www.chromebagsstore.com
Thanks to the Kursk Pro, bulky bike shoes that make you walk like Frankenstein and clatter on concrete like Gregory Hines tapping his way across Broadway have now been relegated to long road rides and windy singletrack. At a quick glance, they appear to be just another anonymous canvas low top with a soft-rubber toe box, taking its aesthetic lead from Chuck Taylor.  But Chrome’s red lion logo at the outer ankle indicates that this sneaker has secrets—specifically an SPD-compatible cleat plate recessed into a red, hard-rubber sole.  This stiff rubber is further supported by a full-length midsole plate to provide solid stiffness while pedaling, but provides enough flex for casual wandering when not clipped in.  The contoured support footbed provides day-long comfort, and the recessed clean position makes you more ninja cyclist than tap dancer.  A sliver of reflective tape lines each heel, three eye loops at the inner arch provide a bit of venting, the laces are tipped with metal for added durability, and an elastic band sneaks through the laces on the shoes’ tongues so you can secure the laces—though our testing showed that these laces managed to never get swallowed by typically-hungry front chain rings. When other urban cyclist and holier-than-thou bike shop employees look at your shoes with envy (as happened often while testing these kicks), you know you’re onto something good.   They run a half-size large, so order accordingly if you can’t visit the Chrome stores in Chicago, San Fran, or NYC.
Comes in black and gray