Rule 8: It’s Gotta Be The Shoes

Rule #8 Compliance" src="http://www.velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/P1010593-620x413.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="413" />
Shall shoes be added?

What Gianni humbly omitted from his last article is that once he finishes ranting about sock color (actually, the lack of need for any color other than than white), he recovers quickly and we wrap up the Keepers executive board meeting with him tearing our legs off on the ride home from the bar with his magnificent stroke.  Because after all, he is Rule #72.

But I digress.  All the chit-chat Gianni’s article generated, and the timing of it with a new shoe purchase on my end, has me ruminating on Rule #8.   Matching saddle, handlebar tape, and tires is, for the Velominatus at least, quite the no-brainer as it were.  The only really poignant question I recall ever being raised is whether Vittoria Open Pave’s have an exemption because they are awesome and scream hardman tire (I think they are acceptable).

But what of shoes?  They are the one piece of kit that most often throws a rider’s coordination out of sync.  Of course this has traditionally been fine as shoes are such a personal matter that expecting one to match one’s shoes with the rest of one’s kit is hopeful at best.  That being said, I wonder if  shoes are less kit  and more equipment.  They transfer power directly from rider to bike and thus they are mechanical, they are engineered by smart people using fancy computers, and they render the machine virtually unrideable without them.  In fact, I’ve often wondered why retailers list them under “clothing” and why online review forums don’t put them under “drivetrain” instead of “clothing and accessories”.

So if you don’t accept my premise, at least humor me here.  If shoes are equipment and not kit, why would anyone buy a pair that didn’t match the rest of their bike?  Surely, with the abundance of shoe choices on the market these days I would think one could make every effort to find a pair that fits, has the features and performance characteristics sought, falls within price range, and matches the rest of the bike.

I happened upon this concept casually deliberately this week.  You see, I’ve been sporting considerable carbone over Fi’zi:k’s new shoe line ever since they were introduced (you might say I have a thing for shoes).  So when a new pair of R3’s fell into my lap for number 1 I was forced to shift the Yellow Princesses over to number 3.  The yellow decals and accents on the Serotta look awesome with the YP’s and the new R3’s are oh so sublime with the BMC. Splendid, indeed.

So I’ll put it to you, the Velominati. Does Rule #8 need amending?  Are shoes equipment and not clothing?  Do we, perhaps, need a new rule pertaining to shoe/bike matching (I think not but a suggestion might be in order).  These are the things that keep the Keepers up at night.

Marko

Marko lives and rides in the upper midwest of the States, Minnesota specifically. "Cycling territory" and "the midwest" don't usually end up in the same sentence unless the conversation turns to the roots of LeMond, Hampsten, Heiden and Ochowitz. While the pavé and bergs of Flanders are his preferred places to ride, you can usually find him harvesting gravel along forest and farm roads. He owes a lot to Cycling and his greatest contribution to cycling may forever be coining the term Rainbow Turd.

View Comments

  • @Oli @Gianni

    Hint of orange in shoes? Beautiful! Had to dig around my Northwave's from the 90's

    Shoe history had one common element...
    80's
    -gifted old black leathers similar to shown
    - white Duegi's, Was cool to ride with out socks

    90's
    - Lake's, Black-Blue
    - Northwave's, orange/Blue, blue/orange

    00's
    - Gaerne's, white

    the one common element with all the shoes, nearly 30 years - White socks!
    Now having a couple of pairs of black socks, they're slowly getting out a bit more with the Gaerne's.

  • Black shoes are for field sports (football, rugby), when wearing white shoes will make you look like a prima donna. White shoes are for cycling. They can have other colours on them but they should be predominantly white. It is borderline acceptable to wear pale blue, but usually only if they are Sidis (see below). My jury is out on yellow shoes, they look better with some strips (predominantly black) than others. Shoes with a significant amount of metallic finish should be avoided unless you have won something major.

    Some notable - and permissible exceptions - Tony Charteau wearing the red Sidis whilst in the green and white CA strip back in the 2006 Tour. (Although he may have gotten the idea from Thor, who was wearing red Sidis with a Norwegian flag on the tongue that same year). Stuart O'Grady - and even George Hincapie - in the old Carnac Quartz in yellow, blue and black. They were boat anchors and didn't have any fancy buckles but they were exceptionally well made and wore beautifully (maybe it was the real kangaroo leather). The Quartz was the last decent shoe that Carnac made, that orange and white one is horrible.

    I like Spesh footwear, it tends to be bigger in the toe box that Sidis (helpful for those of us with wider feet) and they are considerably better value for money. Although, having said that, I am still commuting on a pair of Sidi Genius 3 from 2000 (just like the ones at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sidi-Genius-3-road-cycling-shoes-well-used-/260785626977), so you can't fault Sidis for longevity.

