Cycle Shoes Buyer's Guide

Choosing the right pair of cycling shoes is essential for enhancing your performance and comfort on the bike.

If you cycle to work and you’re using regular work shoes while cycling, don’t be surprised if your feet slip off the pedals or if your shoes take a beating. Investing in a good pair of cycling shoes will provide better grip and protection, ensuring a more comfortable and efficient ride. With the right footwear, you can focus on your performance without worrying about damaging your everyday shoes.

Cycling shoes are designed specifically to make cycling easier by clipping into the pedals on your bike, as opposed to just resting on them as you cycle. This means your feet will not only slip off, but you’ll be able to pull the pedals up as well as pushing them, spreading the effort across more muscles in your legs.

Keep reading as we cover the best cycle shoes to help enhance your riding experience.

Which cycling shoes should I buy?

Before you start looking at the wide selection of cycling shoe brands and varieties out there, it’s important to figure out whether the shoes you’re looking at are compatible with the pedals already on your bike. Entry-level mountain and hybrid bikes tend to come with flat pedals as standard, whereas road bikes will have toe straps that are designed to be used without cycling shoes. Therefore, to start using cycle shoes you may need to invest in a new set of pedals with compatible cleats. If you’ve already got clip-in pedals (also known as clip-less), then you’ll need to check the shoes are compatible with your specific pedals or buy new cleats that connect to the bottom of your shoe and the pedal itself.

Once you’ve found compatible shoes or have fitted the correct pedals, then it’s time to start looking at the types of cycling shoe out there.

Road cycling shoes

Shoes that are designed to be used with road bikes come in a variety of shapes and styles, but it’s likely that you’ll want to buy a pair of cycling shoes that are lightweight and have vented panels to promote air flow, keeping your feet cool and comfortable.

Road cycling shoes available at Halfords

You’ll find that road bike shoes usually feature a stiffer sole that allows you to put more power into the pedals, with carbon fibre being a great option for keeping overall weight down, whilst offering optimum stiffness.

Shop road cycling shoes

Clipping in

One decision that will definitely come into play is whether you want to clip your shoes into your pedals. Road cyclists usually clip in to maximise efficiency when cycling (you can push and pull when clipped in), but mountain bikers may want to stick to flat pedals - after all, it’s easier to stick a foot out and prevent yourself from going over completely when you hit that giant rock going uphill!

Clip in shoes shoes available at Halfords

Tightening

Another key thing to look out for with cycling shoes is the way that the shoes fasten. Some cycling shoes use hook and loop fastening to keep them tight on your feet, but one option to look out for is a dial-tightening system.

The advantage with these shoes is that you can tighten or loosen your cycling shoes on the go, key if you’re racing or just trying to keep up with your friends!

Cycling cleats

Another important thing to look out for on cycling shoes is the type of clip they use to connect to your pedals. Usually, cycling shoes use either a two point or three point clip to connect to the pedals, so make sure the pedals you wish to use will be compatible with the shoes you’re thinking of buying. In many cases, the cleats can be changed out, so check this feature if you want to be able to switch between connections, for example if you use the same shoes on different bikes.

Shop cycling cleats

For more help with pedals, check out our cycling pedals buyer's guide.

In the world of road cycling shoes, the Boardman Road Cycling Shoes are a great choice, compatible with both 3 bolt and 2 bolt cleat systems. Made with a lightweight nylon reinforced sole and featuring an ATOP dial fastener, these classic road style shoes provide a secure and comfortable fit.

Boardman Road Cycling Shoes Shop Boardman Road Cycling Shoes

For superior performance, look no further than the Boardman Carbon Cycling Shoes in white. The ultra stiff carbon outsole is lightweight and allows maximum power transfer to enable you to go further on your rides. The shoe upper features a dual ATOP tightening system to achieve the perfect fit, and has ventilation to help circulate air flow and keep feet cool when putting in the miles

Boardman Road Cycling Shoes Shop Boardman Carbon Cycling Shoes

Mountain bike shoes

Although most cycle shoes are designed primarily for road bikes, there are plenty of cycle shoes that can be used on mountain bikes too, as well as specific shoes for mountain bikers. The way that MTB shoes cycle shoes clip into the pedals is pretty similar but you may see a prevalence of two point connecting systems in the mountain bike world

2 bolt cleat fittings are smaller and recessed into the sole. They are designed to stay clear of mud and enable you to walk around when off the bike.

With mountain bike shoes you’ll likely get something that’s a little more hard-wearing and may be able to handle muddy ground better than standard cycling shoes. These are important features, along with more flexible soles that allow for better balancing when moving at slow speeds over difficult surfaces.

Shop mountain bike shoes

Shimano XC1 MTB Shoe

The Shimano XC1 Bike Shoe is perfect for mountain bikers looking for comfort and durability on rugged trails. The glass fibre reinforced sole optimises power transfer to the pedals, helping maximise performance, while the 3 Velcro straps allow for adjustability and provides a secure fit.

Shimano XC1 MTB Shoe Shop Shimano XC1 MTB Shoes

Another great option is the Flat Pedal Mountain Bike Shoe. This versatile shoe features a rubber outsole to provide enhanced grip and reinforced panels around the toe box and ankle for additional protection – perfect for when you’re out on the trails. These shoes do not require cleats and instead use a special tread designed to grip the pins on flat pedals. This makes them ideal for getting around when off the bike.

Shop Boardman Flat Pedal Mountain Bike Shoe Shop mountain bike shoes

If commuting, you’ll need a shoe that’s durable, but in a more recreational style. Choose a shoe that’s compatible with a 2-bolt cleat and has a sole with tread for traction. The Ridge Cycle Shoe is ideal as it contains all of these features and has a reflective trim to help increase visibility to other road users.

Ridge Leisure Cycle Shoes Shop Ridge Leisure Cycle Shoe

For winter cycling, there are shoes specifically designed to keep your feet warm and dry, using breathable, waterproof linings and a layer of insulation. These tend to be more costly but will protect against the elements and keep you cycling throughout winter.

Our top pick is the Shimano MW501 Cycle Shoes,featuring DRYSHIELD membrane with fleece liner that helps keep feet warm and comfortable in rain, wind, cold and mud.

Shimano MW501 Cycle Shoes Shop Shimano MW501 Shoes Shop road cycling shoes

If you want to check out our range of cycling shoes, then don’t forget we stock many of our shoes in-store. This means you can try them on for size before you buy and get a feel for how comfortable they are. Our in-store cycling experts will also be able to help if you’re not sure which cycling shoes to go for.

Shop cycling shoes 11/24