What pedals and shoes do you use for gravel?

M520 spd

dhb MTB shoes

Stiffish shoes. Actually they are walking boot shoes designed for via ferrata. I have DMR flat pedals. Fine on the road for me.

Burgtec mk5’s paired with five tens, ride concepts or fox Union flat pedal shoes. They work for mtbing so certainly work gravelling.

Time Atacs, Spesh MTB shoes (same as for my full susser and singlespeed)

OP: tbh use whever works for you.

Regular two sided SPDs, smallest ones possible and Shimano XC7 shoes. To be honest, that's what I wear on the road as well.

For context I use SPD SL on a road bike, SPD on a commute bike and flats on a mountain bike.

For my version of gravel I use SPD (PD M-540). I can imagine other people come to difference conclusions. I'm currently using my old xc disco slippers (sidi dominators I think) for the summer and some of the northwave (I forget the model name) winter boots in the winter.

a pair of mavic xc shoes and mtb clips for my gravel bike

Shimano 520s and 510 kestral? hellkcats? idk the flat sole one

haven't been brave enough to try my DHB dorica.. slippery as hell sole

It's gravel, so I guess whatever is fashionable at the moment. Something in a rapha or assos special edition will probably suffice.

I'm seriousness, something comfortable and clipped, it's broadly a road bike for bumpy stuff, it is not a mountain bike for smooth stuff.

I wouldn't go for proper disco slippers but an xc shoe with a sole and two bolt pedals are, in my opinion, about spot on.
(something like the giro empire, because I like the look and iirc, there's a members discount on giro)

M520 SPD and Specialized Recon (just replaced Shimano MO89) or Shimano MW7.

M520 and m089 shoes or xc3 (all shimano).

Shimano EH500's for me, spd on one side and pins on the over side.

Regular two sided SPDs, smallest ones possible and Shimano XC7 shoes. To be honest, that’s what I wear on the road as well.

Same here.

I went to full road shoes and road pedals on the road bike this year. They didnt make a huge amount of difference and are irritatingly slidey just walking into the garag, never mind anything else.

Time Atac XCs (cheapest version) and Specialized Recons (whatever the version with 2 Boa straps is)

I've been using M520 pedals and carbon sole xc disco slippers, but this thread has just reminded me that i have a pair of M089's in the loft that would be better suited

XTR 9100 pedals and RX8 shoes.  I don’t do much walking and the RX8’s are super comfy, stiff soled and very light.

Some old CB Candy pedals (use CB on all my bikes) and a pair of Shimano gravel shoe’s because they came in a wide fit.

Old Shimano spd shoes with new cleats combined with old Shimano pedals.

My feet hardly touch the ground!

Time ATACs and my trusty old Five Ten Kestrels.

Clip less is ideal for gravel. But picking the SPD shoes should be based on the type of riding you do.

If you do regular bike packing, touring, hike-a-bike or commuting then pick a pair of shoes that are decent to walk in.

Or if you do racing of some kind like cx, gravel or even xc then pick a pair that are stiffer and lighter.

Or if you just ride a bit of everything then there are shoes that are pretty stiff yet you can walk in. I have a pair of Shimano ME5 which despite their enduro leanings have been great and have been used for long days in the saddle riding in highlands etc

Edit: both Shimano spd and Time Atacs are great, not much to pick between them.

Time Atacs and Shimano Me5. The shoes are good for walking, so useful for touring. Would happily have a stiffer XC style shoe for most rides though

Candy 3s. I have a range of footwear appropriate to the conditions.

SPD's (Shimano XT) and Giro Gauge shoes. The Gauge's are somewhere in the sweet spot between disco slippers and chunky MTB things.

Bog standard SPDs or copies of. Cheap enough to have pairs on every bike plus spares and those saved to turn summer road bike into winter road bike.

Shoes are always dead stiff MTB things. Never push for miles if at all so who cares about any walking flex. Winer boot things as suitable.

Burgtec Compostite Flats (can't remember what model?) and the same 5:10s I wear on my mountain bike.

Nukeproof flats, and Spesh 2F20s

Crank brothers egg beaters with northwave boots for winter and fizik xc shoes for summer.

I use Shimano SPDs on all my bikes (road, gravel and full suspension MTB) so I can use whatever shoes I want on whatever bike I want, subject to the type of riding I'll be doing or the weather (so as long as I remember to take at least one pair of cycling shoes with me, I never run into shoe/pedal incompatibility problems)

These pedals, cause they're lighter than XTR but much cheaper, and I can use my mtb shoes

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/ultegra-r8000/PD-ES600.html

Look x-track spd's and Northwave XC shoes or artic boots depending upon the season

Wot vlad said…

Shimano M520 SPD pedals, Shimano MT7 goretex shoes in the wet and Giro Sector for dry (and funner rides). MT701s are good for walking, Sectors less so but better for distance pedalling..

Can walk on timber floors in both without damage to floor or me...

Having had BOAs, laces and/or velcro are just.....

Shimano XT SPD's and XC7 shoes. Bought a pair of the Fizik boots that were a 50% PSA on here recently for winter. Which sadly isn't a million miles away now.

