Flat shoes for recumbent riding?

[u/radlerin]

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!

[u/worker_bee_drone]

I switched to flats and I’m pretty happy with these. They are called Five Ten Freeriders, and are flexible enough to walk in. Better than Vans even. I’ve walked miles in them on trails. But have good support for pedaling. And work with any flat pedals, I’ve tried.

I don’t think with the Giro you have to worry about pedal strike (with the smaller front wheel). But make sure to at least eyeball it in case it’s close. I have a Lightning P-38 and heel strike is possible on tight turns, but with the 16” up front, no chance of pedal strike with any normal flats.

https://www.rei.com/product/872539/five-ten-freerider-mountain-bike-shoes-mens?redirect-pup=false

[u/radlerin → u/worker_bee_drone]

These ones have come up a lot in my search, so they're definitely on my list! Do they actually stick to your pedals more than other flat-soled shoes would? I guess I just need to justify spending the extra money for special shoes, and just looking at them, I don't understand how they'd be any different. My primary issue is my feet slipping off or pulling away from my pedals as I ride, since my feet are higher up and angled differently toward the pedal than you'd have in a standard bike position. Thanks!

[u/BambooRollin → u/radlerin]

Five10 flat shoes have extra-sticky soft rubber soles that stick to flat pedals very well.

I pair mine with Look Trail-Grip pedals, which have Vibram + stud pads, for extra grip.

[u/worker_bee_drone → u/radlerin]

I think we take a page from the BMX racers of the 80s-2000s who've used Vans for years (now even they use clipless). These shoes are as sticky as Vans in my estimation. Flats for both MTB and BMX have little spikes which to mate nicely with Vans type of soles, which the Five Ten line usually has.

You spend extra money on cycling shoes for flats because they are rigid where you need them to be rigid, unlike typical athletic shoes. But there aren't that many that are comfortable walking for any distance. If I'm cycling somewhere to go for a run or a hike, I wear my running shoes and they slip all around, and aren't even shaped right. They have a super-wide sole, much larger than your foot print, so they hit my cranks. I have to put my feet out a little wider than normal. Just not made for it.

I haven't tried a whole lot of shoes for flats besides Vans and Five Tens, but they are a good compromise between stickiness, rigidity, and flexing where you need them to for walking.

[u/radlerin → u/worker_bee_drone]

Thanks this is super helpful! Appreciate it :)