I have always been a Northwave guy, but my shop is now pretty much all Sidi. I can get a good deal on some shoes (which is good because they are PRICEY!)
Any tips - how they run (big/small), long lasting, do those ratchet things hold up?
Any info. at all would ge great.
Oh, and this is for road shoes, not tri shoes…(6.6’s are what I am looking at).
Thanks
I have the ergo carbons (on sale for $299 at several places). I’ve worn Time, Performance, Carnac, Lake and Specialized in the past and I took the same size in Sidis. They do run narrow. The rear closure that allows you to snug up the heel is great. The shoes are too new to comment on the buckle durability, but my LBS stocks replacements, so I’m not worried. I have some non-carbon tri-style Sidis (that have lasted me 6 years of training and racing) the carbon sole is noticably stiffer.
Road, Tri, and Mountain. I really wanted just a cheap pair of mountain shoes and was happy…until I tried on the Sidis. Narrow foot here and Sidi fits like a glove.
One more dedicated Sidi mafioso here… got a couple different generations of road shoes (for different bike/pedal combos), MTB, and Tri. They feel snug at first, like they’re too narrow, but end up conforming just perfectly. I’ve been lured into trying other brands over the years, and no knock on their quality or features, but none ever fit as well; too tight here, not tight enough there, etc, and eventually I went back to Sidi. Yeah, the cost is steep (but then so are most other decent bike shoes), but if you consider the cost over the amount of time/miles you get out of them, I think they’re an excellent value.
As for durability, my oldest pair started to lift off the sole at the heel after several years… took 'em to a shoe repair guy and had it re-glued for about $5, problem solved. I also got a spare set of the buckles & straps, but still they sit in the original bags, never needed. I will say the current version of the ratchet is much better than the original.
Kind of a follow up question: I will try the shoes on at the shop, but still worry about fit. As a former soccer guy, can I expect the shoes to stretch out at least a tiny bit to kind of “mold” to my foot like good soccer boots would? I tried one pair on real quick and it felt snug, but then again, I have had my current pair so long, they might have too when I first got them, and I just dont remember.
A little bit of stretching/molding to foot shape???
Yeah, I think they do break in a little. Probably more so for the models with a lot of mesh; I don’t think the lorica stretches as much. The ratchet gives a pretty good range of adjustment, though… I wear them with socks of several different thicknesses as the season/temps change, so that probably accounts for a good 1/2 size worth of variation.
I love Sidi’s shoes and I have tried Northwave’s too but found them too ‘clumpy’. I’ve had Sidi mountain bike shoes for about 5 or 6 years and they’re still fantastic. I got my first pair of Sidi road shoes though and found that I need a slightly bigger size. So I’m 46 in the MTB and 47 road - so don’t go too snug!
As a result of buying the wrong size online I’ve got a pair to sell if anyone’s interested. Size 46 Sidi Energy 2 shoes in White.
Here’s a picture (but the carbon sole doesn’t look exactly like this) http://www.wiggle.co.uk/images/sidi-energy-2-cc.jpg
My pair are basically in fantastic condition - used for a couple of summer months, however, they have crash damage to the right foot. This is mostly on the main buckle, which still works fine and can be replaced easily if necessary. All the buckles are replaceable.
they won’t stretch too much. The lorica is designed not to, even when wet. Soccer shoes are softer since they’re real kangaroo leather and will stretch and shrink to give a more custom fit.
I have been riding SIDI’s since 1987 and truly love them, I have tried other shoes but always come back to my SIDI’s. MyLBS got a great deal on some Addidas cycling shoes and I tried them, but the buckle broke after 300 miles or so and there was no way to fix them short of sewing the strap back to the shoe and losing some of the fit. I just ordered an new set of T2’s as my old ones are 5yrs old and are starting to get soft in the sole. I found the T2’s for $155 so I jumped on the deal.
I have had a pair of Sidi Mtn bike shoes that have lasted for 9 years of tough use and they still feel great. I also have a pair Shimano shoes and they just hurt my feet and were coming apart after 1 season of being my spare shoes when the Sidi were wet
I have a pair of the Sidi Dynamic. Sidi is pretty much the only option for my feet, i wear a 15.
The Dynamic was the cheapest shoe they had, used to run like 130$, i think i picked em up for 90, just a simple 2 strap closure, things work just fine.
As far as sizing goes- i wear a 50 in my Sidis, i wear a 48 in birkenstocks, and a 15 in Asics Kayanos… I think technically I’m measured at a 14 unweighted, 14.5 weighted, and have a size 15 arch, at least thats what the shoe guru at EMS told me.