Exustar Clipless Sandal for Cycling with Closed Toe Design

I never tried the famous Shimano open toed SPD sandals (which are back in 2020). Just never liked the whole open toe thing, having one too many run ins with toes in Tevas. Granted that was usually hiking or playing in the water. And my MTB use usually had me running through some rough rock areas that not having foot protection seemed less than smart. Plus they were pricey (even more so with the new versions).But now I ride MUPs for the most part in the South, so when I saw the Exustar shoes with the all important toe box, half price, like new, in the warehouse deal section, I figured why not give them a try.Exustar makes nice shoes, having had a pair of MTBs several years ago. Construction wise they feel solid, with the toe box encased in a rubber like material that gives ample protection to the piggies. Give up some cooling, but a decent trade off for me. The straps are easy to adjust, with three across the top of the foot and one rear ankle strap. Arch support could probably be bumped up a little, but that’s a personal thing. It did take me some to get used to the arch, but not painfully so.Riding they are definitely cooler than my normal Shimano touring shoes, and are just wide enough. Again, another personal thing, but they are somewhat wide. The soles do have a bit more flex to them than I expected. Not excessive, but noticeable. Riding in the rain is now much easier too.Recommended.

I am 71 years old. I started riding a bicycle about 3 years ago. I ride for fun and for exercise. Speed is really unimportant to me. I ride in Florida and in Illinois. I usually ride 100 to 150 miles a week in Florida and 75 to 100 per week in Illinois. Occasionally I do a ride of 55-75 miles. I use flat pedals with posts. I wore running shoes until until I purchased these sandals. Several times I got a hot foot while wearing the running shoes. After RAGBRAI a few of my toes had numbness. I believe the running shoes were not wide enough and compressed my toes as well as were insufficiently ventilated. I decided to try sandals to solve the foot problems. I decided on these because there was a cover on the bottom and I use flat pedals.Size: I normally wear a size 11 M. I bought size 11-12 (US), 45-46 (European). These fit well.Width: I had purchased some 510's but returned them because I did not think they were wide enough. These sandals had the ample width.So Far: I have not done any long rides so I don't know about my hot foot. However, they have good width so my foot is not compressed and there is plenty of room around the toe so I hope this will solve my toe issues The bottom of the sandal does well because the posts grab well in the slots of the bottom of the shoe. However, I did ride when it was drizzling and the sandals slipped quite a bit. Overall these sandals were good for someone like me. They are comfortable and ventilated with sufficient width.

I'm going to keep these although my feet are narrow and I have to tighten the sandal and there's about 1/2 inch between my toes and the end of the sandal. Because at one point in my foot, it's actually wide enough. If I get a smaller size, then I think this would be too small. I do love the quality of the sandal and the fact that it keeps my feet so much cooler when I bike. I'll have to keep experimenting with the closures though to get the best fit.

In preparation to ride RAGBRAI 2023, I wanted a pair of SPD riding sandals. I ordered two different sizes from another brand but the straps were too short (seems to be a problem in this year's model) and I was getting discouraged, but then I decided to the Exustar sandals a try. I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS DECISION!The fit is very comfortable and I did not develop any chaffing or hot spots. The closed toe design is actually quite a benefit both on and off the bike. Even after a 90 mile day, my feet still were very comfortable walking around campsites, into the expos, taking a shuttle into town, etc.I find the sandals very well constructed and durable. I think they will last through many adventures.

Just unboxed and put on, so nothing to say about durability.Comfort will take a bit to assess; seem good enough at the moment. Light weight? Less than I'd anticipated, but they're not featherweight.Have only done Euro sizing a couple of times. These were 43/44 and seem to fit well. And I'm a D width, and these are quite good there. Had to loosen the straps a little, but everything goes well.Very reminiscent of a Keen sandal I've had for 10 years or so. Protected toe box, seemingly good tread, with removable area for clipless (Crank eggbeaters the pedal) clearly visible. Much better than the Keen cycle sandal from just after I got the ones described here, which were outrageously narrow, shaped from a last from hell.Got the gray with neon green straps. Not as clownish as I'd expected. But those non-cycle Keens? Those are a weird blue and gray, so I'm not quite doing a walkway--my toes aren't pretty.

Sandals are my preferred footwear for clipping into pedals and my Keenes wore out. Sandals give me more side-to-side movement for my heels which seems helpful for those of us with legs that are a bit bowed. These sandals work well though there are some notable differences from Keenes, one being that walking is easier because there is just a bit more flex in the sole. I don’t think that compromises pedaling efficiency though. The footbed is wide, good news for some, and a bit of a disadvantage for riders with narrow feet. The sole is wider than Keenes so you have to get used to the greater chance of the shoe hitting the crank. As for the weight, clips just don’t come in light weight. They have to be made of strong material to do their job, so it is not a deal breaker unless you don’t want to clip in. Over all these are great biking sandals.