Clipless Sandals

Just before I took off from Oceanside, CA, for the 2010 Race Across the West (RAW) I decided to switch from my Sidi clipless shoes to my Shimano clipless sandals. Making a last minute change in gear before a long race is very, very unwise. But I was worried that with the closed box Sidi's my feet would swell, be cramped and I'd suffer painful `hotfoot' after a few hours. 

My sandals were pretty typical, i.e., open toed with two velcro straps. It would allow for swollen feet and offer the chance to avoid `hotfoot.' 

I got lucky. It worked. 

Yet, after about 350 miles the nerves on the balls of my feet, pressed against the hard surface of even the open toed sandal, became irritated and I wound up `nursing' my feet after that. Painful. 

Over the years I've modified the sandals quite dramatically. In the winter I want to wear warmer socks and foot coverings so I took the sandals to a local shoe repair shop and had them extend the velcro straps. This allowed me to get more `foot' into the sandal and still strap them tight. 

But still, after hours of pressure on the balls of my feet (especially when climbing for 20 miles) it still resulted in painful nerve irritation. 

Then, about two years ago I decided to take a hacksaw to my shoes and cut off the part of the sandal on which the balls of my feet pressed against. What the heck! I used `Shoe Goo' to fill any gaps in the shoe last. 

The cleat is literally at the edge of the shoe. Yet it is still firm and connects firmly to the pedal. 

The sandals can be strapped (velcro) tight, which makes for a mid-sole cleat. Or the sandals can be slightly loose, allowing me to slide the foot back in the sandal to put the balls of my feet directly on the cleat and pedal. 

For me, this is the perfect setup for clipless pedals and long hours in the saddle. I've attached several pics for you to `see' what it looks like. 

Ugly. No bling. But I have the best of all worlds.