Last Updated on 28 June 2024 by Cycloscope
The best clipless mountain bike shoes in 2024. SPD cleat shoes for MTB, Enduro, XC, cross country, and downhill. Men & women MTB shoes. Cheap to top for all budgets
Why should you care to buy the best clipless mountain bike shoes?
As a mountain biker, you have three main contact points on a bike; your feet, buttocks, and hands. These contact points have a crucial effect on your experience in terms of control and comfort.
Your feet are the most important contact point on your mountain bike. After all, keeping them protected and comfortable will improve your riding experience. And one of the best ways to keep your feet comfortable is to get the right MTB shoes, paired with the right cycling socks.
Mountain biking is a tough sport, and combining it with the right SPD MTB shoes can make riding fun and safe; that’s why getting the right shoes is important.
The right shoes can prevent fatigue, and blisters, and make your cross-country riding trips comfortable and fun. So, if you want to know our picks for the best clipless SPD shoes for mountain biking, please read on.
The Best SPD MTB Shoes in a Nutshell
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How we compile our gear guides: during the almost 10 years of cycloscope.net our team personally tested dozens of similar pieces of gear. For what we can't test personally, we involve other people in the cycling community to give their feedback and opinion about gear they have used. Our decade-long experience in bicycle touring enables us to find the key cons and pros of every product we mention.
Best SPD cleat MTB shoes
- Northwave Enduro Mid
- Bontrager Foray
- Louis Garneau Carbon LS-100 3 Cycling Shoes
- Pearl Izumi X-Alp
- Giro Savix Cycling Shoes
- Mavic Crossmax Boa
- Five Ten Kestrel Pro Boa
- Venzo Bike Cycling Shoes
The 2 Best Hybrid MTB shoes with cleats
Best SPD cleat MTB shoes
Northwave Enduro Mid
The Northwave Enduro Mid shoes are designed with aggressive riding and challenging trails in mind, offering a perfect blend of protection, performance, and comfort.
The mid-cut design provides extra support and protection around the ankle, which is particularly beneficial for enduro and downhill riders.
The Reinforced Toe Box adds an extra layer of protection against rocks, roots, and other trail obstacles.
Bontrager Foray
The Bontrager Foray are high-performance shoe, the BOA L6 Dial System provides an easy-to-use and precise fit adjustment. The BOA system allows for quick tightening and loosening, ensuring the shoe fits snugly and comfortably.
The Additional Velcro Strap: complements the BOA system by securing the forefoot and enhancing the overall fit.
A nylon composite bronze series sole that balances stiffness for efficient power transfer with flexibility for comfort during walking. The Tachyon rubber outsole delivers excellent traction on various surfaces, providing stability both on and off the bike.
Louis Garneau Carbon LS-100 3 Cycling Shoes
Whether you are an experienced or a beginner cyclist, this pair has everything you would ever expect from a pair of high-quality MTB shoes. The Carbon LS-100 comes with a carbon composite HM-air outsole that is rigid and ultra-lightweight.
Its unique sole provides through-and-through ventilation and ideal power transfer. This pair features a 4.3 mm platform that brings you even closer to your bike’s pedals for more power.
Unlike most cycling shoes, this pair allows your feet to swell, which is perfect, especially when cycling in hot seasons. Great shoes for bikepacking also!
Pearl Izumi X-Alp
One of the key features of the X-Alp Summit is the Vibram Megagrip sole, which provides excellent traction on a variety of surfaces.
This sole is paired with an EVA midsole, offering cushioning and shock absorption to protect your feet from rough terrain. The combination of the Vibram sole and EVA midsole ensures both stability and comfort, whether you’re pedaling hard or walking your bike over challenging sections.
Giro Savix Cycling Shoes
If you’re searching for extreme comfort, then Giro Savix is the shoe for you. This pair is perfect for tackling long cycling trails and also for both beginners and experienced cyclists. Giro Savix has a breathable mesh upper that provides ample support.
