Cycling shoes are designed to make cycling easier, improve your pedaling efficiency as you can also utilize the upstroke as well as the downstroke, generally making the experience more enjoyable.
Clipless and clip-in cycling shoes refer to the same kind of shoes that have cleats attached to the sole to clip into your pedals.
If you’re an avid cyclist, you likely already have the kit and knowledge about the shoes that work best for you. However, if you’re new to cycling you might be wondering: can I wear cycling shoes without cleats?
In this article, I cover some key information on cycling shoes to give you a better idea of what you’re looking for when it comes to the appropriate footwear.
So, let’s get started.
Can you wear cycling shoes without cleats?
The clipless pedal system allows attachments on your shoes, called cleats, to slot into recesses or clips on certain pedals. Yes, of course, you can wear cycling shoes without cleats.
That being said, the shoes are designed specifically to function as one single unit with the pedal, with more rigid construction and soles tailored to house cleats, which are designed to make cycling easier and improve your pedaling efficiency overall.
It’s entirely normal to fall when you’re wearing clipless shoes initially, but once you get the hang of them, it'll become second nature. In the beginning, it’s likely that you’ll think that riding on narrow paved trails with clipless pedals is a different skill level altogether.
Although cleats take a little while to get the hang of, they’re worth investing in if you’re serious about cycling as they not only maximize your riding comfort and efficiency, but you will also find that this precise positioning is advantageous for your knees and hips, too.
Knowing that your feet will not slip off the pedals is another advantage and will provide you with the confidence to push harder and get more out of your cycles, especially in wet conditions or over rough terrain.
Therefore, the question isn’t necessarily can you wear cycling shoes without cleats, but rather would you want to?
Can you walk around in clipless shoes with cleats?
You theoretically can walk around in clipless shoes with cleats, but it can ruin your shoes and your feet depending on the type of cycling shoe.
For instance, when it comes to road shoes, the soles are virtually or totally inflexible, and they all feature a cleat that clips into a set of specific bike pedals.
With this system, the cleat is bolted onto the sole of the shoe instead of recessed, so you wouldn’t want to walk far in them.
Not only will walking around in clipless road shoes hurt your feet because it’ll be uncomfortable, but you will also find that you need to buy more shoes much sooner than you normally would.
This is because it is essentially unavoidable to wear the cleats down as you are walking, and you will soon have to invest in another pair once they have been worn.
That being said, to make the most out of your clipless shoes with cleats, make sure that you aren’t trying to walk long distances in them.
That being said, on the other hand, there are different types of cycling shoes that make walking easier than road shoes.
For instance, you can walk around in mountain biking shoes, as they’re designed to resemble what you’d consider a normal shoe. However, it is worth noting that some mountain biking take cleats, whilst others don’t.
For the shoes that do have cleats, you’ll want to be mindful when walking as you can get rocks and mud stuck inside the cleat system and will make it tricky when it comes to clipping back into your pedals.
It is important to note that if you are wearing shoes with cleats that you make sure that you know how to unclip your feet from the pedals.
The first time you ride with cleated shoes, practice on a traffic-free road so that you’re entirely focused on the task. Practice clipping into the pedal and releasing without looking down.
Most importantly, practice unclipping your dominant foot whenever you’re about to stop.
Should you wear clipless shoes?
This answer to this will depend on you as the cyclist. Wearing clipless shoes can mean better efficiency, control, and power, as well as improving balance and the bike’s agility.
If you’re serious about improving your cycling further, then going clipless could be the right way to go in order to tackle all of your biking goals.
That being said, before you decide to opt to go clipless, you should make sure that the choice is right for your needs.
Clipless shoes allow you to go faster overall. If you’re regularly undertaking cycling journeys that are up to or over 10 miles long, then you will hugely benefit from this system.
Alternatively, if you’re a mountain bike rider that tends to ride until the point of significant fatigue or feel like you want more control over your mountain bike, then you’ll find you can ride for longer with better control with clipless shoes.
However, if your daily commute is just a short distance, you’re used to getting on and off the bike regularly or prefer riding casually, the clipless system may not be for you.
People can be put off by the fact that clipless riding can take a little longer to get the hang of.
If you have a turbo trainer, I recommend spending a significant amount of time practising clipping in and out of your pedals until the motion becomes second nature to you.
It can feel unnatural at first being clipped into the bike, and you want to ensure that you’re well versed in the motion before you hit the roads or trails.
You might find that you have a couple of falls along the way, but don’t worry - this is all a part of the process!
