First venture out on flats since I first started mtb’n 4 years ago, I’ve been happy to use spd’s but I’ve realised to get the basics right (wheelies, bunny-hops, manuals) I’d be be better of using flats, got a cheap pair of flats but used some old Adidas trainers, pretty flimsy sole,
4-5 miles into my ride around pines and my feet were killing, so much so I cycled back to car to change back to spd’s,
Do I need better support? I thought specific flat MTB shoes had flimsy soles??

What’s the general gist?

The soft v stuff soles thing is user preference. Many skate shoes are soft, but mtb shoes like 5.10 Impacts are pretty stiff.

If I use soft shoes I also have issues after a while, so something a bit stiffer might not be the worst idea for you.

I tend to like fairly thick-soled shoes for riding flats. Waffle-soled Vans work well, but I stick to 5-10s these days as they seem more durable.

Its all about the grip on the shoes…

Im currently using a set of walking type shoes (strong sole) which are serving me well and griping the nipples on the pedals very well

04-13 I only rode on spds. A month ago I changed…

I tried Fivetens- hated it, felt like I was wearing big cloth-things around each foot.

bought Sombrio’s = awesome.

bought Teva’s (non cycling ones/on sale in TKmaxx’s)- also love them.

Skate shoes aren’t strong enough IMO.

I also bought Superstar Nano’s- GRIP.

it’s a technique thing mostly…

(shoes and pedals that get on with each other do help)

4-5 miles into my ride around pines and my feet were killing

learn to relax your feet and ankles – i guess you were (unconsciously) trying to ‘grip’ the pedals like a bird perching, you don’t need to do this.

practise: on the bike: stand up with tensed straightish legs and pointed toes, relax, repeat.

I wear a pair of old pseudo skate shoes. Not particularly stiff but have a very flat sole i.e. no big chunky tread. Find that that type of sole helps gripping onto the grub screws.

It definitely feels like I get less power out of bendy soled trainers than an spd/road shoe. So maybe some of the pain is getting used to the difference in stiffness and it’ll improve if you keep at it?

5.10’s are soft rubber, but the sole itself is quite stiff (impacts even more so than the freeriders). I stiffened mine up further with some sports/orthopedic insoles becasue as you found, normal running/tennis/fashion/whatever style trainers hurt. The new 5.10’s have a completely flat sole where the pedal sits to give more consistent grip, and I always found the flatter the sole the better, so walking shoes weren’t the best.

The loss of power’s been measured, IIRC it was about 15%, mainly through the ‘squish’ of the sole (the effect of pulling up is hugely overstated, even if you’re brain tells you you’re pedaling ‘perfect circles’ you’re not actualy even unweighting the upcoming pedal (pro’s were measured as putting 5% of the force down on the upcoming pedal).

When I switch to my flats I get sore feet on the front. I think it is because you can’t pull up with flats and end up pushing harder. I only get it when I am riding hard on the flats.

There’s no way to say this without sounding like some sort of smelly-footed shoeless runner, but… If your arches/soles give you bother it’s because your stiff spd shoes have weakened your feet, now that you’re trying to do something that you should be able to do naturally, without support, it’s uncomfortable as a result. It should sort itself out fairly quickly.

Now, brutal pain in your shins and calves is perfectly normal while learning to ride flats 😆

Yes precisely what Northwind said, your feet are accustomed to SPDs, take it easy, build up and get your feet used to it. I use flats for all except all day rides

How come I didnt get sorefeet?

your feet are perfect

Decent shoes with arch/etc support IMO.

Cut corners with flats and youll never fall in love with them

Skate shoes aren’t strong enough IMO.

Your opinion after only one month???

As said, you feet are a bit tender and will toughen up with miles. TK Maxx is a good shout, just give the guddies a good flex and if they bend easily put them back. Some skate shoes are stiffer than others. Vans have fairly thin soles unless they’re bike specific. Same with Airwalk and DC. Duffs are pretty sturdy for a skate shoe and some of the nike 6.0 range are great. I wouldn’t go for 5:10s unless you ride DH. To much grip for me. Half decent shoe + decent pedal = 😀

Disagree. Dont muck amount with your feet. Buy better shoes.

In addition. Wrong shoes + foot kicked off the pedal on a descent? = ?

Nasty flats + cheap shoes is great for pub biking, smooth short rides or commute.

Toughen feet up?!

Wrong shoes + foot kicked off the pedal on a descent? = ?

The exact same result as Correct shoes + foot kicked off the pedal on a descent.

