Peloton Bike Shoes Review

What are the best Peloton bike shoes? What spin shoes are compatible with a Peloton cycle? How do the Peloton bike shoes fit?

These are some of the most common questions I get about Peloton bike ownership. It seems that buying Peloton bike shoes is where most people get tripped up. And I get it.

Before I got my Peloton bike shoes, I wore regular sneakers to ride a regular bike. I did have toe cages or shoe cages on my pedals.

But I’d never ridden a road bike with clip-in bike shoes. That all changed when we got our Peloton bike in 2016.

How we chose our Peloton cycling shoes

So when it came time to choose the Peloton bike shoes that would come with the cycle, we went with a pair for him.

I’ll discuss a little later where I found Peloton spin shoes for sale that I ended up buying.

Therefore, if you’re looking for cycling shoes for wide feet–whether you have a Peloton or not–I think you’ll want to read on.

Also, scroll down to access my Amazon shopping list for Peloton bike shoes.

New Peloton bike shoes released

In 2022 Peloton released a new version of their bike shoes. Called Altos they look more like the Tiem cycling shoes or Nike Superreps that you might see some instructors wearing.

FYI, you can find great prices on Nike Superrep shoes at Going, Going, Gone stores from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

In fact, the Altos look more like a sneaker or tennis shoe than a spin shoe. I tried them on at the Peloton store. Now you can purchase Peloton Altos bike shoes on Amazon, too.

They’re really comfortable. However, this review is based on the original shoes from Peloton, which both my husband and daughter currently use.

Also, since trying on the Altos myself, I’ve spoken with other Peloton users. They tell me that the comfort level of the Altos isn’t as high as the original shoes. So, buyers (or riders or cyclists) beware.

Peloton shoes sizing

When it comes to Peloton shoe sizing, I’m going to talk first about the Peloton brand bike shoes that you can get with your bike.

Then, I’ll address other brands of spin or indoor cycling shoes that are compatible with the Peloton bike.

Do you need special shoes for Peloton

When I say Peloton compatible shoes, what I really mean is this: the cleat or clip that goes on the sole or bottom of the shoe is compatible with the Peloton pedal.

The pedals take a Look Delta cleat, which is a red triangle (thus the Delta). So do you need special shoes for Peloton? Well, if you want to be able to clip in while you ride, then yes.

And make sure you get shoes that take cleats that are compatible with the Peloton pedals.

Do you need Peloton bike shoes?

Do you need the brand of shoes that Peloton sells? No.

As I said above, as long as you get shoes that can take the cleats for the Peloton pedals, you’ll be good to go. This is what the Look Delta cleats look like below. That’s what you want on the sole of your Peloton bike shoes — these triangle-shaped cleats that help you clip into the Peloton pedals.

This article answers the most common questions about Peloton bike shoes.

Peloton spin shoes sizing guide

Like I said when we got our Peloton bike, it came with a free pair of shoes. My husband took the free pair of shoes.

As far as the Peloton bike shoe sizing, here’s what I can tell you. In real life my husband wears a size 13 EEE shoe. Those are some wide feet. So when it came time to choose the bike shoes for Peloton, he went with a size 47.

First, I should say that the European sizing confused him. He had no idea how to translate a size 13 into a size in the 40s.

“What size Peloton shoes should I get?” I remember him asking me.

Then, while the Peloton website doesn’t have a shoe size chart or a shoe sizing guide, per se, it does offer size “translations” right in the cart. So, he was able to see that a 47 was a men’s size 13.

This article helps you convert Euro to US shoe sizes.

Half sizes in Peloton bike shoes

However, if he had been a size 12.5 in regular shoes, I would have advised him to size up. That’s because there really aren’t half sizes in Peloton bike shoes–save for size 10.5 and 13.5 for men.

In women’s sizes, there are no half sizes at all. As someone with hard to fit, wide feet, I find that sizing up is always better than sizing down. So, when it comes to Peloton bike shoes, I would always recommend you size up versus you size down.

Here are ideas for cycling shoes for wide feet.

Peloton bike shoes for men

Here’s what you need to know if you decide you want to buy the Peloton brand cycling shoes for men.

First, the Peloton men’s bike shoes do not come in every size. Next, there are only two sizes that are equivalent to a half size. They would be men’s size 10.5 and men’s size 13.5.

So what sizes do they come in? Here are the Peloton bike shoes sizing options for men, showing the size range that’s available.

Think of it as your Peloton shoe size chart.

• 40 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 7)
• 41 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 8)
• 42 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 9)
• 43 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 10)
• 44 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 10.5)
• 45 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 11)
• 46 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 12)
• 47 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 13)
• 48 (which is the equivalent of men’s size 13.5)

The men’s shoe sizing options are from American size 7 to 13.5. I would think that this range would likely fit most men’s feet.

However, if you’re looking for Peloton bike shoes for a boy, you might want to look at the women’s size. I’ve listed them below. If you wear larger than a 13.5, I’ll have some non-Peloton bike shoe options for you later in this blog post.

Men’s cycling shoes size chart for Peloton

This chart helps explain how the Peloton cycling shoes sizes translate to men’s shoe sizes.

