What to look for in tri bike shoes?

Triathlon Forum
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THE PREFACE
So I’ve got the bike, the pedals, the water bottle cage, my Garmin mounted, and a myriad of other things, meaning that ST will soon be free of my newb questions on bike setup. That said, I have one more piece of equipment I need to pick up before I can start riding: the shoes.

THE QUESTION
My focus is going to be on shorter triathlons, so I’m planning on getting tri shoes. Other than fit and making sure the cleats will fit on the shoe, what should I be looking for? What separates $100 shoes from $250 shoes? I think I’ve got a budget of around $150-$200 max for shoes; what brands should I be looking at? I know eBay is a good option for many, but I have clown feet, and would rather stick to the local tri store.

THE POSTSCRIPT
Thanks for the advice!

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I’ve also got a question:

LBS wants me to get the Shimano custom fit shoes, while I’m looking at the Shimano line just under that (but only has 1 strap). So is the 2nd strap by your toes that important? It’s about $150 difference.

Has anyone used the SH-TR51 with just the one single strap?

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  1. it should be comfortable

  2. it should be easy to get your foot in the shoe and strapped on while pedaling

after that its about ventilation,weight, and aerodynamics

but ive not seen a tri shoe that was aero =)

don’t let anyone tell you shoe weight matters more because you have to lift your foot up, or because of rotational inertia. snot true

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Additional input - there should be a decent sized heel loop on the shoe in order to get the shoe off while pedaling. Some of the mfrs heel loops are too small. If you are getting tri cycling shoes, the velcro strap should open outwards and away from the crank. This will allow you easy access to take your shoes off while still on the bike and not allow the strap to get caught in the crank. Again, some mfrs shoes, ie. Specialized have their strap backwards IMHO, that is the strap is pulled off inwards towards the bike. I own a pair of Scott tri shoes where the strap is actually too long and hits on the spider part of the crank during rotations. x1 on the ventilation. I will be looking at a new pair so would appreciate feedback on what mfr you go with.

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A place to screw on cleats, they fit, one strap, carbon footbed, and a big loop in the back. nuff said, it ain’t all that complicated.

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Find you a pair of Trivents…

I second/third/fourth…whatever…anyone on here ever said about Trivents. They are the bomb. I love mine. However, the 2010 model doesn’t have a pull loop (not sure why)…

I’d love to have a pair of custom molded Shimanos or LG, but I am not about to lay out that much money…my trivents work just fine!