If you’ve recently decided to get the Echelon bike you’re probably wondering what’s the best available cycling shoe options in the market.
The Echelon comes with a hybrid pedal that offers toe cages on one side & a clipless on the other side. This allows you to ride with casual shoes on the toe cage side & with cycling shoes on the clipless side.
The toe cages offer convenience, it allows for more members of your family to ride without the need for cycling shoes.
However, when it comes to performance cycling shoes are much more optimal. The stiff outsole designed in cycling shoes offers greater pedal power & efficiency by eliminating lost energy from your shoe bending or twisting. Additionally, cycling shoes offer greater features designed for comfort & breathability.
During intense sessions, heat & sweat can cause unwanted irritations, including blisters. Most cycling shoes in the market offer enhanced breathability & drainage features keeping your feet cool & dry at all times.
So without further ado let’s take a look at the top Echelon shoes in the market.
Best Cycling Shoes For Echelon Bike:
- Louis Garneau Urban Cycling Shoes – Best Overall
- Tommaso Pista Women’s – Best Women’s Specific Option
- Giro Techne Men’s – Best Men’s Specific Option
- SHIMANO SH-IC500 Cycling Shoe – Best Fit For Women
- Gavin Indoor Fitness Cycling Shoes – Best Budget Option
Best Cycling Shoes For Echelon Bike:
Louis Garneau Men’s & Women’s Urban Cycling Shoes – Best Overall
First on the list, we have the Louis Garneau Urban cycling shoes. This shoe is available in both a men’s & women’s version & is Echelon’s recommended cycling shoe & we can see why. It offers a great balance of performance features & comfort.
The Louis Garneau features a synthetic leather & mesh upper for offering breathability & comfort. Additionally, it’s designed with a heel retention system in order to maintain a proper heel position and eliminate any unwanted pressure on the heel.
Key Features:
- SPD compatible
- Synthetic leather and mesh upper offers breathability
- EVA insoles provide additional comfort
- heel retention system maintains heel position
Pros:
- Comfortable
- breathable
- Available in both men’s & women’s specific versions
- can be ridden with or without cleats
Cons:
- None that we could find
Tommaso Pista Women’s – Best Women’s Specific Option
Next up we have the widely popular Tommaso Pista women’s cycling shoes. These shoes are crafted with a durable synthetic leather upper, designed with breathable mesh panels for enhanced ventilation.
The inner sole features a breathable liner that wicks away moisture, ideal for keeping your feet cool & dry at all times. This eliminates discomfort often experienced from sweat & heat.
The sole features a reinforced fiberglass material offering greater pedal power & efficiency.
Additionally, the Tommaso Pista is a dual cleat compatible shoe, allowing you to use it with 2-bolt & 3-bolt cleats.
Key Features:
- Reinforced fiberglass outsole offers greater performance
- a breathable liner wicks away moisture
- Designed with breathable mesh panels for enhanced ventilation
- Dual cleat compatible (compatible with both 2-bolt & 3-bolt cleats)
Pros:
- Breathable
- Versatile
- moisture wicking
- Performance-enhancing
Cons:
- None that we could find
Giro Techne Men’s – Best Men’s Specific Option
The Giro Techne is a dual cleat compatible shoe, this allows you to use this with 2 & 3 bolt cleat systems.
It features a breathable microfiber upper designed with a mesh providing a supple fit with the added benefit of additional breathability. It’s designed with a classic 3-strap velcro closure system, which allows for reliable hold & easy adjustability.
As for performance, the shoe features an injected nylon outsole, offering greater pedaling power & pedaling efficiency.
Key Features:
- Microfiber upper offer comfort & breathability
- Dual cleat compatibility ( compatible with 2 & 3 bolt cleat systems)
- injected nylon outsole
- Velcro strap for simplicity & durability
Pros:
- Breathable
- performance-enhancing
- dual cleat compatibility offers versatility
Cons:
- None that we could find
SHIMANO SH-IC500 Cycling Shoe – Best Fit For Women
The Shimano SH-IC500 is a Women’s specific cycling shoes, designed with comfort & performance in mind. It features a sock mesh upper for breathability, helping keep your feet cool & dry during your sessions.
The SH IC500 uses a Boa closure system which is one of the best closure systems when it comes to fit, Boa closures offer increments of adjustment, allowing you to have a more precise fit.