Thanks to their unique setting and unique straps they are easy to wear and take off. The fact that they are comfortable and lightweight makes them ideal for beginners. Instead of having flat soles like some pairs, these cycling shoes’ soles have reinforced regions that add a bit of stiffness and strength.
Mavic Crossmax Boa
The Mavic Crossmax Boa shoe is an outstanding pair that hugs your feet in certain places for maximum comfort. This stylish pair is perfect for comfort and speed, thanks to its unique construction.
This pair is designed to maximize each ounce of effort you put on the pedals when riding, thus helping you climb hills faster. This pair features a breathable upper that will help you stay dry when cycling.
This shoe is perfect for tackling challenging hills and road cycling. Plus, they are very comfortable, so you can wear them for several hours without getting tired.
Five Ten Kestrel Pro Boa
Venzo Bike Cycling Shoes
Are you tired of coming home and taking off your cycling shoes to a strong stench that is bad enough to knock out an entire room? If that is the case, then you need to purchase Venzo MTB Shoes.
This pair is ideal for preventing these cheesy smells after a long and exciting journey. Other than preventing foul smells, this pair can help you tackle a wide range of terrains. This pair has a stiff sole that helps prevent energy loss when cycling.
The 2 Best Hybrid MTB shoes with cleats
SHIMANO SH-MX100 Off-Road MTB Shoe
Shimano has a few great models of mountain bike shoes. These new SHIMANO SH-MT501 off-road make it into this list thanks to their versatility.
We could call these hybrid cycling shoes, featuring a faux-leather sole that gives the comfort of a good trail shoe when hiking, the grip of a flat pedal shoe, and the option to mount cleats on and use it as SPD… seems it can be convenient in a lot of situations (think hike-a-bike).
The shank plate is reinforced with fiberglass, offering excellent power transfer while maintaining a good enough flex for walking.
The synthetic leather upper holds up against the wear and tear of MTB trails, while the mesh panels keep your feet dry and cool. The Speed Lace system ensures secure closure and quick adjustments.
Tommaso Vertice 100/200 All Mountain Vibram
Challenging Shimano on the hybrid MTB shoes market, these new shoes by Tommaso Vertice have all the versatility of the Shimano for a fraction of the price.
This shoe is of course compatible with SPD cleats, but it also features a marvelous Vibram sole for use on flat pedals or off-the-bike.
These nice hybrid SPD mountain bike shoes encase your foot like a glove, with generous and breathable soft padding.
The closure system is easy to adjust on the fly, featuring three ergonomic Velcro straps that are firm and easily accessed. The drawback of these fantastic and affordable MTB shoes is their weight is a few ounces heavier than their Shimano counterpart.
How to choose the best clipless shoes for mountain biking
Weight
Lightweight shoes require less energy to rotate around when pedaling. However, lightweight shoes are not always the best.
And that is because lightweight shoes compromise on support, stiffness, and protection. The importance of this factor varies with style. People tackling climbing lanes value lighter shoes more than gravity-focused options.
Retention
There are numerous retention systems that can provide a comfortable and secure fit. Some of these systems include Boa dials and ratchet; Velcro and lace mix; Velcro; and laces. Some shoes have combined two of the above systems for a more personalized and tailored fit.
Durability and Sole Stiffness
The outsole of most shoes is made from rubber, nylon, or carbon fiber. These materials differ in terms of applications and performance.
Carbon fiber is stiff; therefore, ideal for cross-country-style MTB shoes. Rubber provides a better grip. Nylon is not stiff, but it’s more durable and offers reliable comfort.
Conclusion
Cycling is more than a sport; it is a workout routine that is loved by many people. And your feet are the most crucial contact points when cycling.
However, many riders tend to overlook the importance of the right MTB shoes over upgrades. So make sure you purchase the best MTB shoes in the market for your long trips.
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