  • @wiscot
    love the Diadora's as well having 4 pairs myself, white, silver, grey/black and very shiny silver. Worn depending on mood on any particular day.
    Hadn't really thought about them as equipment before but interesting points Marko. Still pondering that one.....are they functional or a fashion statement?
    Agreeing with some others here - don't match everything too closely. A random colour with the shoes does show some individuality.

  • Of the three Sacred Connections, les pied, les mains, et là derrière, the foot must of course be encased in something not less in value to the sum of the other two... this simple formula will ensure adequately high standards are met across the three Sacred Connections. For me, it's Sidi, white in Summer if you please. Socks white with optional celeste stripe. Black is acceptable in winter or with the black overshoes one must suffer to wear here in sub zero temperatures.

  • @ihcnaib

    Of the three Sacred Connections, les pied, les mains, et là derrière, the foot must of course be encased in something not less in value to the sum of the other two... this simple formula will ensure adequately high standards are met across the three Sacred Connections. .

    This post is worthy of a V-kit badge next to your name. Spot on.

    @Nate
    A couple things. Bikes 1 and 3 are close to being dialed but the pedal platforms are different so they'll never be identical. Bike 2 has eggbeaters and are vastly different so I don't even try. The Mavics though fit really similarly (go figure) but I haven't ridden the R3's enough yet to know fit. I'm flexible though and adjust to slight differences well with my feet. Moving insoles from one to the next is key. Saddles are a different story, you'll notice all three bikes have the Antares.

    Thanks for the props on the BMC all, it is a cool bike and one of which I'm not worthy.

    I like this discussion. As I suspected, shoe choice is personal and a place, perhaps the only place, where we can break with color coordination by not considering it. Conversely, if we so choose, we can match stuff up but maintaining an air of casual deliberateness, as always, is key.

    But man those Ergo 2's are fugly. Shoes shouldn't look like you're going cycling in space. In my opinion Sidi has gone too far in the direction of tech looking shoes. I like the R3's for their understated and traditional look. Plus the idea that they were made from baby kangaroos makes me giggle.

    To further my shoe fetish, I must check out the Bont line. Those look hot.

  • Yup, I've got a pair of those Silver Slipper Ergo 2s. Love wearing them when on my silver Italian steel bike, which has an alloy Campag gruppo. LOTS of shiny bits.

    (though I must say I don't find these shoes as comfortable as my white/silver Genius 6.6s. I was hoping they'd break in a bit, but I think the shiny patent leather and super lite, stiff soles just aren't good for feet. I think I need to buy a foot massaging machine. Between soccer and carbon cycling shoes, my feet are generally sore all the time. Has me feeling like an old man already.)

  • @Marko

    I was checking out some Bont shoes and after trying them on I was reminded of Steve Martin's Cruel Shoes:

    "Cruel Shoes"
    Steve Martin
    From the Steve Martin book Cruel Shoes
    1979

    Anna knew she had to have some new shoes today, and Carlo had helped her try on every pair in the store. Carlo spoke wearily, "Well, that's every pair of shoes in the place."

    "Oh, you must have one more pair..."

    "No, not one more pair... Well, we have the cruel shoes, but no one would want..."

    Anna interrupted, "Oh yes, let me see the cruel shoes!"

    Carlo looked incredulous. "No, Anna, you don't understand, you see, the cruel shoes are..."

    "Get them!"

    Carlo disappeared into the back room for a moment, then returned with an ordinary shoe box. He opened the lid and removed a hideous pair of black and white pumps. But these were not an ordinary pair of black and white pumps; both were left feet, one had a right angled turn with separate compartments that pointed the toes in impossible directions. The other shoe was six inches long and was curved inward like a rocking chair with a vise and razor blades to hold the foot in place.

    Carlo spoke hesitantly, "... Now you see why... they're not fit for humans..."

    "Put them on me."

    "But..."

    "Put them on me!"

    Carlo knew all arguments were useless. He knelt down before her and forced the feet into the shoes.

    The screams were incredible.

    Anna crawled over to the mirror and held her bloody feet up where she could see.

    "I like them."

    She paid Carlo and crawled out of the store into the street.

    Later that day, Carlo was overheard saying to a new customer, "Well, that's every shoe in the place. Unless, of course, you'd like to try the cruel shoes."

  • @hardtop

    Just as with socks shoes have to be White, shoes are kit not equipment.

    Na. They're equipment not kit. Try riding on a pair of Powercranks with tennis shoes. They're attaching you to the bike, transferring power. Kit makes you look pretty.

  • @Nof Landrien

    Quartz was the last decent shoe that Carnac made, that orange and white one is horrible.

    An impulse buy, no doubt. We'll give 'em a spin and see how they run.

1 5 6 7 8 9 22
Share
Published by
Marko

Recent Posts

Anatomy of a Photo: Sock & Shoe Game

I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…

7 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Men’s World Championship Road Race 2017

Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…

7 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Women’s World Championship Road Race 2017

The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…

7 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Vuelta a España 2017

Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…

8 years ago

Velominati Super Prestige: Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian 2017

This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…

8 years ago

Route Finding

I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…

8 years ago