Hi All,
Looking into buying some new road cycling shoes and am contemplating going with a lace up shoe. I’ve had some trouble with pain on the top of my foot from boa dials and have read the laces could potentially help with that. I currently use the S Works Torch 3.0. Has anyone made the switch to or from lace up cycling shoes and can provide any insights, pros/cons? Also would love to know what you’re currently wearing to ride as I’m in the beginning stage of research.
Thanks!
The Lake CX20R lace ups are my current shoes and I love them. They are wide enough in the toe, but still have a tight fit in the heel, and are just a comfortable shoe overall. Definitely a summer shoe, but if you tape off the vents on the sole, they do fine in cooler temps too.
Prior to these, I was using Boa shoes and I was constantly adjusting pressure during rides, but not so with laces. As you mentioned, they also cause pressure points for some people, and I would add that eventually, they will break (at the most inconvenient time possible)
I wear Lake 238 shoes. They have two Boa dials. I wouldn’t be able to ride with laces since I sometimes change the tension in the Boas during a ride.
I have had several pairs of lace up shoes. They’re comfortable and I prefer the aesthetic. But most most recent pairs are boa and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to laces.
1 - I do a lot of early morning rides and the faff of doing up laces every morning eventually became annoying. It’s hard enough to get out the door as it is.
2 - White laces turn grey and never turn back again. Washing them is a pain.
I went laces for simplicity after wrecking a ratchet on MTB shoes. I love them and would want them on my future shoes, but they do seem uncommon now. The Giros I wear are too narrow but they’re not that bad and not old enough yet for me to replace them.
I’ve never had a moment during a ride/race when I wished I could tighten my shoes. I tighten my helmet at the end of a race though… I think people do it because they can and it feels appropriate.
This x1,000,000 or so.
I use the CX20R as my race shoes, and the CX21R for everyday use. The laces remove any potential hotspots on the top of my foot, gives room for my toes to wiggle, all while holding my heel tight.
It just becomes part of the routine.
I switched to the Specialized S-Works Torch lace ups and they are, by far, the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned.
I’ll admit I’m biased toward laces, but that comes with reasons: comfort, aesthetic and simplicity (maintenance etc). If you have foot pain(s), you can lace your shoes in a myriad of different ways to avoid pressure points just like with a pair of hiking boots. People should buy what they prefer, but I personally think that unless you have feet that noticeably swell while riding (which is common) or you are the type of person who prefers a loose shoe until “it’s on” then most people will get more comfort options out of a lace shoe. if you hate tying shoes…. well that’s another important consideration.
I find laces far more comfortable for my slightly odd shaped feet as it lets me get tension where I want it and avoid pressure points. As everyone says, they are more faff to put on; a couple of minutes to do a good job for me. I therefore have a cheap boa pair that are good enough for quick spins where I’m tight on time.
I assume by road shoe you mean for three bolt cleats. Lake are great as there are so many sizing options. Though I don’t get on with their two bolt shoes as they don’t recess the cleats enough so the shoe doesn’t engage with the pedal to give a stable platform.