When you can't afford retro shoes...

So my first extended ride with toe clips and straps. Had the right strap reasonably tight and the left a bit looser for emergencies and ease of entry at roundabouts etc (didn't help any though).

Out of the saddle on a climb and my left foot slipped out, which kippered things a bit as I couldn't restart and had to push the rest of the way.

As I haven't got a spare £5k lying around for the real thing I have to ride in trainers of a vaguely retro stylee. The sole is a bit soft and floppy which doesn't help at all. Also I only found out yesterday that back in the day one had cleaty things with a slot to keep secure on platforms... and of course you're not going to affix those to trainers.

So I guess I have to take it all on the chin.

(Has anyone ever successfully put some kind of rigid inner sole into shoes to make them more "efficient"?)

Meh :x

Re:

Look up touring shoes on ebay, you'll find loads of well priced shoes that have a much stiffer sole than trainers, are OK to walk in and will work with toe clips.

They all look too modern (like walking boots, or have velcro). I need plain black lacy-uppy ones.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/exustar-sp70 ... prod20634/

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 0s154p1323

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 0s154p1227

Some mildly suitable ones......

Does anyone use these http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/exustar-e-c1 ... prod24012/ in place of nail in shoe plates, ie with modern shoes with cleat fittings?
I was wondering if they would work well with Giro Empires http://bit.ly/1WPmKSM (my regular road shoe) and toe clips?

Re:

I've not tried them but these are the cheapest trad style cycling shoes I've seen:

http://www.rufflander.co.uk/shop/herita ... ycle-shoe/

I ride in straps and clips in a pair regular slim-fit leather soled shoes like these which work well on and off the bike:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/B-Store-Mario ... Sw3mpXJ4le

Re:

I've got a pair of the William Lennon Arturo shoes from nonowt's link. They've only seen light use, but they're comfortable and I've had no complaints. I haven't used any cleats with them.

I've got some Arturo shoes too. Lengthwise they come up exactly the same as a normal shoe - i.e. if you're a size 9 then get a 43. They are very wide though; no good if you've got skinny feet.

If you're pulling your feet out of the toeclips as you pull up, you might find it better with a shoe with a bit more of a toe cap. I've been riding in Converse for years which is really sneered at (and I accept it isn't ideal either), but the rubber toe cap really holds into a toe clip even when you're yanking up on the pedal with all your strength. You can get black leather ones for about £45 which actually look a little bit like a classic lace up until you get close.

Re:

What size feet do you have, how much can you afford?

If you are pulling up whilst out of the saddle try to keep your feet level/flat as they turn, kick the door wipe your feet as they say, if you lift your heels up, your feet (because you can if your shoes are flexible) will pull out of the traps.

Re:

I'm sure a retro shoe with Velcro closure and traditional cleats (not nailed on though) is acceptable.
What size shoe do you take? I have various mid to late 80s shoes, size 42-45, and the cleats to fit them.
Richie