BUYER'S GUIDE

cheap cycling shoes

Best cheap cycling shoes 2024 - get your hands on road or mountain bike shoes for under £100

The best road, MTB and flat pedal cycling shoes without breaking the bank

by Emily Tillett

Wed, Mar 13, 2024 10:48

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Whether you're a seasoned cyclist on a budget or a beginner looking to try clipless pedals for the first time, finding the right pair of cycling shoes doesn't have to break the bank. Here are our top picks of the best road, MTB and flat pedal cycling shoes.

Best cheap cycling shoes overall: Boardman Carbon Cycle Shoes
- Buy now for £85 from Halfords
- Find out more
Best cheap road cycling shoes: Bont Motion shoes
- Buy now for £39.95 from Tweeks Cycles
- Find out more
Best cheap MTB shoes: Giro Berm Cover MTB Cycling Shoes
- Buy now for £44.99 from Amazon UK
- Find out more
Best cheap cycling shoes for flat pedals: Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe
- Buy now for £56.99 from Trade Inn
- Find out more

Cycling shoes have stiffer soles than, say, trainers or running shoes, which makes them more comfortable to pedal in. You can pay hundreds of pounds for high-tech shoes with carbon fibre soles, but you can get perfectly usable shoes for under £100.

Before we get started, it's important to note that there are broadly two types of cycling shoes: road racing style and SPD/mountain bike style. When you're new to cycling, the world of bike-specific shoes can seem daunting and confusing so you can check out our beginner's guide to cycling shoes.

Mountain bike shoes feature a recessed pocket for the cleat, so they are easier to walk in and because the pedals are usually double-sided, they're easier to get into.

Road racing shoes have stiff, smooth soles that tend to be better for power transmission, with threaded holes for a cleat that stands proud from the shoe and fits into the attachment mechanism on a matching pedal. They're efficient and secure, but mastering clipping in with typically single-sided pedals may require some practice. Additionally, these shoes are harder to walk in.

How we review cycling shoes

As with any other product reviews we publish on road.cc, all of the shoes that have made it to this buyer's guide have been thoroughly tested. Our reviewers have years and years of riding experience, and use each pair of cycling shoes for at least a month before writing up their findings and coming up with final verdicts.

Our cycling shoe reviews evaluate how the shoes perform in terms of quality of construction, performance, durability, fit, weight, comfort, ease of adjustment, price and all-round wearability. We believe that this comprehensive evaluation provides valuable insights into what the shoes are like to wear regularly, across different riding styles and weather conditions.

While all the shoes featured here have an RRP of less than £100, keep in mind that deals on cycling shoes fluctuate with the arrival of new models and distributors clearing excess stock. Keep your eyes peeled, as you may come across opportunities to snag higher-end shoes at discounted prices. It's also worth noting that as we publish this buyers guide Wiggle Chain Reaction is selling off all its stock and there are a lot of shoe bargains – we haven't linked to them here because we don't know how long their sites will continue to operate, also what is available in terms of size and colour is pot luck, but if you are in the market for some cheap cycling shoes both Wiggle and Chain Reaction could be worth a look.

Why you can trust us

All the shoes featured here scored 7/10 or more overall from our reviewers, indicating good, very good or excellent quality according to our reviewers' opinions.

road.cc is a road cycling website but this guide recommends various types of cycling shoes that you would consider on the road or off-road, whether that's for commuting, training, mountain biking, road racing, general riding or even walking.

The aim is to present what we genuinely believe are the best cheap cycling shoes out there right now. While we can make a small commission if you click on a link and buy something on this page, quite a few of the recommendations here afford us no opportunity to take that commission. Our priority is recommending what's best for you, not what's best for us.

Our reviewers are experienced cyclists, as are those of us who put together these buyer's guides, ensuring that our recommendations are based on first-hand experiences. From durability, stiffness of the sole, closure system, breathability, type of cleat compatibility the overall fit, and all aspects related to cycling shoes, we've got you covered with our top picks.

Let's see what we can find by way of shoe bargains.

The best cheap cycling shoes: our top picks

Boardman Carbon Cycle Shoes

Best cheap cycling shoes overall

Buy now for £85 from Halfords

Carbon sole is impressive at this price

Fine adjustment is easy

Supple upper aids comfort

Some sole flex from hard efforts

Boardman has delivered an absolute belter of a spec list for the sub-£100 price tag on their latest Carbon Cycle Shoes. It's quite rare to see a full carbon fibre sole on an £85 shoe and while there is a little bit of flex, they offer decent stiffness, coping with the majority of scenarios it's likely to find itself in. The sole is compatible with three-bolt cleat options only though – no option for two-bolt SPDs.

