Riding a mountain bike with the right gear will give you more comfort on the road. This article is about using van boots for mountain biking.
Oh, the misery! You want to shred on the trails with the best gear, but you also want to look fashionable. Classic skate-style shoes, Vans, should be your perfect answer. Well, maybe not.
While I enjoy wearing my Vans Classic Slip-On for various road sports, whether they are suitable for your riding depends on many factors and preferences. Read below to see if you should wear Vans on your next mountain bike adventure and what safe (and stylish) alternatives you might want to consider.
Table of Contents
Form vs function:
Vans sneakers have been the ideal footwear for skateboarders, BMX riders and urban cyclists for years. Their waffle pattern sole offers good traction and ease of use for cyclists. The flat bottom soles of this standard-supplied shoe can be easily slipped on and off the flat pedals on your mountain bike.
Vans, specifically the famous slip-on laceless version with elasticized sides and classic check pattern, has become a go-to shoe for any sport that requires a flat sole and seamless ease of use. Popular on and off the trail, they’re easy to slip on—literally no strings attached.
However, without laces, you won’t be able to adjust the fit to your foot or ensure your ankles have the stability or protection you desire.
The Vans Old Skool, their most popular lace-up style with a solid synthetic upper, can be a happy medium. You can still get them in any popular prints and patterns, but you’ll have more flexibility and safety as a rider. In terms of style, they will still form an iconic brand.
Drawn by founder Paul Van Doren, the doodle that undulates across the outsole is known worldwide for its edge and fluidity.
Flat shoes like Vans can also be more versatile if you want to travel or hike. I am a hobby rider. I like to have a beer at the local pub while riding my mountain bike on the trails in upstate New York. Vans make the transition from bike to bar easy. It’s the kind of two-for-one deal I like in my gear.
However, this ease of use also means you can easily slip your foot out of the Vans and go shoeless when mountain biking. And nobody likes losing a shoe on the trail.
Should You Go Clipless?
Of course, you can only wear both of these Vans sneakers if you have flat pedals on your MTB. If you know you have clip-on pedals on your mountain bike, you’ll need to stick with specialized shoes that can be fitted with cleats.
Japanese brand Shimano produced the first pair of mountain bike pedals and shoes in 1990. Since then, several brands have focused on specific footwear and gear for mountain bike enthusiasts.
In addition, some research shows that clipped shoes give the rider more power and efficiency. It turns out that “snapping” to your bike creates more vital contact and, therefore, more power. Instead of wasting energy moving the pedal or connecting with it, the rider can propel forward at a higher speed with less energy.
A study from the University of Colorado, Boulder, showed that when using fixed-soled cycling shoes with clip-on pedals, compared to flexible running shoes, there was an increase of approximately 10.2% in maximal sprint performance.
Researchers believe the shoe’s stiff soles and pedal attachment improve bike performance during uphill sprints. So a technical shoe can improve your ride technically.
If you’re still interested in the style aspect, don’t worry. You can bend because many brands have you covered. Modern advancements in cycling footwear have also made these technical shoes more fashionable. Some brands make identical designs for flat soles and cleat cycling shoe uppers, so you can have a great-looking shoe while still having the desired performance.
Why do BMX riders wear vans?
For street riding, BMX riders often rely on lightweight skate shoes with flat soles. Basic Vans models fall into this category. They offer extra grip thanks to the waffle sole and weigh very little compared to bulky boots. Another advantage of Vans shoes is the possibility of ankle support if you choose a high model.
Advantages of Vans BMX shoes:
1. Flat Waffle Soles:
2. Extra rubber:
Final Verdict:
While slipping on your skate shoes and hitting the mountain may be tempting, it might be worth investing in some serious mountain bike shoes. You can find a pair of shoes (with built-in buckles or buckles) for a small investment. Most professional mountain bike shoes cost around $150-$200 and last six to 12 months, depending on use.
You can also choose the right pair for the terrain you ride, the mud level (I always select the easiest-to-clean shoes) and different closure mechanisms. I avoid laces at all costs, so I lean toward adjustable dials with bungee laces on most hard cycling shoes.
Look at brands like Shimano, Specialized, Pearl Izumi and Giro that every year release technically good shoes that can make your ride a little easier.
Can you wear Vans on a mountain bike? The answer is a definite yes. The truth is, you can wear any sneakers on a mountain bike. But is it ideal? No. Whether you like it or not, after reading this research, that may be a different story.
Make the decision that best suits the comfort, style and performance you’re looking for on your mountain bike journey. Just know that whatever technical type of shoe you choose – the check pattern is an absolute yes.
Yeah, I use them, the lack of stiffness is significant for control, but for longer rides, you’ll want something stiffer (although the shape of the pedal is a factor in how bad it is, and if you ride a lot in skate shoes, your feet will stiffen up a bit). I used to use skate shoes before Five Ten became part of MTB.
