Common Questions about Peloton Bike Shoes
There are so many questions about Peloton bike shoes that I decided I should write a separate article devoted solely to this topic.
That is, a genuine Q&A about Peloton cycling shoes.
It grew out of this original article that reviewed the Peloton bike shoes.
Common questions about Peloton bike shoes
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People have a lot of questions about Peloton bike shoes.
This is especially true for those newer to the Peloton world.
So, I thought I’d use this space to answer the most common questions.
How do I choose my Peloton shoe size?
Peloton shoes sizes are unisex.
So, you’ll need to convert to men’s or women’s sizes to find the right size for you.
For example, you may be wondering what size Peloton shoe you should get if you wear a women’s 8.5.
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One, you should size up to a 9, since there are no half sizes.
And, two, a women’s size 9 is a size 40 in Peloton shoes.
Do I size up or size down with Peloton spin shoes?
Both my husband and my daughter use the Peloton brand of spin shoes.
They had the same question.
Should we size up or size down?
Both of them ended up sizing up.
Do Peloton shoes come in half sizes?
Unfortunately, no, Peloton bike shoes do not come in half sizes.
I think in any footwear scenario it’s best to size up, if you normally wear a half size in a shoe.
Therefore, I think sizing up in Peloton shoes also makes sense because there are no half sizes.
How should Peloton shoes fit?
Regardless if you buy Peloton shoes or another brand of cycling shoe, you don’t want them to be too tight.
When you’re spinning, your feet are going to swell.
Therefore, you want to have a little bit of wiggle room to allow for this swelling.
On the other hand, you don’t want the shoes to be so big that your foot moves around in them.
For example, when I first got my cycling shoes, I bought a whole size bigger than I normally wear.
I also bought wide width shoes because of my wide feet.
They were not the Peloton brand.
While the extra room allowed for my wide foot to swell, there was too much room in the toe.
So, my toes were constantly moving around and getting sore.
Eventually, I bought a new pair of shoes and went down a size.
Then I had a perfect fit.
Looking for wide width women’s Peloton cycling shoes?
Below are some brands that carry wide widths.
Unfortunately, none of them are from Peloton.
Do you have to buy the Peloton brand of shoes?
If the question is do you have to buy the Peloton brand of shoes, then the answer is no.
The only thing you need to make sure you buy is cycling shoes that can take Delta Look cleats on the bottoms.
That’s the kind with three holes in a triangle shape–thus the word Delta.
They should look like these.
I never bought the Peloton brand of cycling shoes.
Since day one I’ve worn Bontrager spin shoes.
They work on my Peloton bike because they take the Look Delta cleat that is triangle shaped.
You need these to clip into the Peloton pedals.
More about how the Peloton pedals work here.
What brands of cycling shoes are compatible with the Peloton?
Some of the brands of cycling shoes that work with the Peloton bike include:
Remember: these are compatible with Peloton because they take the triangle-shaped, Look Delta clip or cleat.
Do you need special shoes to ride Peloton?
If the question is do you have to buy Peloton shoes, meaning the kind that work with the Peloton pedals, then, the answer is yes.
The Peloton pedals are designed for clipping in with those aforementioned Delta Look cleats.
However, if you’re not interested in clipping into the pedals, then you can wear sneakers or tennis shoes to ride.
Though, you will have to invest in toe cages or shoe cages that attach to the pedals.
I’ve shared a few options below.
What bike shoes work with Peloton?
Peloton pedals are designed to work with Delta Look cleats.
Cleats are the things that attach to the bottom of cycling shoes and allow you to clip into the pedals for a smoother ride.
Therefore, the bike shoes that work with the Peloton pedal are the kind that can take the Delta Look cleats.
It’s not one brand versus another.
Rather, it’s the cycling shoe that is compatible with this cleat type.
So, for example, if you had spin shoes when you used to go to Soul Cycle and they have the Delta Look cleats, then you can recycle them to use with your Peloton.
However, if you took spin classes at a “regular” gym that used a “regular” spin bike, then they probably had pedals that were compatible with SPD cleats.
Therefore, you would need to get a new cycling shoe that took the Look Delta cleats so you could clip into your Peloton pedal.
Can you replace the Peloton pedals?
You can absolutely switch your pedals so you can use another kind of cycling shoe.
Many people who ride outdoors and wear shoes that take SPD cleat cycling shoes swap the Peloton pedals for the kind that takes SPD cleat.
For example, if you want to wear the TIEM cycling shoes that fit like sneakers.
You’ll need to swap out the Peloton pedals for SPD ones.
That’s because TIEM shoes take the SPD cleats.