They are also well vented and the upper gives a supple feel for comfort too – plus the adjustment of the ratchet dials allows you to tweak them on the fly. Performance is also helped by the retention system, provided by Atop. It's a dial system that tightens a cable evenly across the top of your foot, similar to Boa and the like. Cheaper shoes tend to use one dial with a Velcro strap at the toes, so it's good to see Boardman showing no signs of penny-pinching and speccing twin dials.

Read our review of the Boardman Carbon Cycle Shoes

Bont Motion shoes

Best cheap road cycling shoes

Buy now for £39.95 from Tweeks Cycles

Stiff sole

Low stack height

Supple and supportive uppers

Excellent value

Velcro straps won't appeal to all

Heavier than some rivals

Bont's Motion shoes are comfortable and offer many of the benefits of the brand's higher-end models – stiff soles, an anatomical fit, and a low stack height – at an entry-level price. They are excellent value and are currently half-price for £39.95, though the Velcro straps won't appeal to everyone.

The 'anatomical design' is distinctive of Bont's shoes, making them more foot-shaped than most. If you find that your feet get squeezed, pushed around or pinched by other shoes, it's worth giving Bont a go. One of the other key features of most Bont shoes is a bathtub-shaped carbon-fibre sole that extends around the sides of your feet and is heat-mouldable. You don't get that with the Motion – instead, you get a fibreglass sole that doesn't wrap upwards. As it is, the Motion's sole is still very stiff, especially considering the price.

The sole takes three-bolt cleats and you can slide the bolt holes fore and aft in their slots, giving you a little adjustability there. One interesting feature is Bont's adaptor plate for compatibility with two-bolt cleats too.

Read our review of the Bont Motion shoes

Giro Berm Cover MTB Cycling Shoes

Best cheap MTB shoes

Buy now for £44.99 from Amazon UK

Good for a wide variety of non-road bike riding

Quick and easy fastenings

Men's and women's available

Limited adjustment across the (quite wide) toe area

The mesh isn't the easiest to clean

The Giro Berm Cover MTB Cycling Shoes are versatile cycling shoes that are great for gravel or commuting, with plenty of grip and minimum cleat clatter. Although these are labelled as 'MTB' and only accept two-bolt cleats, the fact is, loads of people use mountain bike-style SPD pedals on their tourers, commuting bikes and, very much on-trend, gravel and adventure bikes, where the Berm Covers will really come into their own.

The smooth, synthetic outer material is wrapped around a mesh structure that allows plenty of ventilation. There's no pretence at waterproofing, though so these shoes are best suited for summer and warmer spring or autumn days.

There are two sturdy Velcro-fastened straps to deal with so getting in and out is very quick and easy. These allow excellent adjustment across the instep, but the (broad, well-padded) tongue ends at the lower strap, and below that, there's no adjustment. If you're narrow-footed, you may appreciate shoes with additional adjustability.

Read our review of the Giro Berm Cover MTB Cycling Shoes

Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe

Best cheap cycling shoes for flat pedals

Buy now for £56.99 from Trade Inn

Perform well on and off the bike

Grippy soles even in wet weather

Comfortable for walking in

Good value

Sizing is on the large side

Not particularly weatherproof

The Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoes are comfortable and extremely versatile as they're an excellent choice for both on and off the bike. The grippy sole provides sufficient stiffness for riding without compromising off-the-bike comfort for walking.

The Hummvees feel light not only in comparison with walking boots, but also when compared with other flat-pedal off-road shoes, so you don't feel like you've got anchors on your feet after an hour or so. They're also decently ventilated along the sides and on the toe box, which helps to provide a nice balance between breathability and keeping your feet warm.

The Hummvees are unisex so the styling is quite neutral except for the choice of laces. The shoes come with two pairs of laces, described by Endura as 'wild and mild'. The shoes also feature an elasticated lace stash, which helps to keep the lace away from the chain and cranks. The Hummvees come in four colour options - the olive green pictured above, black, navy and pebble.

