Every video I saw on the Velosambas when they came out about 2-3 years ago talked about how they weren’t of the best quality or could use some improvements as a cycling shoe.
I think Adidas actually listened.
Now this is my first clipless shoe so take what I say with a generous grain of salt. One of the main issues was that the recession where the cleat is wasn’t deep enough and you could still feel the metal on the bottom of your foot. As I am walking on the concrete of a hardware store as I type this, I can say that I do not feel the cleat at all. And when you lift the shoe to your face you can definitely see that the cleat has plenty of recession.
And the other main issue was that the side of the sole would rub on the crank arm when pedaling. When I clipped in to do a quick unofficial bike fit at the shop, I didn’t run against the crank arm and if I did, it wasn’t noticable. (I have a Miche Pistard 2.0 165mm crankset)
So if you have been worrying about trying them out, I would for sure at least try them and see if they work for you. Now I will say they fit better for narrower feet but they do fit true to size. However, if you’re going try them, I recommend thinner socks for sure because with thick socks they were too tight.
Happy riding 👍🏽
by Azaraiya
4 Comments
If Adidas were truly listening there’d be VeloStanSmiths or VeloAllStars for us folks with wider feet. Glad they’re working out for you tho.
omg I was looking for SPD shoes for so long. link?
Well they are not the best cycling shoe out there, so that explains reviews. Adidas is adidas, meh. Have u ever tried them 3 years ago? Or biasing?
In general, I think they do the job of a commuter. That said, I’ve run both spd and time cleats on them (and I assume I have the newer model of the sambas if there is such a thing) and they still rub against the ground when walking apart from laminated flooring. The worst part is that I have stripped both of my pairs in at least one bolt hole due to the plastic like threads. I’d recommend that if these don’t work out to grab some actual mtb/cross/gravel shoes. The pair I have I find more comfortable than my sambas anyway.