This is my first time contributing to this forum, I recently joined to learn more about hydro foil monofin swimming. I have read pretty much everything that I could find on the net about the development of the Dol-fin and the Lunocet. Needless to say I am very excited to receive the Lunocet Pro! I talked to Ted a few days ago, and he said that production is in full swing now. So what am I to do in the mean time? Shop for shoes of course!
No cycling shoe seems to be exactly adapted to our use, so it comes down to finding the shoe that does the best at becoming the underwater footpocket that we need it to be. Wouldnt that be cool in a few years if one of the major brands came out with an underwater model targeted at fluke swimmers? If the sport continues to grow, if will only be a matter of time.
It seems to me that looking at all the models currently available, that triathlon shoes seem to have most of the characteristics that we are looking for:
- 2 straps of velcro to secure the foot (no tongue),
- they are made to drain water, rather than absorb it.
- most are lower profile than the average road cycling shoe.
- interiors are made seemless, made to be worn with no socks at all
- most are made a full carbon or carbon composite sole.
As far as the system of shoe closing, there is a lot to choose from. For me, I think the velcro might be the best for my purposes. The "boa" system that is very popular in some higher end shoes, would be the lowest profile. However, for anyone who plans to wear them in salt water, that would be a deal killer. Same with the buckle straps. I did see that Giro made a lace up shoe, that might work well (maybe with bungee cord?) but I ultimately rejected that idea. So for lack of a better option, I think velcro might still be the best, I don't really know though.
The soles of cycling shoes vary greatly from company to company, but after feeling the stiffness of several different types, I can say that there is a big difference in stiffness between a carbon or carbon composite shoe and cheaper plastic and fiberglass soles. The full carbon shoes are the stiffest, but they start in price at about $300-350. The next best is carbon composite (carbon fiber and plastic). These start out at about $150-200. Below that are usually some mix of plastic and fiberglass. Ultimately I settled on the Sidi T2 carbon composite triathlon shoe.
http://www.thebikeworks.com/bw_product/sidi-t2/
I would love to here about other thoughts about this subject, things like: the best shoe covers for reducing drag. Also, what is the best fit for this type of shoe? My guess would be that in most cases, going down a size might be a good idea?