How do Peloton shoes work?
Peloton bike shoes are designed to take a cleat on the bottom of them.
That is, you attach something called a Delta Look cleat to the bottom of the shoe.
There are lines and holes to guide you.
Then, once the cleats are on, you have the ability to clip into the pedals on the Peloton bike.
This allows for a smoother way of riding a stationary bike.
Keep in mind that people who ride road and mountain bikes also clip into their pedals.
In addition, many other brands of cycling or spin shoes are designed to take cleats.
So, none of this is unique to Peloton.
Wondering how Peloton shoes clip in? This article about the Peloton pedals explains it all.
Are Peloton shoes worth it?
I think that if you’ve decided to upgrade your Peloton purchase to the “works”–which includes shoes among other accessories–then the Peloton shoes are worth it.
It’s almost like you’re getting them for free, though I realize they’re not really free.
In 2022 Peloton introduced a new kind of spin shoe.
They are the Altos Cycling shoe, and people who’ve bought them love them.
They say they fit much better than the original Peloton spin shoe.
So, I went to my local Peloton store and tried them on.
I was shocked when a size 9 fit my double-wide foot.
Now, granted, I was trying these Peloton Altos on with stocking feet, not socks.
Maybe they’d feel tighter that way.
Nonetheless, they were stretchy and soft, and it took all of my willpower not to order them that day.
This article explains all about trying on shoes at the Peloton store.
Nike SuperRep shoes
To me, this newer model of the Peloton shoe looks a lot like the Nike SuperRep Cycling shoes that I know instructors like Tunde Oyeyin wear when teaching class.
Nike SuperReps cost $120 on Nike.com.
The Altos cost $145.
FYI, you can often find Nike SuperReps for supercheap at Dick’s Going Going Gone stores.
However, I don’t know if Nike makes these new Peloton shoes.
In fact, I know people have been asking for years who makes the Peloton brand shoes, and I still can’t find the answer.
If you know, please fill me in!
Do Peloton shoes come with cleats?
If you buy your cycling shoes from Peloton, then, yes, your shoes will come with the Look Delta cleats.
Alternatively, if you buy your Peloton shoes off eBay, then you’ll need to read the listing closely to find out if the shoe come with cleats, too.
However, don’t sweat it if you get Peloton brand cycling shoes or another kind of Peloton-compatible shoe without cleats.
Cleats themselves are probably the least expensive thing you need to buy for a Peloton.
You can find Look Delta cleats for under $20 on places like Amazon.
Look for the Look Delta cleat
I know I sound like a broken record because I keep reminding you that the kind of cleats that work with Peloton shoes are the Look Delta cleat.
They’re called Delta because they fit a triangle-shaped hole on the bottom of your cycling shoe.
How do you attach or install the Peloton cleats to your shoes?
If you’ve ever assembled furniture from IKEA, then you can install Peloton cleats on your cycling shoes.
Basically, you’ll need an Allen wrench or hex wrench to do the cleat installation.
The Allen or hex wrench screws that attach the cleats to the bottom of your cycling shoe should come with the cleats you buy.
Or maybe your cleats came with your pair of Peloton shoes.
Installing the cleat is super easy.
All you need to do is line up the holes–there should be three in a triangle shape for the Peloton pedals–and tighten.
In addition, make sure you use the rectangular “washer” between the screw and the cleat.
This will help keep them secure on the bottom of your shoes.
You don’t have to go crazy making the washer straight.
It’s more important that the cleat itself is straight.
Finally, you may want to visit your local bike shoe or get a professional bike fit, like I did with Team Wilpers, to ensure your cleats are installed correctly.
After my remote bike fitting, I learned that I needed to adjust my cleat positioning on the bottom of my shoes for a smoother, pain-free ride.
So, if you’re wondering what you need to do to set up your Peloton shoes or the bike shoes you’ll be using with your Peloton, there you go.
Attach the cleats to the bottom, clip in and start riding.
How much do Peloton shoes cost?
If you buy your cycling shoes from Peloton, you’re going to spend over $100.
Truth is, if you buy cycling shoes from any other vendor–or any other manufacturer–you’re going to spend about $100.
Good cycling shoes are an investment, and one that you should take seriously.
You get what you pay for in cycling shoes.
So, don’t skimp on them.
How should my Peloton shoes fit?
When you buy cycling shoes, you want there to be a little bit of room when you put them on.
I mean, you don’t want your foot sliding all over the place–that’s no good.
But, on the other hand, you don’t want your toes right up against the front of the shoe either.
One of the things that happens when you’re cycling for a long time is that your feet swell.
