Hi, Marcus!
I usually use a pair of old Adidas touring shoes, called Col d'Izoard, that I bought around 1984. They have molded-in sole features that form a shallow cleat and grabs teh rear rail of a standard Record pedal or of a platform pedal such as a C-record or Shimano 600. I really like them and foresee a lot of heartache when they finally break. Very walkable, too!
I grew up cycling on sneakers, and I tried them when I first returned to bikes. I found that sole stiffness is important for spreading foot pressure around a weakling, tender, newbie foot, and that the Col d'Izoards helped with that a lot. I've lately been on a search for a usable replacement. The most successful one is another Adidas, the Team Adidas. These have a slim, form-fitting upper that slips in and out of a toeclip easily, and a smooth sole that is not overcut, and again slips in and out easily. Foot retention is my responsibility, but like you I'm trained to that skill. The sole has better stiffeness than a seemingly similar set of Pumas I tried. The best sources of these shoes (the Pumas and the Teams) is strangely, Nordstrom's rack.
The Team Adidas are or were made in several upper designs. One is bright green mesh with orange highlights, and while it's gaudy and would either nauseate or delight Style Man, it is long wearing and has great ventilation. Another has leather uppers, and has poor ventilation, but it makes a decent basis for a mid-weather shoe system, including SmartWools and Gore overshoes.
The Team Adidas shoes have black rubber soles (and a prominent "Goodyear" logo), and I am very intrigued by your idea to add rubber and cut shallow soft cleats. I think I can get another pair of the mesh ones here in AA, and we have a good shoe shop. I'd also add a heel block to restore walkability.
I've tried a standard old-school cleated set-up, a pair of the Diadoras that are cleared from Nashbar from time to time. My pair has hard steel-shanked well-contoured leather soles with hard nylon cleats and soft leather and mesh uppers. They are pretty good to ride in, and seem to add to my freedom of motion. I don't really see any benefit in terms of power and speed, just a better-feeling spin. I'd recommend re-tuning the saddle position if you try something like these. I may have worn these on the Ann Arbor vintage ride a while back, when we went to Chelsea.
Best regards,
Ken Freeman Ann Arbor, MI USA
On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 1:42 PM, <marcus.e.helman@gm.com> wrote:
> I bought a pair of classic looking Lake shoes to use in spinning class
> over the winter. I put SPD cleats on, and they really worked well.
> Although I have always been a dedicated sneaker rider on the road, I am
> beginning to think about making the move to slotted cleats. I remain kind
> of fearful of getting trapped in the clips, and of looking extra dorky
> when I am walking. Those factors combine to make me not want to spend
> very much for cleats. I am also toying with the idea of having a shoe
> repair shop glue on some pieces of rubber tread to create a slot. Yellow
> Jersey has cleats, but they are $30, and that just seems like too much to
> spend for a couple of pieces of plastic. The Lake shoes have a number of
> threaded holes, so I imagine most bolt-on cleats would fit.
>
> Do any of you use slotted cleats regularly? How are they for getting in
> and out?
>
> Please do no advise me to go clipless. I am committed to toeclips and
> straps
>
> Best regards,
> Marcus Helman
> Detroit, MI