9.05.2025 [2] More flat cycling shoes to try on.

 ~o~

 My three new trial pairs of shoes have arrived. The delivery driver has a serious attitude problem. I am sure he thinks his employer pay his wages. Instead of delivering to the door he just dropped it on the parking space. No knock on the door. Just a bleep on my phone as he drives away. It is almost certain his company will email me asking me to review their service. Or lack thereof. Probably the same driver who took my parcel 4km away to a rural village for pickup. After I paid for home delivery. 

  The first pair were off-white. [Pebble] I ordered green and it shows green on the order confirmation. It clearly shows a white shoe on the end of the box. Somebody was rushed or not paying attention.

 These were the Endura Hummvee. Sadly they have exactly the same narrow, pointed toe-box problem and short overall length as all the other flat shoes I have tried so far. 479g per foot. 

 Stiff, tan sole with a smooth, closed pattern suggest a touring shoe. Lots of parts stitched together to make the upper. I feel they might show a lot of wear in use. Particularly in "Pebble." Their appearance reminds me more of boating shoes. Certainly go anywhere, smart-casual. They don't shout "cycling shoes!"

The first Scott shoe box I opened was for the Volt Evos. These were beautifully made. Though, yet again, pointy in the toe and too narrow for comfort on my broad feet. Which is a shame because they are very pretty. If slightly flashy?

The white sole sides and heel stripe could be a safety feature out on the road. The soles themselves in a black, open pattern of low profile knobs for extra grip. Or just for collecting mud. 480g per foot. 

 The soles are really very flat and ideally stiff for pedaling efficiency. One piece upper with moulded rubber detail. These shouldn't look too tired after a fair bit of use. Nothing to catch on branches if seriously e-MTB-ing.

 And so it came to the final pair: Scott MTB SHR-Alp Flat, lace. In green, with black toe bumper and heel detail. Tan sole with a more open tread pattern. Medium stiff sole. Again beautifully made and presented. 

 More importantly they didn't pretend to be implements of torture. A much rounder toe provided greater comfort but at a slightly heavier, 531g per shoe. Much more turned up in the toe than the other two here. For more comfortable walking?

 Will I keep them? Or order a 47? I am still not sure at this stage. I have been sitting here for half an hour with these on. Laced and unlaced. Just to get a feel for them. I can get two fingers behind my heels when I push my feet forwards. Feel my feet slide backwards. Far enough to tie the laces usefully. Leaving extra room in the toe. It is entirely a matter of taste but I quite like the subdued looks. Smooth, two piece upper. 

A view of the Alp's sole. How will the open studs cope with the raised screws of the Crank Brothers pedals?

 The Alps and Endura were both the same price. Quite modestly so for cycling shoes at 510kr. While the Volt Evos were 720kr. I'd have to say the Volt Evo was the most obviously, serious contender, for off-road cycling, amongst these three. Though none would look really out of place on or off the bike.

 The Endura Hummvee is by far the shortest in size 46. I can't stand to have them on for even a few seconds! They really hurt my toes! Ironically the Volt Evo is the longest shoe here. My big toenail can be clearly seen pushing upwards. Only just reaching the rubber toecap. Yet they feel far too small due to the narrow, pointed toe. 

 The Alp lies midway on length but has the roomiest toe-box. The image shows the huge difference in toe turn up between the two Scott shoes. Walking could be a large part of cycling if there is a breakdown. A tourist might want to wander around a town they have just reached.

 One can't take the risk of wearing anything uncomfortable. There is no team bus for the solo, walking wounded. I'll leave the undersized shoes to the rock climbers. Comfort is my main priority and I have been struggling with finding suitable cycling shoes for a lifetime.

For reference my lightest trainers [Energetics] are only 321g per foot. These are much too thin, soft and flexible in the sole for cycling. I bought them on a sports shop's, sales discount. For the almost flat sole without a deep pattern. At the cost of soon having to buy superglue to re-fix the toe bumpers. 

 They are about as waterproof and windproof as a pair of socks. The soles have been badly worn away by my e-biking. Hence the desperate and rather costly search for a better e-biking shoe! The bricks and mortar bike shops have very limited stocks of flat "MTB" cycling shoes. Particularly in these largest sizes. Yet they are ideally suited to e-bikes and for touring.

 I have just been out cutting the grass. While wearing my hefty, safety boots. They were not remotely comfortable! Yet I wore such boots for nearly a decade in the workshop. Not to mention all day, every day, in the machine shop at work.    

 My feet were ruined in my teens by pointed toe, Chelsea boots. They crippled me but I still wore them for fashion. So my toes come to a central point. With my big toe symmetrically bent inwards to the centre line. You'd think they would suit pointy shoes. Yet the width of my feet across the base of the big toe still demands a generous toe-box.

 Well, that was interesting. I have been wittering away on my blog while wearing the Alps. Never gave them a second thought until I stood up. Then realised I was wearing something new. Are they keepers? I have kept my perambulations to the carpeted floors. To avoid marking the soles. Just in case they need to be returned for sale again. 

 They feel somewhat strange in the foot bed. There is a deliberately raised central cushion. On the inner sole at the ball of the foot. Yet they are not uncomfortable. I dare not risk a ride if they are going to be too tight. That would be throwing money away. 

 They should break in to become more flexible in the uppers over time. I can't feel my toes touching anything. Not even when I try to push my feet forwards. They feel cool. Hot would be bad. I carried one out to the e-bike. They really lock into the Crank Brothers pedals! The shoes don't make me want to take them off. Should I keep them? Yes.

 Life must go on beyond cycling: I mowed all the grass. Including the drive. The batteries faded just as I completed the last bit of once, bramble infested lawn.

 Dinner was boiled, small, new potatoes. Brought as a gift by my English friend. To which I added fried chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes. The fried tomatoes made a pleasant change. I usually have them fresh. Or usually tasting semi-rotten. As the case may be. They always go off before I can eat them all.

 So I have taken to keeping the tomatoes in the bottom, salad drawer of the new fridge. They last much longer there.

 

 ~o~