I think after seven years I'm finally going to hang up my old Nike MTB shoes. What is everyone's favorite shoe for mostly gravel with some single track on my hard tail 29er? I really like the BOA on my road shoes but I'm not sure how that would hold up on hike-a-bike sections.
If there is going to be hike-a-bike involved I'll wear my Pearl Izumi X-Alps. They're stiff enough for me and comfortable to walk it.
\n
\nOtherwise I wear a pair of Bontrager RL shoes. They fit my narrow feet well.
\n
\n
I've found that Shimano Mtn Bike shoes in a 47 Wide fit my size 11.5 EE feet very well. I also follow L Z's advice to cyclists with large feet - push your cleats as far back as possible behind the ball of your foot. This reduces the pressure on the ball of your foot, without compromising power or pedaling efficiency. You'll really improve your foot comfort on longer rides - no hot spots or foot pain. I've found that even using small platform mountain bike pedals, that I no longer experience any foot discomfort - even on long hot rides.
Looks like spammers resurrected the thread, so I'll use the opportunity to mention the Five Ten Kestrel. I think they look like bowling shoes with Boa closures. Obviously, they walk really well. The surprise is that these things are super stiff. They pedal almost like road shoes but wear like sneakers. It seems like they might be getting discontinued so they're half off right now direct from Five Ten.