Not happened to me. It did on in a previous daly with v8’s/cheap skateshoes though.

You also notice with the wrong shoes you curve/wrap your foot around the pedal. Cant be good for fatigue etc

Do it properly and you’ll Eurika.

hora – Member

In addition. Wrong shoes + foot kicked off the pedal on a descent? = ?

= rider error.

Not happened to me.

Yet. Ride flats long enough and it WILL happen, regardless of shoes. Grippy shoes and pedals do mean it does happen less though…

If you just want to practice the basics then stop going on bike rides and hurting your feet and just go out on the road outside your house and practice. Doesnt really matter what shoes or pedals you’ve got for that.

For riding your bike I’d get some skate/bmx shoes and some superstar flat pedals. Whatever looks nicest here http://www.customriders.com/prodlist.asp?a=specialoffers&cat=1004&parent=9999&sid=3&sort=3

Ooh! I could do with a new pair. Cheers D

If your foot does lift off the pedal, having a shoe that’s not super grippy means putting them back where they belong is straightforward – a bit less weight on the foot and a twist of the ankle and boom! Your back in the room.

The UltraGrippy Unnamed MTB Clog often requires taking your foot right off and this isn’t always convenient 😀 Some of the guys i ride with get their feet stuck all over the show wearing 5:10s and the like. Awesome if you’re in gnarnia, but as a general mtb shoe they’re a bit ott. For a beginner or somebody on flats for the first time, they offer big lumps of grip and initial security but don’t help with learning the subtle movements your feet do, or should be doing to aid bike control, grip and funnily enough, staying on the pedals. imo o c.

my cheap flats and trainers chucked me into the road and 3 stitches later I felt the need to upgrade, I first brought some dmr vaults then upgraded my shoes to some 5-10s they have a almost solid midsole to prevent the shoe from bending around the pedal, this gave me so much more grip and power to the pedal. And to date I have not slipped off the pedals 😆

😀 Get some of them Almond ones, never heard of them before, probably a new brand? Might be worth a go!

Yeh 5:10s are a bit OTT, not ideal for a beginner. Its hard to feel the pedals through the massive soles. I only really appreciated mine down pleney on a hardtail.

I wear teva links and they are my friends. Also great for hike-a-bike and impromptu bouts of trail running, brought on by sudden ejection from nukeproof neutrons.

Seen the size of them almond waffles? No ta 😀

These though…

Chonky

Depends on the ride for me, if I need grip above all its the 5:10’s if i’m likely to need to wade I wear innov8’s so they dry quick, but they are floppy as hell.

Nice, you’ll be the coolest Dad at the skatepark with them!

I’m too heavy to use skate shoes on flats, they soles are too flexible. Shimano AM40s came with a hard plastic insert which was really good, they dropped that with the AM41 and I have to use superfeet hard inserts or they are really uncomfortable as they bend around the pedal.

Too right!

What about these 5:10 freeteds

Cant say enough good about the sombrios I bought. Used to wear skate shoes, pains in arch of foot when riding.

OK, got some flats and a pair of 2nd hand Vans from charity shop £2.50 (Well chuffed with them).

Full loop round Sherwood Pines was OK, not all that grippy and I didn’t feel confident or in the least bit connected to the bike but I got a PB on Strava for the full red route!

Need more practice,
Nail wheelies, Manuals and Bunny Hops and I’ll be happy.

got a cheap pair of flats but used some old Adidas trainers, pretty flimsy sole,

This is why your feet hurt. Cheap pedals and Cheap unsupportive shoes. Hope the new setup is better. The keys to grip are foot position more forward and angled down at heel when likely to be bounced off. It takes as much practice as learning to use SPDs.

Find a quiet corner of your house and spread out some dried peas. Walk about on them in your socks/bare feet for a five minutes every day.

As others have said, get some decent kit and practice. Also when I switched to flats I dropped by saddle just a little and that really helped make me feel more connected. Been back on flats for a few years now and don’t ever even think about foot/pedal connection.

Re foot pain, it’s probably the shoes. Not been on the mtb much this year and been doing a lot on the road. First time back on the trails recently and I did get a bit of a sore foot around where I push on the pedals which I’d never had before, though that was towards the end of about six hours of looping around glentress 🙂

Flimsy soles will probably contribute to the pain. The best shoes I’ve had for riding were Orchid Cobra 2 bmx shoes but I don’t think Orchid are around any more. Currently got a pair of Loteks which are also nice and stiff but they’re not nearly as comfy as the Orchids were.

Also learn to put your feet further forward on the pedal rather than on the ball.