time to bury bicycle toe shoes

[philosophe]

So many ugly shoes!

 

[Bandwagonesque]

Originally Posted by TheHoff

Lots of people who ride in the city. I use clipless (the kind with cleats) but toe clips are still safer if you're in heavy traffic, IMO.

I disagree. When one has to bail immediately, it's not a natural reaction to pull your foot backwards. Also, after you pull your foot out backwards, you must bring it back to the side of the bike. Instead, with clipless pedals you twist your foot to the side and your foot is in a natural position to support you. Maybe toe clips just take years of getting use to in order to get out of safely - but I'd never use them.

I've used clipless for a few years now. They still scare the **** out of me, and I usually set them to a very weak setting so I can clip out easily.

 

[NoVaguy]

well, i'm wearing my chestnut AE Hillcrest today...

 

[TheHoff]

Originally Posted by Bandwagonesque

I disagree. When one has to bail immediately, it's not a natural reaction to pull your foot backwards. Also, after you pull your foot out backwards, you must bring it back to the side of the bike. Instead, with clipless pedals you twist your foot to the side and your foot is in a natural position to support you. Maybe toe clips just take years of getting use to in order to get out of safely - but I'd never use them.

I've used clipless for a few years now. They still scare the **** out of me, and I usually set them to a very weak setting so I can clip out easily.

I guess I feel that way about clips due to the accidents where you're hit unexpectedly -- from behind or a car cuts you off from the side -- where you don't have time to react. I'd rather the bike disconnect by itself and not stay attached to my ankles... having said that, I do ride clipless in the city. If I were a bike messenger though, I'd have a single speed with clips.

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

What's worse was those bicycle-slash-bowling shoes mutant abominations they were selling years ago.

Years ago! I still see those with alarming regularity at the local Starbucks. Its funny, bicycle-slash-bowling shoes are to Gen X what bicycle toe are to Gen Y.

 

[dopey]

I have never seen a pair that I do not consider ugly and unwearable. Yet I can think of no reason why this must be so. I therefore have to accept the possibility that a wearable non-ugly bicycle toe shoe exists somewhere in the world or that one may some day come into being.

 

[johnnyblazini]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

These are probably the best I've seen, but they still aren't for me:

Not for me either, but I wouldn't look down on someone wearing them... The punch holes are generally much more acceptable than the seams (IMO).

 

[stilmacher]

What a releive to see that this is not one of those Germans-only phenomenons. There seems to be no other style around - I don't get it.

 

[Nick M]

These ones look okay - but again, they're not "true" bicycle toes, more wholecuts with broguing...

 

[stilmacher]

I don't think the point is to find exception but to explain hwy this rather odd style is so popular

 

[Nick M]

Originally Posted by stilmacher

I don't think the point is to find exception but to explain hwy this rather odd style is so popular

Based on nothing, my guesses are:

1.) The market is cyclic, no pun intended - once everybody has a pair of nice-looking shoes, the manufacturers have to push bicycle toes. Once everybody has bicycle toes, they'll move on to something else;
2.) Marketed towards younger people who think cap-toe shoes are old-fogey but have no idea what looks good;
3.) Marketed towards older folk who already have cap-toe shoes and want to be hip;
4.) They're "versatile", insofar as they don't look particularly good with dressy OR casual clothes, and therefore can perform double duty;
5.) They're probably somehow cheaper to manufacture;
6.) The one-piece vamp-and-toe probably creases up really quickly, the shoes are thrown out and replaced with another pair of bicycle toes - because people these days have no idea how long shoes are supposed to last and don't know they're being ripped off - and the market flourishes...

 

[ruben]

Originally Posted by knittieguy

A chisel toe shoe is not a bicycle toe shoe. A bicycle toe shoe has the seams run straight down to the front of the sole. Some are chiseled, some are not. I can't actually tell from the photo of that suave guy above if it is a bicycle toe shoe. Here is a bicycle toe shoe

so what's an "apron toe" ?

 

[iamaloser]

I really like the bicycle toes on the last page, but they are much more understated than the super ubiquitous type that you see at Nordstroms. On the whole the perforated leather type of thing in place of seams always creeps me out. I don't know why.

 

[epa]

Originally Posted by whatsinaname

I would guess it's from toe clips, not bike shoes:

http://images.google.com/images?q=toe clips

Thanks!

 

[epa]

By the way, I think that some of them look quite nice. I wouldn't wear them with a suit, though, but yes, I would not mind wearing some of them with an odd jacket, sans tie, for example.
(Now, true, I am the kind of guy who doesn't mind wearing derbies with his suits, so you definitely shouldn't trust my sense of style and class).