The outsole features a rigid plate across the full length of the shoe, this allows for greater pedaling power & efficiency due to its stiffness.
Key Features:
- Boa dial offer increments of adjustment for a perfect fit
- sock mesh upper offers added breathability
- rigid plate outsole offers enhanced performance
Pros:
- Adjustable
- breathable
- performance-enhancing
Cons:
- None
Gavin Indoor Cycling Shoes Mens & Womens – Best Budget Option
Next up on the list is the Gavin indoor cycling shoe, this is a unisex option ideal for both men & women.
These shoes are designed to be very breathable, it features removable perforated insole, which is designed to shed water & sweat keeping your feet dry at all times. This is ideal for reducing any irritations often experienced from heat & sweat.
It’s equipped with hook & loop straps for reliable hold during intense workout sessions.
As for the outsole, it features a Fiberglass-injected nylon sole for added stiffness, ideal for pedal efficiency & performance.
Key Features:
- Carbon fiber hook & look straps offer reliable hold
- Fiberglass-injected nylon sole for enhanced performance
- the perforated insole offers breathability & quick drying features
Pros:
- Unisex option (ideal for both men & women)
- breathable
- enhances performance
- quick drying
Cons:
- They run on the small side so you may have to go a size up
Buyer’s Guide: What To Look For In Echelon Shoes
There is a wide range of different features nowadays when it comes to cycling shoes, which can make it quite difficult to determine what features provide the most value for your specific use cases.
So in order to help you select the best shoes for your needs, we highlighted below important features that you should consider including some features which can be beneficial depending on your needs.
Compatibility
The Echelon bike comes with Dual platform pedals, with an SPD clipless system. Meaning the clipless pedal is only compatible with cycling shoes with a 2-hole cleat design. So before choosing a shoe for your Echholon bike ensure it is compatible with the echelon pedals and has a 2-hole cleat design.
Fit
Fit is by far the most important thing when it comes to cycling shoes, if you have the best cycling shoes with a bad fit chance are your performance will take a hit.
Cycling shoes are all designed differently, some are designed to be slightly narrow whole other have a wider design.
It would definitely help to try on the shoe before purchasing. However, we know it’s not convenient for everyone, so the next best option is to measure both the length of your feet & the width.
The width of your feet will determine whether you should find a cycling shoe with a wider design or should opt for a larger size in a medium width shoe.
Sole Materials
One of the main features of a cycling shoe is the outsole, the material used on the outsole of the shoe determines the overall stiffness of the shoe, which has a major impact on performance.
A stiff sole reduces the loss of energy, which occurs when the shoe bends or twists on a pedal stroke. The stiffer the shoe the less loss of energy. However, very stiff shoes can be quite uncomfortable, especially during longer rides.
The best material for stiffness is carbon fiber, carbon fiber is often featured in most high-end cycling shoes due to its effective stiffness & lightweight components.
Other outsole material feature carbon composite which is a mixture of carbon & plastic & is a great option when looking for a shoe on a budget.
Materials
The upper material of your shoe has a massive impact on comfort as well as the breathability of the shoe.
A shoe with enough ventilation is crucial especially when it comes to intense sessions, heat & sweat can cause many forms of discomfort which can have a negative effect on your workout, including increasing the likelihood of blisters.
Cycling shoes with proper ventilation as well as sweat draining features can minimize discomfort associated with sweat & heat significantly.
Additionally, when it comes to cycling shoe materials, some materials conform to the shape of your feet and offer a more comfortable & natural fit. While others such as leather offer other benefits such as overall lighter weight shoes.
Closure Systems
Closure systems are another feature to look out for since there is a range of different closure systems often featured in cycling shoes. These include boa dials, Velcro straps, ratchet buckles & laces.
BOA Dials are one of the best options when it comes to closure systems as they offer increments of adjustment, which allow you to get a more precise fit. These closure systems are often found in higher-end shoes.
Ratchet Buckles are another great option when it comes to adjustability, although they don’t offer the same increment of adjustments as Boa dials.
Velcro Straps aren’t as adjustable as the two previous closure systems. However, velcro straps are the most durable option & they offer a more natural fit.
Laces are the lightest closure system, they aren’t as practical & can be a distraction especially during intense sessions.