I have fat feet. Well maybe not fat, but wide. They're great for swimming, but sort of terrible when it comes to finding everyday shoes. Finding cycling shoes is a nightmare. I would honestly rather pepper my eggs with the crust of the bearded lady's razor than wear a pair of cycling shoes. I quit my job 7 years ago mostly because I I was expected to wear shoes more often than not.
With all of that in mind, I'm happy to announce that after much cogitation I have come up with a great combination of footwear for this trip that is lightweight, packable, and provides comfort/protection in all weather conditions.
My kicks
Five Ten Ascent
Nashbar Ragster SPD Sandals
Paracord modified Locals thong sandals
Modified Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Softshell WxB Shoe Covers
Five Ten Ascent
I want to have a good all around shoe. Something that I can walk around in all day in town or on trails, maybe even take for a run. The sole needs to be stiff enough for riding though. And of course they need to be comfortable. I'm cautiously optimistic about these. They're wide, but not the widest. I think the genuine leather will stretch a bit though and in the long run they will be a good fit.
Nashbar Ragster
For $29, you really can't beat these. I am currently on my second pair. The first lasted me close to 5 years; 3 summers of which saw some extreme abuse whilst pedicabbing in Detroit. They keep the feet cool and dry and have an SPD cleat on the bottom so I can clip into the pedals for increased efficiency.
Locals Sandals
These probably won't last much longer, but they're what I'm starting with and I will replace them with something similar. I hate Jimmy Bufffet, but I still find it hard not to say that I blew out my flip flop. As you can see in the top image of this post, I had to replace the straps with some para-cord. Soph hates the yellow....
Pearl Izumi Booties
All booties are made to fit over narrow cycling shoes. I had to have a seamstress alter these so they would fit over my Ragsters and Ascents. These will allow me to wear the sandals into near freezing temperatures to maximize use of the SPD system. They're also totally waterproof. I will create another post in the future explaining how they were modified.
That's my foot. I personally think it is a beautiful foot. It would be more beautiful if it weren't for 30 years of shoes. To put my foot in a shoe is like putting a butterfly in a cage.
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