You can find men’s Peloton cycling or spin shoes for sale on eBay.

Also, now Peloton is selling its shoes on Amazon.

Peloton bike shoes for women

Like the Peloton bike shoes for men, the shoe sizes for women don’t cover every size. However, the range is pretty big.

The women’s Peloton cycling shoes go from women’s size 5 to women’s size 12. That’s impressive.

On the other hand, unlike the men’s shoes, there are no half-size options. Here are the Peloton bike shoes sizing options for women.

Again, think of this as your Peloton shoe size chart.

• 36 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 5)
• 37 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 6)
• 38 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 7)
• 39 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 8)
• 40 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 9)
• 41 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 10)
• 42 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 11)
• 43 (which is the equivalent of women’s size 12)

No half sizes for women’s Peloton shoes

Whereas the men’s Peloton shoes mentioned above do have half sizes, the women’s Peloton shoes do not. This can be frustrating if you have half size feet.

My older daughter recently got a Peloton bike. She wears a 9.5 in shoes. So, what did she do when ordering shoes?

She ordered the size 41 or size 10. Therefore, she sized up, and the shoes fit her perfectly.

Need help walking in your cycling shoes?

Peloton women’s shoe size chart

The shoe size chart below should help you convert or translate Peloton shoe sizing into women’s shoes sizes that you’re familiar with.

You can find Peloton shoes for women on eBay.

Also, on Amazon.

Peloton Altos shoes

Here is how Peloton describes the Peloton Altos shoes, which are very different from the ratchet-closed original shoes:

“These Peloton shoes include: jacquard mesh to provide a sock-like fit, a glass-filled nylon outsole to offer comfort and optimal power transfer, breathable waffle-mesh interior, and a soft toe and heel pad. EASY TO PUT ON AND TAKE OFF – These Peloton shoes have simple, hook and loop straps and an inlet on the back that allows a finger or two when putting on the shoe—making it easier than ever to strap in.”

Where to buy Peloton bike shoes

Of course, you can buy your Peloton bike shoes from Peloton itself, especially now that they are sold on Amazon.

You can always splurge for the accessories package, which includes shoes. That’s what my daughter did when she bought her Peloton.

However, there are two places I’ve discovered online where you can buy Peloton brand shoes.

One is eBay.

There are tons of Peloton shoes for sale on eBay, which you can check out using this link.

Women to kids size shoes

I know there are a lot of petite people who ride Pelotons.

It’s one of the reasons there is a “Shortie Tribe” on the bike as well as a Facebook group.

And as a shortie myself from a shortie family, I know that short people often have small feet.

In addition, I know there are many Peloton users who have Peloton kids.

It’s one of the reasons that I wrote my post on Peloton for kids.

One of the most common–if not the most common question people ask about Peloton and kids–is this: where can I find Peloton shoes for my children?

Converting shoes sizes

Well, with both communities in mind, I did some research on shoe sizes.

And it turns out that converting youth shoe sizes or big kid shoe sizes to women’s sizes is not that hard.

Basically, you subtract two from the women’s size to get the youth size or the big kids shoe size.

To make your life easier, I’ve created the womens to kids size shoes chart below.

And fun fact, shortie tribe: youth size shoes are often cheaper than adult shoes for everyday shoes.

So, if you have smaller women’s feet, you might want to shop in the youth section to save money.

Kids Peloton bike shoes

This is good information if you’re looking for kids cycling shoes for Peloton.

Knowing that these go as low as women’s size 5 means you can think of them in youth sizes.

The calculus for converting women’s size to youth sizes is roughly this: subtract 1.5 to 2 sizes. So for a women’s size 5, you would size down to a youth size 3 or 3.5.

Here is my blog post about Peloton for kids, including information on kids’ cycle shoes for Peloton.

If you’re looking to convert Euro shoe sizes to women’s US sizes, this article on converting Euro to US shoe sizes should help.

Shoe cages for Peloton

If you don’t want to spend money on special shoes for your Peloton, you don’t have to.

But you should invest in shoe cages, also known as toe cages.

These are straps that attach to your bike pedals.

Then, you slip your regular gym shoes, running shoes or sneakers into the cages while you ride.

Because the Peloton pedals are fairly narrow and flat, cages are a good idea.

There is a lot of “out of saddle” work you do during rides.

That means you’ll be standing up.

When I first tried riding the bike with my sneakers on and no cages, I kept falling.

Let me tell you–those pedals will scrape your shins really well (sarcasm).

Note about using shoe cages: if you ever want to ride live at Peloton Studios, you will not have the option for shoe cages. However, you can rent (for free) Altos or original Peloton bikes shoes at the studio to wear in class.

What kind of shoes cages to buy for Peloton

The shoe cages we got for our bike came with the Look Delta cleat attached to the bottom.

That way you can clip in without having the special shoes or replacing the pedals.

These toe cages have multiple holes in patterns on them.

So, it looks like you could use them with SPD cleats, too.

In addition, I recently discovered that Rei.com sells shoes cages or toe straps.

They call them toe clips with straps.

From reading the reviews, it looks like these will work with a Peloton bike.