Are vans good motorcycle shoes?
Riding a mountain bike with the right gear will give you more comfort on the road. This article is about using van boots for mountain biking.
Oh, the misery! You want to shred on the trails with the best gear, but you also want to look fashionable. Classic skate-style shoes, Vans, should be your perfect answer. Well, maybe not.
While I enjoy wearing my Vans Classic Slip-On for various road sports. Whether they are suitable for your riding depends on many factors and preferences. Read below to see if you should wear Vans on your next mountain bike adventure. And what safe (and stylish) alternatives you might want to consider.
Form vs function:
Vans sneakers have been the ideal footwear for skateboarders. BMX riders and urban cyclists for years. Their waffle pattern sole offers good traction and ease of use for cyclists. The flat bottom soles of this standard-supplied shoe. That can be easily slipped on and off the flat pedals on your mountain bike.
Vans, specifically the famous slip-on laceless version with elasticized sides. And classic check pattern. Which has become a go-to shoe for any sport that requires a flat sole and seamless ease of use. Popular on and off the trail, they’re easy to slip on— no strings attached.
But, without laces. You won’t be able to adjust the fit to your foot or ensure your ankles have the stability or protection you desire.
The Vans Old Skool, their most popular lace-up style with a solid synthetic upper, can be a happy medium. You can still get them in any popular prints and patterns, but you’ll have more flexibility and safety as a rider. Style, they will still form an iconic brand.
Drawn by founder Paul Van Doren. The doodle that undulates across the outsole is worldwide. For its edge and fluidity.
Flat shoes like Vans can also be more versatile if you want to travel or hike. I am a hobby rider. I like to have a beer at the local pub while riding my mountain bike on the trails in upstate New York. Vans make the transition from bike to bar easy. It’s the kind of two-for-one deal I like in my gear.
But, this ease of use also means you can easily slip your foot. Out of the Vans and go shoeless when mountain biking. And nobody likes losing a shoe on the trail.
Should You Go Clipless?
Of course, you can only wear both of these Vans sneakers if you have flat pedals on your MTB. If you know you have clip-on pedals on your mountain bike. You’ll need to stick with specialized shoes that can fitted with cleats.
Japanese brand Shimano produced the first pair of mountain bike pedals and shoes in 1990. Since then, several brands have focused on specific footwear. And gear for mountain bike enthusiasts.
Besides, some research shows that. Clipped shoes give the rider more power and efficiency. It turns out that “snapping” to your bike creates more vital contact and, thus, more power. Instead of wasting energy moving the pedal or connecting with it. The rider can propel forward at a higher speed with less energy.
A study from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Showed that when using fixed-soled cycling shoes with clip-on pedals. Compared to flexible running shoes. there was an increase of approximately 10.2% in maximal sprint performance.
Researchers believe the shoe’s stiff soles. Pedal attachment improve bike performance during uphill sprints. So a technical shoe can improve your ride technically.
If you’re still interested in the style aspect, don’t worry. You can bend because many brands have you covered. Modern advancements in cycling footwear have also made these technical shoes more fashionable. Some brands make identical designs for flat soles and cleat cycling shoe uppers. So you can have a great-looking shoe while still having the desired performance.
Why do BMX riders wear vans?
For street riding, BMX riders often rely on lightweight skate shoes with flat soles. Basic Vans models fall into this category. They offer extra grip thanks to the waffle sole and weigh very little compared to bulky boots. Another advantage of Vans shoes is the possibility of ankle support if you choose a high model.
Advantages of Vans BMX shoes:
1. Flat Waffle Soles:
2. Extra rubber:
Final Verdict:
While slipping on your skate shoes and hitting the mountain may be tempting. It might be worth investing in some serious mountain bike shoes. You can find a pair of shoes (with built-in buckles or buckles) for a small investment. Most professional mountain bike shoes cost around $150-$200 and last six to 12 months, depending on use.
You can also choose the right pair for the terrain you ride. The mud level (I always select the easiest-to-clean shoes) and different closure mechanisms. I avoid laces at all costs, so I lean toward adjustable dials with bungee laces on most hard cycling shoes.
Look at brands like Shimano, and Specialized. Pearl Izumi and Giro that every year release technically good shoes. That can make your ride a little easier.
Can you wear Vans on a mountain bike? The answer is a definite yes. The truth is, you can wear any sneakers on a mountain bike. But is it ideal? No. Whether you like it or not, after reading this research, that may be a different story.
Make the decision that best suits the comfort. Style and performance you’re looking for on your mountain bike journey. Just know that whatever technical type of shoe you choose – the check pattern is an absolute yes.
Yeah, I use them, the lack of stiffness is significant for control. But for longer rides. You’ll want something stiffer (although the shape of the pedal is a factor in how bad it is. And if you ride a lot in skate shoes, your feet will stiffen up a bit). I used to use skate shoes before Five Ten became part of MTB.
