Bike
Bike
The essential guide to clipless MTB shoes
Don’t purchase your next set of riding shoes before reading up on our guide to going clipless.
Clipping in to your pedals puts you into one of two mountain biking tribes. The flat pedal lovers enjoy the world of long pins and foot-out riding, while clipper-inners prefer the increased pedaling performance and the security of a more consistent perch.
Although it may be tempting to spend a few extra quid on some flasher pedals for your bike, a new pair of shoes can offer up greater comfort, improved ergonomics, and well, who doesn’t like new shoe days?
MORE: To clip or not to clip
Clipless newbies
Shoes that allow you to clip onto your pedals are, rather confusingly, referred to as ‘clipless’. Prior to their invention by Shimano back at the start of the 1990s, riders were forced to use toe clips to secure their feet in place. Understandably, this was a pretty precarious way of navigating your way down a mountainside, so there was a real need for a way of attaching feet to pedals that allowed riders to quickly remove and reattach them. Shimano Pedaling Dynamics (SPD) brought with them small metal cleats which attached to a recess in the shoe’s sole.
Mallet 3 – Dan Atherton's clipless pedal of choice
© Doc Ward
These days, there are a couple of different manufacturers with differing cleat designs, but these can easily be attached to all brands of shoes courtesy of a 4mm Allen key. The cleats are supplied with the pedals or can be purchased separately.
Skate vs disco
There are two traditional camps of clipless shoes – the more gravity-orientated ‘skate-style’ trainer and the XC-focussed, road-influenced ‘disco slipper’ – with each attesting to their owner’s perceived lifestyle values.
However, the rise of enduro, and the subsequent blurring of lines which it brought with it, has resulted in a newer breed of (you’ve guessed it) enduro-style shoes. These offer the larger, grippier sole of a skate-style shoe, with the light weight and more secure fastening of the XC-style numbers.
The enduro hybrid – lightweight with a larger sole
© Shimano
Sole mates
When it comes to clipless shoes, soles come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and compounds. For example, for downhill-style riding larger soles rule the roost as pedals with larger platforms are favoured to offer a safe harbour should things get a bit loose.
Stiffness is key, as a stiffer shoe promotes increased pedaling efficiency, but go too stiff and pedal-feel suffers. Overly stiff shoes are also a nightmare to push back up in. All in all, a good clipless-ready sole should feel stiffer than average, but not rigid.
Security issues
There are a range of fastening methods for clipless-style shoes, ranging from good old-fashioned laces to high-end BOA systems which tighten the shoe evenly via thin cables and ratchets.
The Boa system tightens the shoe via a thin cable
© Shimano
Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is shoe size. As with everyday shoes, this can fluctuate greatly between the brands, so trying before you part with cash is a must. Many pro riders opt for a size slightly smaller than they’d normally wear to guarantee a snug fit and maximum feel.
For those interested in outright speed then some impact protection may be worth considering. Stiffer toe boxes help to prevent your toes from rocks and some shoes even offer added heel cushioning should you feel the need to jump off at speed.
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