[I Are Baboon]

My first and only pair of clipless shoes are beginning to fall apart. They are Shimano SH220's (those bright blue ones). I bought them in 2001 and have used them every ride since. They have since been discontinued, but luckily I bought a 2nd pair a few months ago when Price Point was blowing them out.

So these shoes have lasted me about two years (they still have some life left in them). Is that about right for a pair of clipless MTB shoes?

 

[VTinCT]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
My first and only pair of clipless shoes are beginning to fall apart. They are Shimano SH220's (those bright blue ones). I bought them in 2001 and have used them every ride since. They have since been discontinued, but luckily I bought a 2nd pair a few months ago when Price Point was blowing them out.

So these shoes have lasted me about two years (they still have some life left in them). Is that about right for a pair of clipless MTB shoes?

Yo IAB. Thats great wear out of shoes! I loved my Jalapenos, but they were disintegrating off my feet after just about two seasons, so I got some Specialized BG mtbrs and I love 'em (they're the "hiker" style) but the bottom is already rippng off with only a few hundred miles on them! I'm hoping Shoe Goo will save the day!

 

[Heidi]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
My first and only pair of clipless shoes are beginning to fall apart. They are Shimano SH220's (those bright blue ones). I bought them in 2001 and have used them every ride since. They have since been discontinued, but luckily I bought a 2nd pair a few months ago when Price Point was blowing them out.

So these shoes have lasted me about two years (they still have some life left in them). Is that about right for a pair of clipless MTB shoes?

I have the same pair of shoes dude, I love them. It will be a sad day in hell when I have to buy a new pair. I've never had a pair last this long (1 year).

 

[Squeak]

I would think that 2 years is a good run for a pair of shoes, depending on how much you ride.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Originally posted by VTinCT
Yo IAB. Thats great wear out of shoes! I loved my Jalapenos, but they were disintegrating off my feet after just about two seasons, so I got some Specialized BG mtbrs and I love 'em (they're the "hiker" style) but the bottom is already rippng off with only a few hundred miles on them! I'm hoping Shoe Goo will save the day!

I had owned a pair of Diadora indoor soccer shoes once, and the damn things fell apart way too quickly. Haven't bought Diadora shoes since.

Originally posted by Heidi
I have the same pair of shoes dude, I love them. It will be a sad day in hell when I have to buy a new pair. I've never had a pair last this long (1 year).

One year for you is probably about two years for me, since you ride year-round.

Originally posted by Squeak
depending on how much you ride.

Two to four times a week, 35-40 weeks out of the year.

 

[Tenchiro]

I have an old pair of Nike high top style SPD shoes that have lasted me over 6 years. They are still in great condition but I switched to platforms and don't wear them much anymore.

I forget the model, but they are tan and look like a normal hiking shoe.

 

[Squeak]

I know how much you ride Babs! If you only rode like once a week in the summer I would say shoes should last like 10 years.

 

[Deyv]

it sounds normal to me BAB,

I have been riding my shimano 152(i think that's the number, they are red&black) for 3 full years and I love them.They are still somehow rideable because I had them stiched twice and I would need to replace the velcro(most people would have give up on them long ago) but I don't want to get rid of them.

I hate when perfectly good stuff get replaced by new "improved" stuff that are not nearly as good (or maybe this is the sound of me getting old, you know back in my days we did not have no stinking magno spds.....)

 

[Serial Midget]

For agressive XC with lot's of miles and spin time... I think 2 years is great. I get about a year out of mine - I like the same style Tenchiro used to use, bloody ankles suck.

My road shoes usuaully last 7500 miles but... I still have my old road racing shoes from the late 70's. I use them for club rides when I am feeling retro and want to show off my quile pedals... nothing like Italian leather.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Originally posted by Deyv
They are still somehow rideable because I had them stiched twice

Holes are wearing in mine where there is no seam....they are wearing right through the fabric. And of course, the seams are starting to come undone in some places.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Originally posted by Tenchiro
I have an old pair of Nike high top style SPD shoes that have lasted me over 6 years. They are still in great condition but I switched to platforms and don't wear them much anymore.

I forget the model, but they are tan and look like a normal hiking shoe.

WOW, I used to kill my old Nike's within 6-8 months. Good thing is, I kept getting free replacement pairs:devil: Now I use AXO and 661's.

 

[wooglin]

Originally posted by Serial Midget
My road shoes usuaully last 7500 miles but... I still have my old road racing shoes from the late 70's. I use them for club rides when I am feeling retro and want to show off my quile pedals... nothing like Italian leather.

Oh c'mon! You don't really ride in those things, do you? Why, they look like they've never even seen a toe strap!

I'll have to find mine. Mismatched laces, holes in the toes, and the leather all roughed up where the buckle and cage hit. Not to mention the mold from sitting in the garage for 10 years.

 

[SuspectDevice]

I usually get 7 months out of mtb shoes before the d-rings that hold the straps snap. Becasue i spend more time in road shoes they can last as little as 4 months. I whorde both the m220's and r220's. Right now i', on my fourth and last pair of the m220's and the r220's are pair number 5. I have no idea what i'm going to do when i run out of those shoes... The new Shimano's are way too wide, sidi's are too flexy and stretch too much.

I have had a tiny bit of luck with the recent trek "nike" shoes, but the straps are so long that i have to bring them to the cobbler to get shortened. after only 3000 miles the straps begin to delaminate but a stapler fixes that!, no broken D-rings yet though!
I'm probally going to order a pair of the butt-ugly Nike Ligure's they seem to be the closest thing going to the m220 these days.

