Hi Kathy,

I am looking into getting a new pair of mountain biking shoes but I am thinking about doing some cross too this year. Do you wear different shoes for the cross season?

Thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe,

This is a great time of year to consider getting a new pair of cycling shoes. The off season is always a good time to change things up and sample new things too. That way when the time comes to race in the spring you have everything already dialed in and are comfortable with your new product choices.

I do wear different shoes for cross season than I would for mountain bike season. I do that for two reasons. One, is that my mountain bike shoe has a mesh top which is great for summer, but is not so good when the fowl weather of cross enters the picture. A mesh top can be too cold for cyclocross and allows far too much mud and rain to enter the shoe which can cause all kinds of difficulties in a race. The second reason I wear different shoes for cross is that those shoes are going to get destroyed by the end of the season. And, I donʼt want to destroy my mountain bike shoes when I may be doing some mountain bike rides during that time as well. So instead I choose to have shoes that are made for fowl weather and that I already know ahead of time are my cross shoes and nothing more.

The cross shoes that I currently use are the Sidi Dominator 5 for Women. They are nice because they are narrow in the heel (for women), they donʼt have mesh on the top and they are durable, soft, and breathable in addition to being warm. They are also not only secured into place by Velcro straps which can come undone in muddy races and instead have both Velcro straps and a buckle. Additionally they have a spot for toe spikes which you will need for those muddy cyclocross conditions.

Best of luck to you!

Kathy Sherwin
SoBe/Cannondale Mountain Bike Team