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Question: why track specific shoes and no laces on road shoes?

7K views 34 replies 15 participants last post by  ilan 
#1 ·
In the new issue of Pro Cycling thee are a killer looking pair of white Vittoria track shoes with laces and a velcro lace cover. This got me thinking about cycling shoes and closure devices on those shoes.

I've had mountain bike shoes with velcro and laces with velcro. I've also had road shoes with velcro and road shoes with velcro and ratchets. Lots of combinations--but I've never seen laces on road shoes. Then, there's always tri-shoes--which doesn't make much sense to me either, except for the need to put them on quickly.

My questions for the wisdom of the forums are: (1) how are track shoes different from road shoes, and (2) does the closure mechanism on cycling shoes matter?
 
#2 ·
I never wanted laces on any shoes just because I don't want a stray shoelace to get caught in the chain.

Other than that its more about marketing. You can easily wear any of those shoes in any discipline.
 
#3 ·
Only the cheapest MTB shoes have laces; probably because they are cheaper than velcro. Lace shoes sort of died out when clipless pedals became popular, since laces don't hold securely enough and you also have the problem of laces getting caught in your chain. These weren't problems with toe clips, since the toe strap held your shoe together and held the laces out of the way.

Track racers mostly still use toe clips and laces are easier to fine-tune than velcro straps.
 
G
#4 ·
I saw those shoes and lust after them.

I rode Vittoria shoes for many years and they are wonderful so when next I have to get shoes I will go for those.

I have a number of pairs of Gaerne shoes that I bought a few years ago when an LBS went out of business. I bought all of the ones in my size. They are like wearing a soft leather glove on your foot, they have laces that tie up and then a flap that folds over and fastens with velcro. They are wonderful shoes.

For many years before that I wore Vittoria lace up shoes, never had a lace get caught in anything.
 
#5 ·
Back in the stone age, all cycling shoes had laces. Once clipless pedals started to become popular, riders found that shoes with just laces would sometimes separate, at the uppers. Velcro covers became popular, and finally laces were eliminated. Rachets became popular because shoe manufactures got the Pros to use them.
 
#6 ·
johnny99 said:
Only the cheapest MTB shoes have laces; probably because they are cheaper than velcro. Lace shoes sort of died out when clipless pedals became popular, since laces don't hold securely enough and you also have the problem of laces getting caught in your chain. These weren't problems with toe clips, since the toe strap held your shoe together and held the laces out of the way.

Track racers mostly still use toe clips and laces are easier to fine-tune than velcro straps.
That's my point, I disagree as a factual mater. I had a $100 pair of Lakes from about five years back that had laces and a velcro lace cover. They were nice. Anyway, good point about the toe clips.
 
#7 ·
Pablo, I think that I still have those very same Lake shoes

Pablo said:
That's my point, I disagree as a factual mater. I had a $100 pair of Lakes from about five years back that had laces and a velcro lace cover. They were nice. Anyway, good point about the toe clips.
I wear them when it's cold out because they're wider than my Sidi's. Good to layer sock in. They are not nearly as good/stiff as my Sidi's though.

Me thinks that laces went away because riders stopped buying the shoes with them on them. Purely economically driven.

BT
 
#8 ·
fine tuning laces?

johnny99 said:
laces are easier to fine-tune than velcro straps.
How so? Velcro (or ratchet) closures can be tightened individually - you can have your shoes tight in one part and loose in another, as you wish. With laces, if you pull them tight, then the whole shoe is tight and if you leave them loose, etc. Having used laces for a long time before Velcro closures, I see no real advantage to laces.
 
#9 ·
Kerry Irons said:
How so? Velcro (or ratchet) closures can be tightened individually - you can have your shoes tight in one part and loose in another, as you wish. With laces, if you pull them tight, then the whole shoe is tight and if you leave them loose, etc. Having used laces for a long time before Velcro closures, I see no real advantage to laces.
We're talking about shoes for track sprinters. Sprinters want their shoes really tight, with no wobble anywhere. Laces are easier to get evenly tight than Velcro.
 
#10 ·
johnny99 said:
We're talking about shoes for track sprinters. Sprinters want their shoes really tight, with no wobble anywhere. Laces are easier to get evenly tight than Velcro.

Kinda have to agree. Being a former sprinter and one trying to get back into it, I still wear my old gear (clips, 2 straps on each side, and old style shoes with laces). When you begin your sprint there is a lot of power being transferred and you don't want to have any kind of doubts of whether your shoe will stay on the pedal. I don't like having any movement of my foot at all, that's just me. That's why I like the laces. I need a new pair and will definitely look at Vittoria.
 