Finally, you can find plenty of toe cage options for a Peloton bike on Amazon and eBay.

Here are wide width shoes for your off-the-bike workouts.

Bike shoe accessories

Regardless of what kind of bike shoes you get, you might be interested in some Peloton bike shoe accessories.

When I say accessories, I mean products that can help make storing your shoes (and other equipment) easier and neater.

Shoe Storage

I get a lot of questions about shoe storage options.

For starters, if there is just one of you riding, it’s easy.

You can hang your shoes off the weight rack on the back of the bike.

But what if you’re like my family, with multiple people riding, all wearing different shoes?

Then you’re going to have to invest in a shoe hanger.

I know that a shoe hanger is pretty popular.

You can find these on Etsy.

These shoe hangers, which look like big hooks, go on the back of your bike.

They hang off under the weight rack.

These allow you to hang more than one pair of shoes up to dry.

Another shoe accessory is a wall shelf.

I’ve seen them, also on Etsy, made of wood and big enough to hold a ton of stuff, like shoes and towels.

So this is another option for a Peloton shoe holder or storage for your shoes.

I just discovered this third option for storing shoes.

It is a set of double-sided metal hooks, if you will, that fits onto the weight holders on the back of the bike.

From there you can hang two pairs of shoes.

I just installed this shoe rack on my bike, and you can buy them on Amazon.

Other brands of shoes compatible with Peloton

As I mentioned earlier, what makes a spin or cycling shoe compatible with Peloton isn’t so much the shoe itself but what kind of cleat you attach to the sole of that shoe. If you’d rather buy another brand, you want to look for shoes that take the Look Delta cleat.

Personally, I’ve been wearing the Bontrager brand of spin shoes since getting our bike in 2016. They’re lightweight, breathable and oh, so comfortable. Also, they come in wide widths for my extra wide feet. I like that the Bontrager shoe has a roomy toe box.

What brands of cycling shoes are compatible with the Peloton?

Some of the brands of cycling shoes that work with the Peloton bike, besides the aforementioned Bontrager, include:

• Lake
• Nike
• Pearl Izumi
• Shimano
• Sidi
• Tommaso Pista

Remember: these are compatible with Peloton because they take the triangle-shaped, Look Delta clip or cleat.

I’ve heard that many people like the Nike Super Reps because they have breathable mesh.

How indoor cycling shoes work

As I’ve mentioned many times now, when it comes to indoor cycling shoes you’ll use with a Peloton bike, you want Delta Look cleats on the sole of the shoe. This allows you to clip into the pedal.

These cleats stay on the shoe for two reasons. One, you screw them into the sole. Don’t worry — the innersole provides enough padding that you don’t feel those screws.

And, two, the cleats stay put because of the sole stiffness of cycling shoes. In other words, unlike everyday shoes you might wear, the sole doesn’t bend. That’s a good thing.

Finally, putting on spin shoes isn’t just like tying the laces on your favorite pair of sneakers. These are the most common ways that these shoes open and close:

• Velcro straps
• Ratchet clips
• Dial with loop straps

So, unless you’re familiar with bike shoe closures, it does take some getting used to.

Best socks to wear with bike shoes

Finding the best socks to wear with your Peloton bike shoes is a little like Goldilocks.

You don’t want socks that are too thin or too thick or that run big or small. On the other hand, you want socks that are just right.

In all my years of riding my bike, I’ve found that Bombas socks are the “just right” socks for spinning.

They’re comfortable, padded where they need to be and wick away moisture–if you have sweaty feet like I do.

There are a number of different styles of Bombas sock to choose from.

If you decide to take my advice and invest in Bombas socks, let me offer this one piece of advice.

Go for the quarter height or performance cycling socks.

I made the mistake of getting the no-show kind.

They’re super cute when I wear them everyday.

But I find that they sit too low inside my cycling shoes so the shoes end up rubbing my ankles.

Finally, another benefit to Bombas socks? They’re guaranteed for life. 

Beware of Bombas dupes.

Here’s my article on other products guaranteed for life.

Overall thoughts on Peloton bike shoes

I’m sure you can find cycling shoes priced cheaper than $125 on the Peloton website.

However, remember that sometimes you get what you pay for.

I know that my cycling shoes for Peloton cost about $100.

Like the Peloton cycle shoes, they’ve lasted since 2016.

If you cheap out and get crappy bike shoes, you could end up paying double in the long run.

Double when the shoes hurt your feet or you have to buy new shoes.

In addition, at some point, you should be able to visit a nearby cycle shop.

There you can have a professional fit you for your bike shoes.

Also, you will be supporting a local business.

Finally–and this bears repeating–when buying Peloton spin shoes, you want the kind with three holes on the bottom.

These take the Look Delta cleat.

These are the kind that can clip into the pedals that come with your bike.

It doesn’t matter what brand you buy–they must have three holes in the bottom.

I know some people switch out their pedals to take the SPD cleat shoes that they use with their outdoor bikes.

If that works for you, then go for it.

So, what are the best Peloton shoes? The ones that are compatible with the pedal, are comfortable on your feet and fit your budget.

Let me know if you have any questions.