 

[Tenchiro]

Originally posted by Brian HCM#1
WOW, I used to kill my old Nike's within 6-8 months. Good thing is, I kept getting free replacement pairs:devil: Now I use AXO and 661's.

I think they are called the Air Amasa or something. I had heard they were made in Italy for Nike but don't know if that is the case or not.

 

[Serial Midget]

Originally posted by wooglin
Oh c'mon! You don't really ride in those things, do you? Why, they look like they've never even seen a toe strap!

Hey! I take care of my crap! I still ride my 1984 Univega about 20 times a year...

:eviltongu :eviltongu :eviltongu

Anyhow these shoes easily have 10K on them... the pedals have about 15K - I rebuilt them last year for nostalgia and club rides... so there.

 

[JMAC]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
My first and only pair of clipless shoes are beginning to fall apart. They are Shimano SH220's (those bright blue ones). I bought them in 2001 and have used them every ride since. They have since been discontinued, but luckily I bought a 2nd pair a few months ago when Price Point was blowing them out.

So these shoes have lasted me about two years (they still have some life left in them). Is that about right for a pair of clipless MTB shoes?

2 years seems like alot to me but i totally depends on how much you ride.
I'm using the new 221 the carbon ones with the ratchet. I really REALLY like them i'm sure you will to.

 

[Drunken_Ninja]

My specialized comps are still going and I have been riding them year round and through winters (shoe covers on) and they have been blasted with salt and everything I can think of.

They still get me to work but one of the cleats is busted and I can't take the spd cleats off to throw (without replacing the cleats) the shoes away so I keep riding them.

They took two seasons of offroading too. I would never buy them again but they do deserve my respect for being a half decent shoe.

 

[splat]

That sounds about right, Last year I had to replace my Mt Bike shoes after about 2 1/2 seasons, I was going to keep wearing them but wife was going to throw them out , saying they were falling apart, I said "broken in". I bought 2 pairs a winter pair of shimano Mt Biking Boots ( cool) and a regular pair of spd shoes.

Nice Midge , those are retro make mw think I should dig up my Duegi 101's

Back to Mt biking shoes , a couple of years ago , me .wife and other mt biking friends were brought to rebook as part of a focus group, they were thinking about getting into mt bike shoes. they had us bring our current shoes, they could not believe that we would continue using the beat up shoes we had ( they were not in that bad a condition) and another question that shocked them was when they asked how many pairs would we buy during an average year, and were shocked when we all responded thet we expect to get 2 -3 years out of a single pair of shoes.

 

[scofflaw23]

that sounds about right for those Shimano's. that said, my Sidi Dominator 3's are going on their 3rd year (primarily on the road now) and still have lots of life left. i think it's important to note that Sidi's are made out of Lorica, while Shimano's are primarily made out of leather. Lorica and other synthetics are much more durable for shoes, at least as far as i have seen.

I can't wait till i can afford road shoes and pedals for my new road rig, it's going to be hard to resist the Genius 4 Carbons...$270 retail is steep though.

ben.

 

[ET_SoCal]

I'm with the subject header.

My 5 year old Specialized SPD's had been giving out, so I purchased another{newer model} pair of same mgf...
Two weeks later they broke, pissed, I exchanged them for a pair of Pearl Izumi Vagabond's... Now that I've been using them for a month, they just don't feel right, kinda pinch me in the arch a little... Maybe I got use to my old worn-out shoes?
Although I only spent $60 on them, I'm starting to look at "other" shoes in each catalog that I get in the mail.

 

[Clark Kent]

I have been ridin a pair of Sidi Dominators for 4 years now...They have put up real well considering the abuse they get. Thats ALOT of miles, ALOT of hours, ALOT of realy crappy winter ridin.. I like the high top kinda thing... A little more protection, and I dont seem to get as much crap down my shoes as with a lower cut pair! They are spendy...But I'll probably be able to get three more years or so......with a lil duct tape

Girlfriend edit: "you space case you got those in '96.." she's right...

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by scofflaw23
that sounds about right for those Shimano's. that said, my Sidi Dominator 3's are going on their 3rd year (primarily on the road now) and still have lots of life left. i think it's important to note that Sidi's are made out of Lorica, while Shimano's are primarily made out of leather. Lorica and other synthetics are much more durable for shoes, at least as far as i have seen.

I can't wait till i can afford road shoes and pedals for my new road rig, it's going to be hard to resist the Genius 4 Carbons...$270 retail is steep though.

ben.

dude the genius 4 carbons are P-I-M-P+IN

 

[Skookum]

Originally posted by Tenchiro
I have an old pair of Nike high top style SPD shoes that have lasted me over 6 years. They are still in great condition but I switched to platforms and don't wear them much anymore.

I forget the model, but they are tan and look like a normal hiking shoe.

Dude are those the red and black ones? or the poobah's?

 

[Ranger]

Servus!

Originally posted by Serial Midget
... I still have my old road racing shoes from the late 70's. I use them for club rides when I am feeling retro and want to show off my quile pedals... nothing like Italian leather.

I remember my first road shoes - a pair of hand-made Italian track shoes with wooden soles. Cost me $20 from the LBS (big money when you are 14 in the 80's!) I wore those until they literally fell off my feet. I still have those shoes in a box back in Arizona.

 

[bad andy]

I got a free pair of specialized top-end mountain shoes with the purchase of my 2000 fsr. The sole cracked straight across in 2002 and Specialized actually stepped up and warranteed 'em for me. Rock on!

 

[Clark Kent]

So IAB.....Whats the story? New shoes or not? What did ya end up gettin?