Though you may not pay attention to the type of footwear you use while biking, specially designed cycling shoes can create a more efficient pedal stroke, thus allowing you to ride harder and longer. The quality of bicycle shoes can vary widely depending on the manufacturer, but most will help you achieve greater efficiency while riding.
Features
Cycling shoes are generally made of a soft leather or fabric top and a hard plastic sole. The upper part of the shoe is generally perforated to allow water to drain and for air to cool your foot while riding. Unlike soft-soled shoes, the plastic sole of the shoe has very little flex to it, and has a slot on the front where a pedal clip can be screwed in place. Some cycling shoe soles are made from ultra-stiff carbon fiber.
Function
The main purpose of a cycling shoe is to efficiently transfer the energy from your foot to the pedal crank arm. When you wear soft-soled shoes, your foot bends slightly during the pedal stroke, translating into a loss of energy. Vic Armijo states in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cycling" that this tiny loss of energy adds up when you turn the pedal arm 60 to 100 times per minute.
Expert Insight
Bicycle expert Sheldon Brown notes on his website that hard-soled cycling shoes can eliminate a great deal of pain in your lower extremities. Soft-soled shoes cause stress on your Achilles tendon, ankle and foot. When the sole of your foot flexes, direct pressure is put on all of these areas and can lead to repetitive stress injuries.
However, a study conducted at the University of Louisville by Nathan Jarboe and Peter Quesada found that excessively hard soles can also cause pressure on the plantar area of the foot. This pressure leads to localized numbness and pain in the foot. A balance between stiffness and flexibility is needed for maximum performance in a cycling shoe.
Considerations
The upper portion of a cycling shoe may be slightly less important than the sole, but it should not be ignored. Some shoes have laces, which must be tied tightly to prevent them from becoming tangled in the crank or gears. Higher quality shoes use buckles or hook and eye material for tightening.
Many cycling shoes are sized with European measurements, so you may have to do some conversion to find your correct shoe size. Try on a variety of pairs and find one that fits your foot snugly but does not cut off your circulation. The BBC recommends choosing one-half size smaller than you wear in regular shoes.
Cost
As of November 2010, cycling shoes can range in cost from roughly $30 for a low-quality pair to more than $200 for a high-quality pair. You can also purchase customized shoes if you have large feet or unique needs, but these cost even more and may take some time to manufacture.
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