so my bargain pair of specialized road shoes have finally died. i got them when i purchased my bike about 2 years/7k miles ago. there is hardly any velcro left and the support is so shot my ankle is hitting the crank. i should mention that i didn’t even pick these shoes out–the bike i bought 2 yrs ago was my first ever bike (hell, that’s when i first learned to ride one, literally) and the guy at the LBS (good guy) gave me these to start off with. i want to say they are the 2002 specialized road comps or something like that. anyway, my feet run a tad wide, so the really narrow shoes don’t fit too well. in particular, anyone have any opinions on pearl izumi’s latest offerings and shimano’s RO97? Thanks. if it makes a difference, i’m a small guy (5’5’‘, 140). not looking for tri shoes–i’d crash in a heartbeat messin’ with those things.
I have a wide foot and the Sidis work well.
Go to every bike store around and try on every shoe that they have, make a day of it. I am partial to SIDI shoes since I know the size that fits me perfect.
jaretj
I got a pair of Shimano R151’s in a wide width two or three months ago. They were expensive but the fit is great and I’ve been real happy with them. I’ve always had a hard time getting a good shoe fit with EE feet.
that’s what i have tried to do in the past, but btwn the 3 bike shops in town my options are limited to SIDI, carnac, specialized, and shimano. the carnacs are a little narrow for me, the store carrying the SIDI’s only carries size 10 and up, and the specialized ones are hit or miss if they have the size (40-41). so that’s my predicament and i was curious for some opinions since i am unable to get all the research done myself.
LBS has the specialized comp road '04 in stock in my size. the shimano RO97’s are cheaper, but i am not sure how they’ll fit. i am guessing that since a specialized pair fit well before, i’ll be good to go with these. that’s my logic anyway.
Love my Sidi Genius’s.
I also have Lake tri and Lake mountain shoes - both excellent, at a greatly reduced price - a great bargain in my opinion.
My LBS ordered the R151 wides for me and told me that if I didn’t buy them he would just put them out with the others he had on the floor so there was no presure on me to buy them.
SIDI Genius 4 Megas for wide feet… hand down
I’ve heard the Pearl Izumis run pretty narrow. I can let you know soon as I just got a call my PI carbon mtn bike shoes came in today. For orad the shimanos run pretty wide. I personally love my Nike Poggios, not the widest or narrowest right in the middle but they sure do feel nice
Oh yeah, there’s some really sweet looking Nalini carbon shoes on ebay right now for $100.
I have a pair of SIDI Genius. The problem is they haven’t worn out. They’re from 1994 and have neon green and pink panels. Great shoes.
Nike Poggio: 100% Pure Sex
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to finish up the Pearl Izumi comment, just tried the shoes on and they fit pretty narrow. Skip them if you have wide feet. On the other hand, the fit is really really nice, with lots of neoprene and the BOA tightening system (you just turn this one little knob and ALL the straps tighten) rules.