Read our review of the Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe

The best of the rest: more of our top cheap cycling shoes recommendations

Shimano MT3W Women’s SPD Shoes

Buy now for £49.86 from Ebay

Easy to walk in

Low-key looks

On the roomy side, which won't suit all

The Shimano MT3W Women's SPD shoes sit in that rare midground of being a dedicated bike shoe that's stiff for riding, yet easy to walk in. They're a cost-effective and comfortable option for on or off-road riding and touring, with relaxed low-key looks. Able to be used with or without cleats, they're spot on for those first venturing into clipless pedals. If you want to go the clip-in route there's a bolt-on/off plate that you need to remove so you can attach the cleats – or leave it in place/reattach for a flat-soled non-clip-in shoe.

The shoe fastens and adjusts with straightforward laces and there's an elasticated keeper to hold them secure. The laces make things easy to adjust, and aren't so long that there's loads left flapping.

The soles are very flexible – they're not designed for demanding riders looking for an injection of power – but they are still stiffer and better shaped than trainers or casual shoes. They look pretty low-key, too, meaning they won't look out of place with casual clothing rather than Lycra.

Read our review of the Shimano MT3W Women’s SPD Shoes

FLR F-11 Knit shoes

Buy now for £68.99 from Ebay

Crisp white colour

Comfy for general riding

Good cleat placement

Noticeably less stiff than a carbon sole

Flimsy insole

The FLR F-11 Knits are very crisp-looking shoes, super-comfy, with a smart white knitted upper and a good retention system. FLR has pretty good credentials, with pro riders Jay Vine, Thibault Guernalec and Alexandre Balmer among others using its shoes, proving they don't hinder performance. These F-11 Knits are its second-tier offering, behind the carbon-soled F-XX used by the pros.

The F-11s use a single retention dial from Atop rather than Boa, which tightens in increments. Tester Josh said, "I found the retention good, too; I didn't feel like my foot was going to move at any point, even when sprinting".

They feature an R250 nylon sole with injected fibreglass which has some noticeable flex while riding so these are more aimed at casual riders rather than racers looking for all the performance gains.

Read our review of the FLR F-11 Knit shoes

How to choose from the best cheap cycling shoes

What is the difference between cycling shoes?

There are broadly two types of cycling shoes: road racing style and SPD/mountain bike style.

SPD/mountain bike style shoes have a small cleat (a special stud) recessed into the sole. They're easier to walk in than road racing shoes, and because the pedals are usually double-sided, they're easier to get into. They're the way to go if you want to get started with clipless pedals. Additionally, there are flat-pedal shoes, resembling trainers with flat bottoms, yet equipped with cycling-specific features.

Road racing shoes have stiff, smooth soles with threaded holes for a cleat that stands proud from the shoe and fits into the attachment mechanism on a matching pedal. They're efficient and secure, but there's a learning curve to getting into the usually single-sided pedals and the shoes are hard to walk in.

Are all cycling shoes compatible with cleats?

Some cycling shoes are compatible with both two-bolt and three-bolt cleats but compatibility depends on the design of the shoe and the type of cleat system it accommodates. In general, when purchasing cycling shoes, cleats are bought separately, and you'll need to decide which type of cleats you want based on the pedals you choose.

All cleats use either a two- or three-bolt system. A two-bolt system is usually found on mountain or gravel bike shoes and the cleat is recessed so they are easier to walk in. Three-bolt systems are only found on road shoes and the cleats protrude from the shoe.

So, while not all cycling shoes are compatible with cleats, many are designed to accommodate them - you just need to make sure the shoes you choose are compatible with the right cleats.

How do I know what cycling shoes to buy?

When looking for cheap cycling shoes, you should consider factors such as the stiffness of the sole, the closure system, breathability, type of cleat compatibility and the overall fit. The shoes featured in this buyer's guide offer good value for money without compromising too much on performance or quality.

Are more expensive cycling shoes worth it?

In general, more expensive cycling shoes have stiffer soles for better power transfer, lighter-weight materials and better adjustment systems allowing for a more personalised fit.

Comfort is a very subjective thing but cheap cycling shoes can still offer durability and reliability, especially if you are deciding to make the switch to clipless pedals or for casual riding. They may not have all the features of more expensive cycling shoes, but they can still provide decent performance and comfort.

Whether more expensive cycling shoes are worth it depends on your individual needs. If you're cycling casually, there are plenty of affordable options that can still offer comfort and performance but if you're a competitive cyclist, the features of more expensive cycling shoes can potentially enhance your performance.

Cycling shoes

cheap cycling shoes

best cheap cycling shoes

buyers guide

Best cheap cycling shoes 2024 - get your hands on road or mountain bike shoes for under £100

How we review cycling shoes

Why you can trust us