Barefoot Cycling Shoes

(Photo: @the.barefootathetewearing the "Bont Riot +")

Its's been a long time coming but true barefoot biking shoes are here, with a full wide toe box wide toe box. Admittedly, as while we work with professional athletes, we are not professional cyclists, so we asked our followers for some suggestions. Thank you to all those that helped bring this together!

It's also important to understand why people wear biking shoes, and how like dress shoes - you can't compare them to a barefoot shoe (most of you reading this, already know this).

Why Cyclists Wear shoes Instead of Conventional Shoes

Cycling shoes are not just a niche accessory—they provide several key advantages over conventional shoes when riding:

• Power Transfer Efficiency: Cycling cleats lock your foot onto the pedal, ensuring that every bit of force you generate goes into propelling the bike forward, rather than being lost through foot slippage.

• Even Muscle Engagement: With clip-in cleats, you can generate power throughout the entire pedal stroke, not just when pushing down, engaging the hamstrings and glutes more effectively.

• Foot Stability & Alignment: Unlike conventional shoes, which can shift around on the pedal, cycling cleats secure the foot in a stable position, preventing excessive movement that can lead to discomfort or inefficiency.

• Reduced Fatigue: Since your foot remains fixed to the pedal, you use less energy stabilizing your foot, making long rides more comfortable and reducing strain on your muscles.

However, the major downside of traditional cycling shoes has always been their narrow toe box, which compresses the foot and can lead to pain, numbness, and long-term foot issues. This is where the Leviathan cycling shoe stands apart.

Without further ado, we'll bring you, their recommendations!

1: Strong Feet Athletics Leviathan

For years, cyclists searching for a truly wide toe box cycling shoe have been met with disappointment. While the barefoot shoe movement has made strides in running, casual, and even some performance footwear, cycling shoes have remained rigidly narrow—until now. Strong Feet Athletics has finally changed the game with the Leviathan cycling shoe, a revolutionary design that prioritizes both barefoot principles and high-performance cycling.

Why the Leviathan is a Game-Changer

The Leviathan cycling shoe was built from scratch—not adapted from existing designs. Unlike traditional cycling shoes that force the foot into a narrow, dorsiflexed position, the Leviathan maintains a natural foot shape, allowing for optimal toe splay and first-ray activation.

Here’s what makes it unique:

• Unidirectional Carbon Sole: Ultra-stiff for maximum power transfer while maintaining a flat, zero-drop profile.

• SPD and Delta Compatibility: Works with 90%+ of modern cycling cleat systems—whether you're on the road, gravel, MTB, BMX, or commuting.

• FitGo Rotary Dials & Lace Keepers: Allows for micro-adjustments on the go while keeping the laces secure.

• Directional Anti-Slip Heel Fabric: Ensures a locked-in heel for better control during both pedaling and walking.

• Anatomic Walking Pads: Unlike other cycling shoes, these provide a stable walking experience, even with cleats attached.

• Ultra-Wide Toe Box: Finally, a cycling cleat that doesn’t crush your toes.

True Barefoot Design Meets Cycling Performance

Many so-called “barefoot” cycling shoes still compromise toe splay and foot posture in favor of aerodynamics or stiffness. The Leviathan doesn’t. Despite its carbon fiber construction, it doesn’t feel forced, unnatural, or restrictive. The flat sole allows for natural foot engagement, ensuring your foot functions just as it would on flat ground, rather than being forced into dorsiflexion like conventional cycling shoes.

For those of us who have tried every so-called “wide” cycling cleat on the market and still felt restricted, this is the one. The first time you put your foot in, you’ll feel the difference—nothing feels forced, and your toes have so much room to splay that it’s almost surreal.

To add to the craziness, the Leviathan fits perfectly in size 40, whereas a conventional cycling cleat in size 42 feels painfully tiny and leaves me in terrible discomfort. This just highlights how narrow and restrictive traditional cycling shoes truly are, and why a properly designed shoe like the Leviathan is such a game-changer.

