Yes, you can wear any regular cycling shoes when riding stationary bikes if you want to make your indoor workouts more efficient. They’re just way stiffer and provide better stability, compared to standard sneakers. If you prefer your workout shoes with a big swoosh along the sides, though, you’ll definitely want to check out the Nike SuperRep Cycle.
No, Nike hasn’t made the leap back to cycling quite yet, a market they’ve chosen to abandon around 2008. Instead, it’s the newest addition to the gym-focused SuperRep family that’s geared specifically for use with indoor cycling. And while you can probably wear them when actually taking your road bike for a spin, the shoes are decidedly fashioned to perform their best strictly in an indoor setting, so actual performance might vary for outdoor use.
The Nike SuperRep Cycle is an indoor cycling footwear that’s meant to be worn for spin workouts at home and in the gym, so you can gear up in full Nike livery while doing your Peloton classes at the comfort of your bedroom. It’s compatible with two-bolt cleats, three-bolt cleats, and toe cages, all of which are common in stationary bicycles, ensuring you should be able to use it with most any spin bike you encounter. Why not just wear the same cross-training shoes you’ve been wearing for all your workouts? While that’s always an option, wearing proper cycling shoes bring definite advantages on stationary bikes with their stiffer soles and secure hold on the pedals, allowing you to really step up the gains you can get from all that time in the saddle.
Designed to maximize breathability, the shoe uses a translucid mesh on the upper, along with a perforated sockliner and vents through the bottom of the plate, all of which should encourage better airflow around your feet. Suffice to say, this is meant to keep away those wet and heavy shoes that are not that uncommon during spin classes.
The Nike SuperRep Cycle has a support arc on the medial side, which, the outfit claims, helps secure the feet during standing side-to-side movements (like you do when you’re climbing uphill), ensuring better lateral support for those times you pop out of the saddle. It uses a split sole design that you’ll frequently find on the outfit’s specialty footwear (like football shoes) that’s made from a stiff material to ensure your stability when you put your foot down on the pedal. Rubber studs on the outsole, along with a textured toe plate, should provide enough traction to let you walk normally whenever you need to get off the bike (you’ll need to refill that water bottle you’ve sipping from throughout the class, after all). A simplified closure system that uses Velcro straps in place of laces ensures you’ll be able to quickly slip the shoes on and off.
The Nike SuperRep Cycle will be available in Europe and North America beginning this month. Global release is slated for June 1st. No pricing has been listed.