With some people, when this happens, their feet fall asleep or they get pins and needles in their feet.
That’s true with me.
Therefore, you want to have a little extra room in your shoes for that eventual foot swelling.
Can you buy Peloton shoes in the store?
Since my husband and daughter got shoes with the accessories kit, I wasn’t sure if you could buy Peloton shoes in the Peloton store.
Or at a Peloton showroom.
So, I called my local one.
And here’s what I learned.
You can try on Peloton cycling shoes in a Peloton showroom or store.
However, you cannot take them home from the Peloton store.
In other words, you will need to order the Peloton cycling shoes at the store and have them shipped to you.
Therefore, the answer is “No” to the question, “Does the Peloton showroom sell shoes in the store?”
On the other hand, if you already know your size, you can buy your Peloton shoes on Amazon.
Finally, there’s no rule that you need to use the Peloton brand shoes.
As long as you get a spin shoe with cleats that are compatible with the Peloton pedals, it can be any brand.
As I mentioned, I wear Bontrager brand shoes, which I bought at my local cycling store.
A great place to buy spin shoes is Trek Bikes.
Use this link to find a Trek Bikes location near you.
Additionally, you can buy online at Trek and pick it up in store.
FYI, you can buy Peloton shoes on eBay, too.
How do you clip your shoes in and out of the Peloton pedals?
If you’ve never ridden a bike with clip in shoes, it can take some getting used to clipping in and clipping out of the Peloton pedals.
Some people never get the hang of it and just leave their shoes hanging on the pedals.
In this post about Peloton pedals, I offer step by step instructions for clipping in and out of the pedals.
How long do Peloton shoes last?
We’ve had our Peloton bike since 2016.
While my husband doesn’t ride nearly as often as I do, he does ride regularly.
Even so, he’s never had to replace his Peloton shoes.
Are they starting to show signs of wear?
You bet they are.
For example, there are small cracks on the side.
But, overall, the shoes have held up remarkably well for all that time.
How often should I replace my cycling shoes?
I have to be honest: this wasn’t a question I had even considered until almost four years of riding my Peloton bike.
The Bontrager shoes served me well on my nearly 1,100 rides.
Until one day they didn’t.
Why?
Because I started to notice that my feet were aching after every ride.
It didn’t matter how long I rode.
The sides of my feet hurt afterwards.
I checked to make sure my cleats hadn’t moved–they hadn’t–because that can sometimes be why your feet hurt after riding your Peloton.
What other Peloton riders told me
So I took my question to my fellow Peloton riders: how often should I replace my cycling shoes?
And guess what?
I was years beyond when I should have gotten new shoes.
Every person who replied to my query said they replaced their shoes every year without fail.
Those that sweat a lot or might be riding longer distances would replace their shoes more often.
The fact that my shoes were starting to fall apart should have been a hint that I needed new ones.
The Velcro straps were pretty much falling apart every time I undid them.
So, I ordered new shoes.
You can buy Bontrager brand of cycling shoes on the REI website.
Also, you can find Bontrager shoes that take the Delta Look cleats on Trekbikes.com.
Finally, I found cycling shoes on Zappos, too.
Bontrager Velocis Road cycling shoes
And the verdict?
I bought these Bontrager Velocis Road cycling shoes.
They come in a wide width like my original pair of Bontrager bike shoes.
However, only the black color came in wide otherwise I would have gotten the fancy blue ones shown below.
They also come in red and in white.
Also, they’re a dual cleat shoe.
So, I could have put SPD cleats on them if I wanted.
But, as you know, the Peloton cycle takes the triangle-shape cleat called a Delta cleat.
Pro tip with TrekBikes.com: as soon as you click through to the online store, set up an account.
Once you’ve registered with TrekBikes.com, you’ll get free shipping on all of your returns.
Only those with a registered account qualify for this freebie.
So, don’t delay.
Do you wear socks with Peloton cycling shoes?
You should absolutely wear socks with your Peloton cycling shoes.
Going sockless is completely out of the question.
Trust me: you’re going to sweat a lot when you ride your Peloton, and this includes your feet.
You can’t toss a pair of spin shoes in the washing machine like you might a pair of sneakers.
Therefore, you don’t want the inside to get all sweaty.
Look for thin, moisture-wicking socks to wear with your cycling shoes.
The two brands I love the most are Bombas socks and Swiftwick socks.
Here is an article about the best workout socks for Peloton.
Final thoughts on these Peloton bike shoes questions
I hope that I’ve answered all of your burning questions about the Peloton bike shoes.
However, if I’ve missed answering something, please let me know.
I’ll do my best to find the information you seek.