PD-ME700 SPDs, Giro Rincons, for both on and off road. I like them all a lot.

Xpedo Spry Flats (lighter than XTR…) and 5.10s

If my feet weren’t perma-knackered, it would be XTR trail and S-Works disco slippers (same for MTB)

Use same pedals and shoes for XC and Road

XT M8100 and S-Works Vent EVO Gravel Shoes

The shoes are v discounted, tho still a bit pricy. V stiff and great for climbing while pedalling. I suspect they will be too stiff for hike a bike up the downs when it gets a bit damper. Might need to look at a pair of those Fizik boots

I use Shimano SPDs on all my bikes (road, gravel and full suspension MTB) so I can use whatever shoes I want on whatever bike I want, subject to the type of riding I’ll be doing or the weather (so as long as I remember to take at least one pair of cycling shoes with me, I never run into shoe/pedal incompatibility problems)

Snap! I use Lake GX238 shoes for all three disciplines, sometimes Northwave boots if it's wet and cold.

I've got XT's on my FS and commuter MTB, and 4 pairs of SPD shoes as mentioned above (Xc3, 2x M089 an MW7's), although I did get the XC3's for the CX bike, but all are suitable.

XT M8100 spd pedals and some Mavic XC shoes, I have Mavic road shoes and 105 spd-sl pedals for the road bike.

M520 and gaerne laser in summer
M520 and Shimano MW5 in winter

Pretty much the same as on my MTB.

Shimano EH500 single sided SPD Pedals.

Northwave Celcius boots if cold or wet

Fox Union if dry

Multi way release cleats (waits for shouts of outrage).

Crank Brothers Candy 7s and Shimano XC7s

Shimano XT SPD's and Shimano XC5 shoes.

Time single sided pedals & Shimano XC5's or MT91's.

I have got some old Burgtecs on it at now for around town & I'm tempted just to stick with them & 5:10's.

Fizik terra atlas, very comfy but stiff in the right place for pedaling. Just enough give at the toe for reasonable hike-a-biking. Shimano trail pedal spd

Time Atacs and some Specialized stiff XC race type shoes. Same with all my bikes, MTB, road, gravel, pub tbh

Exactly the same ones I use for mtb. Nano pedals, whatever shoes fit the weather - lightweight (stinky) decathlon walking boots, 5-10 freer riders, worn out Specialized 2FOs.

These pedals, cause they’re lighter than XTR but much cheaper, and I can use my mtb shoes

Yep, I use ES-600s for a few reasons. Pretty light for SPD pedals, one side so lower underneath so very slight less likely to pedal strike on road and I wear XC shoes (pair for summer, pair for winter) as I need to get over styles and I also never take tools or tubes with me so once every few years have a long walk home so can't wear road shoes.

Yep, I use ES-600s for a few reasons.

I have them on my road bike. They sit at a bit of a weird angle so engagement is harder than it should be, and the paint flakes off really easily. I expected better feom an Ultegra level component.

Wow! Those ES-600 pedals look like they'd not be the best pedals for commuting.
Not as big and supportive as a road pedal (and doubt they'd be as stiff), not as easy to clip into as a standard double sided SPD pedal and doesn't have a platform like an enduro type pedal for when you haven't got quite clipped in.

Better with a cheap pair like these IME

https://www.teamcycles.com/components/pedals-cleats/shimano-pd-me700-spd-trail-pedals-black__19125?currency=GBP&chosenAttribute=PDME700&gclid=CjwKCAjwpJWoBhA8EiwAHZFzfhC2lBIuKrXorJwfClzsZnP0bgOQ06wHSyeakf4Xbq0Zj6LL_lp07hoC4KAQAvD_BwE

Not as big and supportive as a road pedal (and doubt they’d be as stiff

On that, I can't tell any difference and I used road pedals for years.

Like dc1988, XT8100 pedals and a pair of Mavic shoes, in my case their Allroad gravel shoes - now sadly discontinued but still available on discount at some places...may get another pair for when these wear out (though still going strong after a couple of years). More svelte than mtb shoes but still walkable and decent grip for hike a bike bits

Depends on the gravel. The looser chips with a bit of slippery limestone and the occasionally puddle, Time ATAC and shimano black shoes (can't remember the number sorry). Dry red crushed gravel roads, shimano pedals and suede shimano touring shoes.

I use the same combination of Northwave boot / cheap DHB shoe with XT SPD mid cage or standard M520/530 SPD across all my MTB's or gravel bike. XT's usually stay on the full suss then I have a box of cheaper SPD's I've collected over the years that get swapped about.

I use CB eggbeaters and giro terraduro. Have done for yrs, bought the terraduro for  do it all shoes that could also hike a bike - can’t help thinking that the terraduros are a bit overkill on the gravel bike though and might try a lighter shoe as I don’t tend to hike a bike much. Also thinking I might switch to cb candy and get a bit more support. Have also got a pair of the cb one sided pedals which I used to use on my old Cotic do it all escapade which were pretty useful pedals but not really good at either thing if that makes sense.

Also thinking I might switch to cb candy and get a bit more support.

