Why Cycling in Sneakers Is Actually a Terrible Idea, According to a Bike Expert

Last year, I started wearing a not-so-technical-looking pair of flat-pedal mountain bike shoes as everyday footwear, and something maybe not that surprising happened. When I hopped on my everyday bike to casually run errands around town, every pedal stroke felt smoother and faster. That’s right, the shoes did more than simply boost protection and traction; they actually made my pedal strokes more efficient.

While I have since switched over mostly to clipless pedals (and their attendant footwear), the performance benefits (and attendant euphoria) of those flat-pedal shoes stuck with me. It’s gotten to the point where I cringe when I see folks in floppy sneakers or sandals laboriously pedaling a bike. (I’m weird.)

Andrew Pruitt

So I decided to find out how much of a difference such a footwear swap can actually make.

All it took was a Zoom call with Andy Pruitt, Ed.D. to discover the answer and so much more. The dude is not only the founder of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine and CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center. He is also the holder of three patents for the development of Specialized Body Geometry shoes and saddles, a working member of the Board of Directors for SpokeSafety and a two-time Paralympic road cycling world champ.

In other words, he knows a thing or two about maximizing comfort, safety and performance on two wheels.

Here’s not only what Pruitt taught me about the significant impact of footwear itself, but also some tips on inserts and the pedals themselves that can potentially transform the whole riding experience for even the casual rider or commuter.

Regular shoes suck for pedaling

“In walking and running, the plantar fascia is a ligament-like structure that holds up the arch. It goes from the heel bone up to the toes,” Andy Pruitt, Ed.D. says. “As we plant the foot, the plantar fascia stores energy and then gives it back to us as we push off. If we allow the foot to store energy, when we’re pushing down on the pedal, we’re never going to get it back.”

Maskot

He goes on: “So the person who commutes or rides in a running shoe is not only losing energy in the foot, they’re losing energy in the shoe, which is designed to absorb energy on heel strike, right? So the revelation when you get somebody to go from a cheap sneaker, not even a high-end sneaker, there’s an aha moment that occurs for these people: ‘My god, that feels better.’

“The person who commutes in a dress shoe, you know, a leather-sole heeled shoe, they may have some arch support in there, they may not. But if you slip off your pedal with a slick-bottom dress shoe, for example, and that pedal comes around and hits you in the shin [and gives you a ‘pedal bite or tears your dress pants], you will buy cycling shoes the next day, when you get out of the ER.”

The power of flat shoes

According to Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., “the foot becomes a rigid lever,” when wearing shoes made for cycling. “The high-performance clipless race shoe is helping to produce that lever. It actually becomes an orthotic, right? An implement to improve the foot for that particular activity.

Chrome Industries

“So [even without going clipless] is there an advantage in a cycling-specific flat-pedal shoe? Absolutely. Whatever brand of flat-pedal shoe you want to pursue, they’re going to be better than a sneaker.

“[Along with the more rigid platform], the sole is really important — a sole where the rubber compound is meant to grasp a pedal. Because think about how we’re coming over the top of the stroke — we’re not pushing down, we’re actually pushing forward.

“So the foot tends to migrate a little bit forward into the arch [a less than ideal position] and then you readjust your foot. The perfect shoe has got a sole that keeps that foot from migrating.”

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