you can also go touring in bad weather or winter. These shoes often feature warm liners or pads to offer best protection from cold weather. In addition, winter cycling shoes usually have a wind- and waterproof membrane that protects you from water, mud and cold wind. As an alternative, you can go for wind- and waterproof overshoes or additionally wear waterproof or warm socks. Give winter the cold shoulder!

Cycling shoes with or without cleat system?

The most important question you should ask yourself when buying new cycling shoes is whether you want bike shoes with cleat system for use with clipless pedals or not. If you would like to get your feet off the pedals in no time or if you plan to walk longer sections, we recommend wearing cycling shoes without cleat attachment. These bike shoes come with a grippy rubber sole made of a special rubber compound to offer sufficient grip on bike pedals and slippery grounds and great flexibility when walking. Cycling shoes without cleat system are also perfectly suitable for cycling holidays where you often have some nice breaks in a café.

Yet, there are also leisure cycling and touring shoes or sandals that feature a cleat system just like MTB and road bike shoes. As they connect the foot to the pedal, clipless pedals are a great relief for experienced cyclists. They do no longer risk to slip off the pedals, the foot position on the pedal is much more efficient and the cadence can be increased. In addition, cyclists appreciate clipless pedals thanks to the improved power transfer they offer – they allow you to apply power through more of the pedal stroke for a smooth and efficient ride. Yet, using clipless pedals properly needs a little practice and professional instructions. Some leisure and touring shoes have holes in the sole that are compatible with MTB pedal system. These shoes cannot be used with road bike pedals.

We stock a wide range of bicycle touring shoes with a recess to attach 2-bolt cleats for MTB pedal systems like SHIMANO SPD, Time ATAC, CrankBrothers, CrankBrothers Race, Look MTB, Xtreme MTB, Wellgo MTB. If you need help finding the right cycling shoes or pedals, please feel free to contact our advisers. We'll be happy to help you make the right choice.

Which closure system is right for me?

A perfect fit and great heel retention are of high importance for good support while pedalling. The level of support the shoes offer may differ depending on the closure mechanism. You can choose between the following types of closure systems:

Laces: Traditional lace-up shoes allow for precise adjustments. Yet, you cannot adjust the shoes while riding. When riding over forest paths or downhill tracks, make sure to tuck the ends of the laces out of the way. Otherwise, they risk to get stuck in your drivetrain or caught on branches.

Velcro straps: Those who want to make sure the shoe's closure system won't get caught, should go for MTB shoes with Velcro straps, ratchets or dials. Velcro straps also allow for precise adjustments, can be adjusted on the fly if need be and do not get caught on branches that quickly.

Ratchets: Cycling shoes with ratcheting buckles allow for even more precise adjustment. For this, a plastic wire is threaded through a closure system and adjusted precisely to the millimetre. Thus, the closure system cannot get caught, while keeping the foot in place inside the shoe and offering a perfect fit around the heels.

Dials (e.g. BOA or ATOP): Shoes with dials offer precise adjustment options and even pressure distribution over the entire foot. This is thanks to wire laces running across the foot like traditional laces. Yet, they are adjustable in length via a twist buckle. This allows for precise one-handed adjustment on the fly.

Which soles do leisure cycling shoes have?

Whereas road bike and MTB shoes are available with many different types of soles ranging from traditional nylon soles through to ultra-light and ultra-stiff carbon soles, cycling shoes for leisure cycling and touring are almost exclusively available with rubber soles. In contrast to stiff MTB and road bike soles, rubber soles offer slightly less power transfer. Yet, they are significantly more slip-resistant and offer good grip on pedals and slippery grounds. Thanks to a high flexibility, they additionally provide high comfort on and off the bike.

Bike shoe rubber soles can be made of different rubber compounds, giving them their specific properties. Vibram, Michelin, Suptraction and Stealth are the names of some well-known rubber soles.

We offer a wide range of women's and men's cycling shoes and sandals in all common sizes by well-known manufacturers like ROSE, SHIMANO, MAVIC, FIVE TEN, VAUDE, NORTHWAVE and many more.