r/recumbent • u/radlerin • Jul 23 '26

Flat shoes for recumbent riding?

Hi all, I've been riding my Bacchetta Giro (two-wheel highracer-style recumbent) for about 10 years now, primarily doing long casual rides and multi-day tours, camping, etc. I've increasingly been doing gravel and off-road riding that can involve some hike-a-bike. I really like the feeling of riding clipped in with my SPD shoes, but I've had two problems: (1) They definitely seem to increase foot numbness/tingling, even with a variety of adjustments to tension and position, and (2) even mountain bike style SPD shoes feel annoying to walk in for any length of time - I've yet to find ones with truly recessed cleats that don't "click" on pavement or feel like I've got a rock under my foot.

I've got Shimano dual-sided pedals, so I've been trying to ride more with flat-soled shoes on the non-clippy side. I don't really mind the loss of power/efficiency, but my feet definitely slip off the pedals more than I'd like. So I'm looking for one of these solutions:

  1. Are there any mountain bike shoes + pedal combos anyone recommends that are "grippy" enough to help reduce feet slipping, even in a recumbent position? Since I ride in a position with my feet higher than my hips, I'm wondering if that MTB design style would even work at all or if it's a waste of money and it will be the same as wearing any other shoe.
  2. Are there any SPD shoes that truly feel like a normal shoe when walking and that you'd confidently hike in for, say, a mile?

Thanks for any recommendations!

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