I would say the idea is right, but the focus is wrong. In order of what will have the most beneficial improvement, and not just for cycling, people can:
- wear correctly-sized shoes
- adjust the bike to fit them properly
- address all other problems as they arise
This 2018 report concluded that:
A large proportion of the population wear incorrectly sized footwear, which is associated with foot pain and foot disorders.
Good shoes are something that will (literally) support you in all your endeavors, whether it’s biking to your destination or help you get around once you’ve dismounted and parked the bike. The author’s laser focus on cycling shoes that are rigid and don’t store energy is admirable, but the same shoe would be deeply uncomfortable for any amount of walking. A holistic approach to footwear would mean optimizing first-and-foremost for good fit, which is always applicable and is what most people get wrong. And only then consider features or extra pairs of shoes for specific uses, such as cycling.
I would guess that many casual riders are uninterested in hauling bike-specific shoes with them, so the shoes will have to be well-rounded, rather than task-specific. But that brings me to the next thing to optimize.
The venerable Sheldon Brown wrote many articles on how to adjust bike fitment to address pain in various parts of the body. Even if nothing hurts, I would encourage people to have a cursory read, as an ounce of prevention.
To drive my point, the author is correct that a proper cycling shoe improves power delivery and comfort at the feet. But a properly fitted bike improves the entire body’s experience on two-wheels overall, without compromising walking performance. And adjusting a bike is basically free.
As usual, I also need to point out that the editor of that publication has chosen to reframe and dramatize the headline.
Distance is a massive factor. Plus with a solid road shoe you can get the fit dialed in much better. Like my road Sidi’s are sized so perfectly, I have problems if my toenails are too long. Anything beyond ~10 miles ridden regularly under one’s own power will benefit from a proper shoe.
I started off commuting long distance with the hybrid mountain shoes with a recessed 2-bolt cleat. Don’t do this. I still have 2 spots on my feet from the cleat causing pressure on the ball of my foot. They don’t have the internal support you need for regular distance. I wanted something I could work in all day at a desk job too. Just buy a second set of shoes and leave them at work all the time. This is by far the best solution. Leave an extra set of clothes at work too just in case, along with meds or anything else you need regularly.
All that said, this is an e-* (bike) com, so real cycling shoes don’t matter. I used to say, “never adjust your (road) bike to fit yourself for pains while riding unless you are past the first 50 miles. Anything that still hurts after that is an actual problem that needs to be addressed.” I never hit my “real ride” benchmark any more after physical disability from a car hit. Still, with a range of like 15 miles out and back as the max of most e-bikes, there is nothing particularly specialized about that. Road stuff, and XC for that matter, is designed for maximum human endurance related activities specifically. Buy what is right for your needs. If you’re doing 10 mile hops, you don’t need shoes made to be comfortable for 200 mile double centuries in a day and last for a decade, or something designed to get thrashed in a race. With proper road shoes, the entire shoe is the pedal and it works in 360° all the time.
I usually bike in sandals, it feels free and natural.
Why not barefoot?
Last time I did that my souls looked like ground pork.
I was joking, but how many souls do you have?
Two souls.
Unpopular opinion, but the experts get one thing wrong: we really shouldn’t be pushing on a pedal with the ball of our feet.
It’s less efficient, focuses too much power in a delicate part of the foot, and seems to only “work” when you’ve got specialized shoes (which are only appropriate for use on the bike).
Mid-foot pedalling mitigates shoe choice, and it brings you a level of comfort that “ball pedallers” can only dream of.
The caveat? You need a large platform pedal for it to work well.
As for shoes, I wear trail runners, which work great off and on the bike. The soles have held up to thousands of KM of flat pedal studs, so they are hella durable.
This is why I use Squatch pedals, but I still kinda pedal toward the ball of my foot.
I’m using Catalyst pedals on one bike, and similarly sized Rockbros pedals on another. They changed my life. I literally went from always having foot pain to never having it, no matter how far or long I ride.
Getting out of the saddle and laying down the power feels magical on these.
The only caveat is that large platform pedals are a hazard when I’m off the bike since they stick out and smash my legs. LOL
Yeah, I was looking at those but they were way more expensive and would probably result in me needing stitches. My shins are a mess already with plastic pedals lol