Sizing & Availability

The Leviathan has been in development for 9 years, and Strong Feet Athletics is currently producing the first batch of 2,000 pairs. Here’s what you need to know:

• First production batch completed: January 15, 2025.

• Shipping: Factory-direct for the fastest delivery.

• Pre-orders available: If you order now, you’ll receive one of the first pairs.

Final Thoughts

Unlike other niche barefoot shoes—where removing features like padding, structure, or rigidity can negatively impact performance—cycling shoes don’t require as many barefoot design trade-offs. The main challenge has always been the toe box, and Strong Feet Athletics has solved it. The Leviathan is the only cycling cleat on this list that truly respects natural foot shape, making it an absolute must-have for any cyclist who cares about foot health without sacrificing performance.

For barefoot cyclists, this is it—the holy grail of cycling shoes.

You can purchase them here.

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2. Bont

Bont was founded in 1975 by Mrs. Sara Bont and Mr. Inze Bont in Sydney, Australia. They are a world class company, pioneering the construction of thermo moldable shoes, and specialise in heat moldable road cycling shoes, MTB cycling shoes, Track cycling shoes and Triathlon cycling shoes. As seen in the photos below, Bont provides the cycling world an anatomical fitting cleat, which fits wider in comparison to current industry standards. Bont also provides a double wide fit option in their Custom and Semi Custom models.

(Photo: Bont Cycling)

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Figure 1: Riot MTB+ Black/Blue (Dirt)

Figure 2: Vaypor S Black/White (Road)

Figure 3: Riot TR+ Black/Charcoal (Triathlon)

Figure 4: Vaypor T Semi Custom (Track)

Figure 5: Crono MK2 (Aero)

(Photo: Bont Cycling Size Chart)

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3. Northwave

Founded in Italy in 1991, Northwave produce snowboard and cycling equipment. They have a limited number of models in stock with wider options. Unfortunately, they don't have any information regarding the measurements of their widths.

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Figure 1: Northwave Core Plus 2 Wide

Figure 2: Northwave Origin Plus 2 Wide

Figure 3: Northwave Origin Plus Wide

Figure 4: Northwave Core Plus Wide

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(Photo: Left: Origin Plus Wide Right: Core Plus Wide)

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4. Shimano

Founded in Japan in 1921, Shimano have produced all things cycling related, including a range of cycling shoes. Their shoes are fit for a range of terrains, and also come in wider sizes.

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Figure 1-2: RC3

Figure 3-4: RC5

Figure 5-7: RC7

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5. Lake

Founded in Evanston, Illinois in 1982, Lake specialises in a wide range of cycling shoes, including an extra wide range (See below).

(Photo: Lake Extra Wide Range)

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(Photo: Left: MX 241 Right: CX301)

(Photo: Lake Fit Matrix)

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6. Pearl Izumi

Founded in Tokyo in 1950, Pearl Izumi manufactures cleats for a number of scenarios. No information on their width was available on their website however.

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Figure 1: X-ALP Flow (Above and Below)

Figure 2: X-ALP Canyon (Above and Below)

Figure 3: X-ALP Divide (Above and Below)

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7. Rocket 7

Founded in the US in 1999, Rocket 7 make custom cycling shoes, with options such as making a shoe to mould to your foot. They non-complete custom versions go all the way up to 53EEE.

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Figure 1: Handmade Stock Shoes

Figure 2: Handmade Semi Custom Shoes

Figure 3: Handmade Full Custom Shoes

Click here for more info.

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Conclusion:

The information behind the results of this article were provided by our followers, in addition to our own judgement and strong feet athletics cleat is the one true one with bont being a good back up plan. The general consensus seems to be that Bont is the clear favorite

, followed by Lake; However, Lake also had a negative response by a follower. Rocket 7 seems to be another possible choice, as the shoe is completely customizable.