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
Best cheap road cycling shoes: Bont Motion shoes
Best cheap MTB shoes: Giro Berm Cover MTB Cycling Shoes
Best cheap cycling shoes for flat pedals: Endura Hummvee Flat Pedal Shoe
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.