Peloton Bike Shoes Review
What are the best Peloton bike shoes? What spin shoes are compatible with a Peloton cycle? How do the Peloton bike shoes fit?
These are some of the most common questions I get about Peloton bike ownership. It seems that buying Peloton bike shoes is where most people get tripped up. And I get it.
Before I got my Peloton bike shoes, I wore regular sneakers to ride a regular bike. I did have toe cages or shoe cages on my pedals. But I’d never ridden a road bike with clip-in bike shoes.
That all changed when we got our Peloton bike in 2016. At that time the bike came with a free pair of shoes. Both my husband and I have very wide feet. Some might say his feet are harder to fit because of his exceptionally high arch. So when it came time to choose the Peloton bike shoes that would come with the cycle, we went with a pair for him. I’ll discuss a little later where I found Peloton shoes for sale that I ended up buying.
Peloton shoes sizing
When it comes to Peloton shoe sizing, I’m going to talk first about the Peloton brand bike shoes that you can get with your bike. Then, I’ll address other brands of spin or cycling shoes that are compatible with the Peloton bike.
Do you need special shoes for Peloton
When I say Peloton compatible shoes, what I really mean is this: the cleat or clip that goes on the bottom of the shoe is compatible with the Peloton pedal. The pedals take a Look Delta cleat, which is a red triangle (thus the Delta).
So do you need special shoes for Peloton? Well, if you want to be able to clip in while you ride, then yes. And make sure you get shoes that take cleats that are compatible with the Peloton pedals.
This is what the Look Delta cleats look like and what you want on the bottom of your Peloton bike shoes.
Shoe sizing guide
Like I said when we got our Peloton bike, it came with a free pair of shoes. My husband took the free pair of shoes. As far as the Peloton bike shoe sizing, here’s what I can tell you. In real life my husband wears a size 13EEE shoe. Those are some wide feet. So when it came time to choose the Peloton shoes, he went with a size 47.
First, I should say that the European sizing confused him. He had no idea how to translate a size 13 into a size in the 40s. “What size Peloton shoes should I get?” I remember him asking me.
Then, while the Peloton website doesn’t have a shoe size chart or a shoe sizing guide, per se, it does offer size “translations” right in the cart. So, he was able to see that a 47 was a men’s size 13.
Peloton bike shoes for men
Here’s what you need to know if you decide you want to buy the Peloton brand cycling shoes for men. First, the Peloton men’s bike shoes do not come in every size. Next, there are only two sizes that are equivalent to a half size. They would be men’s size 10.5 and men’s size 13.5.
So what sizes do they come in? Here are the Peloton shoe size options for men.
- 40 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 7)
- 41 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 8)
- 42 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 9)
- 43 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 10)
- 44 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 10.5)
- 45 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 11)
- 46 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 12)
- 47 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 13)
- 48 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 13.5)
The men’s shoe sizing options are from American size 7 to 13.5. I would think that this range would likely fit most men’s feet. However, if you’re looking for Peloton bike shoes for a boy, you might want to look at the women’s size. I’ve listed them below. If you wear larger than a 13.5, I’ll have some non-Peloton bike shoe options for you later in this blog post.
Peloton bike shoes for women
Like the Peloton bike shoes for men, the shoe sizes for women don’t cover every size. However, the range is pretty big.
The women’s Peloton shoes go from women’s size 5 to women’s size 12. That’s impressive. On the other hand, unlike the men’s shoes, there are no half-size options.
Here are the Peloton shoe size options for women.
- 36 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 5)
- 37 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 6)
- 38 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 7)
- 39 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 8)
- 40 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 9)
- 41 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 10)
- 42 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 11)
- 43 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 12)
Peloton shoes sizing for men and women
When buying the shoes, if you’re selecting from 40 up, you’ll see the sizes represented for women and men. Also, the Peloton bike shoes cost $125, regardless of what size you’re getting.
I guess that’s a good thing that they don’t discriminate based on gender or foot size with prices. However, you can do much better than $125 for spin or cycling shoes. I’ll address that a little later in this article.
Peloton bike shoes for kids
This is good information if you’re looking for kids Peloton shoes. Knowing that these go as low as women’s size 5 means you can think of them in youth sizes.
The calculus for converting women’s size to youth sizes is roughly this: subtract 1.5 to 2 sizes. So for a women’s size 5, you would size down to a youth size 3 or 3.5.
Here is my blog post about Peloton for kids.
How do the Peloton shoes fit
As I’ve mentioned Bill has wide feet. The Peloton bike shoes do not come in varying widths. So he was worried that he would not fit his extra wide feet with high arches.
Well, guess what? The shoes fit perfectly. They were a little snug around the front. But the two Velcro straps across the top allowed for his high arch. And the ratchet strap also allowed enough room for the shoes to be snug but not too tight.
If you wear a half size, I would recommend sizing up. Some people have reported that the Peloton shoes run small. Others, like my husband, feel like they fit true to size. Then again, he’s a size 13 and he was able to get a size 43 in Peloton spin shoes. So I’ll say it again. If you wear a half size, it’s probably better to size up in the Peloton bike shoes.
Other cycling shoe alternatives
If, for whatever reason, you decide not to buy your bike shoes on the Peloton website, you have plenty of other options. Back in 2016 I went to my local cycle store to get my Bontrager brand bike shoes. Like my husband I have wide feet. So they recommended I get a brand that would take the Look Delta clips and came in wide. I got the Bontrager brand.