I changed from Eggbeaters to Candy's many years ago for this very reason. Mostly, I wanted to wear a shoe suitable for a bit of hiking, therefore needing a bit of flex. The Candy's are just enough support to allow this.

I don't do gravel but if I was to I would just use my MTB shoes and pedals like I do on my road bike.  It's what I am used to and comfy with.  TIME ATAC MX pedals of various types.  I use XC shoes on the road bike and "enduro" ones on the MTB.

Although I use flats in my mtb I use XT spds on my gravel bike with Specialized Recon shoes. I’ve put an higher insole footbed  in the shoes to stop me pronating as I have really high arches.  The red specialized ones are perfect.   They have made a massive difference to knee pain.  Weirdly don’t get any knee pain with flats.

I’ve got DMR Verso pedals on which allow me to pick and choose between 5:10 flats for more adventurous off road bits or ones that end in the pub or commuting or clip in for longer easier rides. Also<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;"> slightly depends on a sore knee.

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It’s nice to have options

Same as the mtb, Sidi Wire 2 Carbon shoes with Look X-Track carbon pedals. While the Sidi are comfy I do find the wire system a pain as you have to regularly tighten it up.

5.10 trail with nukeproof plastic flatties. My brain is too slow for SPDs plus when Bikepacking I get to wonder about without cleat clop

Road - Dura Ace SPD SL (4mm extended axle) with Sidi Shot.

Gravel - XTR SPD with Sidi Tiger.

MTB - XTR Trail SPD with Sidi Tiger.

I don’t do walking so I enjoy the stiffness and snugness of the Sidi carbon soles and ratchety uppers. If I want a walk, I take the dog out and go for a walk. I pick my riding where I can just ride. The Sidis aren’t great at walking and the SPDs aren’t as good as some pedals at shedding dirt and seem very prone to getting stuck with small pebbles (which are common in the geology where I ride).

Next time around I would avoid the Trail variant of the pedals. The extra cage seems a bit superfluous as your contact point is the cleat rather than the sole.

I would also probably avoid SPD. The interface can squeak badly and Shimano don’t seem capable of fixing the rubber seal in place without it migrating up the axle. Time seem like a better bet.

I would however definitely stick with Sidi. They fit my feet well and are really well made.

Watching this thread with interest as I am definitely flats curious.

What vlad said x2 - so much easier to have one pedal platform

Wow! Those ES-600 pedals look like they’d not be the best pedals for commuting.
Not as big and supportive as a road pedal (and doubt they’d be as stiff), not as easy to clip into as a standard double sided SPD pedal and doesn’t have a platform like an enduro type pedal for when you haven’t got quite clipped in.

Not sure what riding gravel has to do with commuting but how can a metal pedal and axle not be stiff exactly?
And I find them easy to clip into and I ride fixed gear making it that bit harder.

Agree that the paint comes off easily but not really a problem to me as when riding on gravel the pedals get a few stone hits anyway and can live with that for the weight which I have to keep an eye on to maintain an under 6kg bike.

https://flic.kr/p/2p2bv5i

spd sandals and xt two sided pedals. Or a600 spds.

Shimano m540 pedals that refuse to die and Giro Empire VR90 for the summer and Northwave Celsius boots in the winter.

Didn't expect so many crank brothers users. I've been using them for users but thought they were the pedal everyone hated!

Anyway those and the DHB MTB velcro shoes (which I think look slick enough for road use as well), both have been spot on for gravel bike.

Whatever the XTR spd model was 9 years ago when I built the bike. Awesome they've been. I think the Spesh F2Os are even older but don't look it.

Not sure what riding gravel has to do with commuting

Cos people commute on gravel bikes and don't want to swap pedals over? (I do, and don't.)

Time ATACs and Sidi something's in the summer and Lake boots in the winter, the same as my MTB

<p style="text-align: left;">Shimano RX8 shoes in black with Shimano M530 trail SPD pedals. I have a pair of the bronze colour RX8R shoes but haven't worn those yet as I could never ride as fast as they look.</p>

Cos people commute on gravel bikes and don’t want to swap pedals over? (I do, and don’t.)

Fair enough, not how I read the question "What pedals and shoes do you use for gravel?"

Anyway, the pedals would be fine for commuting as they naturally fall rear side down so foot goes straight in.

Time MX5's (to pamper my knees) and some Northwave carbon soled boa copy shoes on commutes. Out for a local bimble there's some 5.10 Kestrels to allow for some comfy walking

XT trail SPDs and XC7 shoes

Shimano M530 pedals and some old Northwave Scorpius MTB shoes (from about 2015!) in summer, Shimano MW5 boots in winter.

Some 15 year old Time Atac Freeride pedals from the spares drawer and some old entry level Shimano XC/trail shoes from the dusty shoe bin.

Gonna need a solution to stop my feet getting wet though.

@chakaping:

Gonna need a solution to stop my feet getting wet though.

Shimano MW5 (or MW7 (goretex) if you have more money than me) boots and grip grab gaiters.

MW5 looks spot-on cheers, might be able to work a pair into the budget in a while.

The Grip Grab gaiters make a huge difference too.