Having only ever ridden flats, I'm doing a C2C later this year and as there's a fair it of road work involved I figured SPDs will give me some efficiency benefits.
Don't really want to buy a pair of SPD shoes just for this one ride, so was wondering if anyone does a shoe which can be used with either SPDs or flats?
I know you can get combined pedals, but not seen any shoes which do the same.
Cheers.
I'm sure most SPD 5.10s have a fairly standard sole with a hole cut out for the cleat, might even have a cover you can clip over the hole if not using it.
Hmm.. not sure how that would work... 🤔
SPD's aren't that much more efficient. not worth changing for one ride.
661 used to do the Filter which was both - had a pair and were pretty decent.
*not sure if they still do - sorry.
I think there's a shoe stiffness consideration, too. On most large platform flat pedals, the pedal provides the support and the corresponding shoe is softer to better fit onto the pedal platform / mold into it, which is why some (like Vaults) are quite concave.
SPD shoes tend to be stiffer as the pedal is often very small, so the stiffness that stops your foot bending too much comes from the shoe.
So you need to factor that in, as well as grippy sole rubber etc. There are less stiff SPD shoes designed to work with large platform SPD's so those might work a bit better with flats. Of course, if you are going to use little XC SPD pedals and less stiff shoes for your ride, then you'd probably find your feet hurting a lot as the shoe and your foot folds around the little pedal (a feeling I absolutely hate!).
there's a few pedals with a screw on cleat channel cover but how well they'll work as flat pedal shoes in more aggressive circumstances I'm not sure. Pearl Izumi X-Alp is one, I think some of the shimano & specialized touring style shoes also have this sort of thing.
As someone who uses both regularly, I reckon Jam bo has it, not worth it for one ride, based on efficiency alone.
or you could go old school with some toe-clips and straps.