These are my Bontrager brand of Peloton bike shoes. You can buy them, for under $100, at REI.com.
FYI, in everyday shoes, I can wear anything from an 8WW to a 9W. Sometimes I’m an 8.5. In my bike shoes I got a size 42. In this brand that was the equivalents of a size 9. I’m not sure, though, if that was a men’s 9–which would match up with the Peloton shoe size guide above–or a woman’s 9. The label on the inside actually says “wide.”
Bontrager Bike Shoes
Speaking of Amazon, you can buy a variety of cycling shoes on the site.
Best Cycling Shoes for Peloton
Looking for the best cycling shoes for Peloton? Here are three options.
Peloton for Kids: Cycling Shoes and More
If you're wondering about kids Peloton shoes, I've offered a few options below. I've also include toe cage straps that you can attach to your pedals. This will allow your children to wear their regular shoes (sneakers, gym shoes, running shoes) while riding the bike.
Pearl Izumi cycling shoes
Venzo Bicycle Women's Ladies Lace Road Cycling Riding Shoes come as small as women's size 5 1/2.
Shimano cycling shoes
Santic Cycling Shoes Road Bike Shoes Spin Shoes with Buckle
Bike Pedal with Integrated Toe Cage/Clip/Strap
Shoe cages for Peloton
If you don’t want to spend money on special shoes for your Peloton, you don’t have to. But you should invest in shoe cages, also known as toe cages. These are straps that attach to your bike pedals. Then, you slip your regular gym shoes, running shoes or sneakers into the cages while you ride.
Because the Peloton pedals are fairly narrow and flat, cages are a good idea. There is a lot of “out of saddle” work you do during rides. That means you’ll be standing up. When I first tried riding the bike with my sneakers on and no cages, I kept falling. Let me tell you–those pedals will scrape your shins really well (sarcasm).
The shoe cages we got for our bike came with the Look Delta cleat attached to the bottom. That way you can clip in without have the special shoes or replacing the pedals. These toe cages have multiple holes in patterns on them. So, it looks like you could use them with SPD cleats, too.
Bike shoe accessories
Regardless of what kind of bike shoes you get, you might be interested in some Peloton bike shoe accessories. When I say accessories, I mean products that can help make storing your shoes (and other equipment) easier and neater.
I know that a shoe hanger is pretty popular. You can find these on Etsy. These shoe hangers, which look like big hooks, go on the back of your bike. They hang off under the weight rack. These allow you to hang more than one pair of shoes up to dry.
Best Peloton Accessories: Shoe Hanger
Here are inexpensive yet effective shoe hangers you can buy on Etsy.
Peloton Spin Bike Shoe Hanger
Peloton Shoe Hook
Peloton Spin Cycle Shoe Wall Mounts
Peloton Bike Shoes Storage
French Cleat Wall Organizer - Exercise Room Organization
Peloton Shoe Rack Shelf
Best socks to wear with bike shoes
Finding the best socks to wear with your Peloton shoes is a little like Goldilocks. You don’t want socks that are too thin or too thick or that run big or small. You want socks that are just right.
In all my years of riding my bike, I’ve found that Bombas sock are the “just right” socks for spinning. They’re comfortable, padded where they need to be and wick away moisture–if you have sweaty feet like I do.
There are a number of different styles of Bombas sock to choose from. If you decide to take my advice and invest in Bombas sock, let me offer this one piece of advice. Go for the quarter height or performance cycling socks.
I made the mistake of getting the no-show kind. They’re super cute when I wear them for everyday. But I find that they sit too low inside my cycling shoes so the shoes end up rubbing my ankles.
Finally, another benefit to Bombas socks? They’re guaranteed for life.
Here’s my article on other products guaranteed for life.
I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites below. Bombas makes socks for men and women.
Bombas Products Guaranteed for Life
Best Peloton shoes
So what are the best Peloton shoes? Clearly, the best shoes for your Peloton bike are the ones that fit your feet comfortably and your budget, too. If you find that the pricing on the Peloton website is the best around, then get those shoes. As I’ve mentioned, even my husband with wide, hard-to-fit feet found that the Peloton brand shoes worked for him.
In conclusion, are the Peloton shoes good? Are the Peloton shoes worth it? Well, my husband has been using them since 2016 and they still look almost new. Same with me and my Bontrager shoes. I’ve worn them every time I ride, and I ride daily. They, too, are in great condition.
Overall thoughts on Peloton bike shoes
I’m sure you can find cycling shoes priced cheaper than $125 on the Peloton website. However, remember that sometimes you get what you pay for.
I know that my cycling shoes cost about $100. Like the Peloton shoes, they’ve lasted since 2016. If you cheap out and get crappy bike shoes, you could end up paying double in the long run. Double when the shoes hurt your feet or you have to buy new shoes.
In addition, at some point, you should be able to visit a nearby cycle shop. There you can have a professional fit you for your bike shoes. Also, you will be supporting a local business.
Finally–and this bears repeating–when buying Peloton bike shoes, you want the kind with three holes on the bottom. These take the Look Delta clips, which are the kind of pedals that come with your bike. It doesn’t matter what brand you buy–they must have three holes in the bottom. I know some people switch out their pedals to take the SPD cleat shoes that they use with their outdoor bikes. If that works for you, then go for it.
You might also enjoy
The post Peloton Bike Shoes Review appeared first on Leah Ingram.