#11 ·
MR_GRUMPY said:
Back in the stone age, all cycling shoes had laces. Once clipless pedals started to become popular, riders found that shoes with just laces would sometimes separate, at the uppers. Velcro covers became popular, and finally laces were eliminated. Rachets became popular because shoe manufactures got the Pros to use them.
Maybe clipless pedals are the reason. With toe straps, you could adjust the shoe
tightness by pulling on the strap or releasing the strap. With clipless pedals, show
tightness had to be adjusted directly on the shoe, which would be very hard with
laces, but possible with Velcro straps or ratchets.

On the track, events are much shorter, so you can adjust your shoes before and
after each event. In any case, it would be almost impossible to adjust your shoes
during an event, except for the Madison, because your legs are always turning
over.

-ilan
 
#12 ·
#15 ·
ilan said:
How do you come to that conclusion, I wonder.

-ilan
There's a serious lack of knowledge of squirrels in U.S. cycling.
 
#20 ·
High density?

ilan said:
What is the relevance of this observation?
Let's review the bidding:

Fender said: "Your legs are always turning in a Madison, even if your riding relief."

ilan said: "How do you come to that conclusion, I wonder."

Kerry said: "Uh, track bikes are, by definition, fixed gear. No brakes, no coasting."

Unless you are being purposefully obtuse, the relevance is that you questioned how Fender concluded that your legs are always turning in a Madison. A Madison is a track event and so is ridden on a fixed gear bike, where your legs are turning if the bike is moving, and you don't stop during a Madison. The statements seem quite relevant, except maybe yours. Or perhaps you are playing some sort of semantic mind game where only you know the rules?
 
#21 ·
Kerry Irons said:
Let's review the bidding:

Fender said: "Your legs are always turning in a Madison, even if your riding relief."

ilan said: "How do you come to that conclusion, I wonder."

Kerry said: "Uh, track bikes are, by definition, fixed gear. No brakes, no coasting."

Unless you are being purposefully obtuse, the relevance is that you questioned how Fender concluded that your legs are always turning in a Madison. A Madison is a track event and so is ridden on a fixed gear bike, where your legs are turning if the bike is moving, and you don't stop during a Madison. The statements seem quite relevant, except maybe yours. Or perhaps you are playing some sort of semantic mind game where only you know the rules?
pwn3d!
 
#22 ·
Kerry Irons said:
Let's review the bidding:

Fender said: "Your legs are always turning in a Madison, even if your riding relief."

ilan said: "How do you come to that conclusion, I wonder."

Kerry said: "Uh, track bikes are, by definition, fixed gear. No brakes, no coasting."

Unless you are being purposefully obtuse, the relevance is that you questioned how Fender concluded that your legs are always turning in a Madison. A Madison is a track event and so is ridden on a fixed gear bike, where your legs are turning if the bike is moving, and you don't stop during a Madison. The statements seem quite relevant, except maybe yours. Or perhaps you are playing some sort of semantic mind game where only you know the rules?
Maybe they've changed the rules, or they weren't enforced correctly at the tracks I attended, because riders would often hold on to the fence while resting. Moreover, I can think of at least one other track discipline where riders can stop in middle of the race.

-ilan.
 
#23 ·
Fender said:
That is a sick looking shoe! I need to get me a pair!
I agree--but I like the lace covers of the Vittorias, just like the Airwalk 540s of old (and a different sport).
 
#24 ·
ilan said:
Maybe they've changed the rules, or they weren't enforced correctly at the tracks I attended, because riders would often hold on to the fence while resting. Moreover, I can think of at least one other track discipline where riders can stop in middle of the race.

-ilan.

So I guess they weren't doing hand-slings?
BTW, you can't come to a complete stop in the Sprint anymore... the rules were changed.
 
#26 · (Edited)
ilan said:
Maybe they've changed the rules, or they weren't enforced correctly at the tracks I attended, because riders would often hold on to the fence while resting. Moreover, I can think of at least one other track discipline where riders can stop in middle of the race.

-ilan.
At UCI events you are not allowed to hold onto the rail. At USCF events such as Nat's or State's you are also not allowed. At the local/regional level, its really up to the officials to decide if they will allow it or not, but most officials, at least in my area that has 3 tracks within a 120 mile radius, the stance is not to allow holding onto the railing.
________
Alpina
 
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