I race in tri shoes for short course but have thought about road shoes for long course and training. I’ve never tried road shoes and am looking for opinions. Are road shoes more comfortable for those long training/race days?
My thoughts:
I think road shoes would be more comfortable for long distance rides (it’s what they wear in the TdF), but tri-shoes look more ventilated which impacts comfort. The “lacing” closure that some road shoes have (Specialized S-Works, Pearl Izumi Viper) is interesting but does it make a better, more comfortable shoe? Other thoughts or opinions? Thanks.
I just recently changed from some OLD Nike slipper-like SPD-only compatible road shoes that I raced USCF for YEARS in to Sidi Lazers. I like them. But the reason I switched had nothing to do with T1 times – I broke a bone in my foot, and there was no way I could get my feet into the Nikes. At the same time I switched to Speedplays.
But as long as your bike shoes open up pretty wide and allow a wet foot to enter easily, there’s no need to go with a tri-specific shoe. The only real difference I’ve seen is the trend toward a single strap, which to me is less comfortable.
But laces are going to be the bane of your existence in T1 if you go that route. Avoid that like the plague that it is.