How to Select Cycling Shoes

You may use tires to get around, but you shouldn't underestimate the importance of your footwear. Your feet still get a lot of wear and tear from the thousands of pedal rotations they can endure in a single workout, and if these shoes aren't snug and properly suited for the type of cycling you are doing, you might open yourself up to an increased risk of blistering or other injuries.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Narrow your options down to either clipless or toe clip shoes. Cycling shoe terms happen to be extremely confusing--clipless shoes, despite their name, actually have a clip on the bottom of the clip. Regular pedals, on the other hand, do not attach to the cycle shoe. While casual riders can use regular pedals and can use almost any kind of athletic shoe, seasoned cyclists should use clipless cycling shoes.

Step 2

Determine what type of riding you will be doing--or, more importantly, what kind of bike you will be riding. There are different bikes used for road cycling and mountain biking, and each has their own type of shoe. There are also triathlon shoes, which are essentially the same as road cycling shoes but are tightened with a velcro strap to make putting them on and off as fast and easy as possible.

Step 3

Fit yourself for a cycling shoe that is snug at the heel and snug but not tight at the bridge and arch of your foot. There should be a little room for expansion with the assumption that your foot will swell as it works and gets hot.

Step 4

Make sure the pedal and the clip in the shoes are compatible with one another. If you shop at a cycling store, they will be able to tell you what shoes are compatible with your bike, and many online shops allow you to search according to compatibility with your bike.

Article Written By Jonathan Croswell

Jonathan Croswell has spent more than five years writing and editing for a number of newspapers and online publications, including the "Omaha World-Herald" and "New York Newsday." Croswell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Nebraska and is currently pursuing a Master's of Health and Exercise Science at Portland State University.

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