Cafe Fashions: DZR Shoes, More Versatile Than Ever

As more and more people turn to their bike for getting around, bike fashions are expanding exponentially, with a really attractive new line coming from somewhere seemingly every week. Shoes have been the last piece of the puzzle, however, and it seems like only in the last couple years are we getting great looking, fun, comfortable and highly functional cycling shoes to keep on your feet after you've parked the bike.

Enter DZR Shoes, and their several very slick, and very comfortable biker lines, migrating from Switzerland to San Francisco. They carry a number of lines, including 14 in the biker dudes category itself. Here are a couple:

The Strasse

The Mechanic

I received the Strasse for demo purposes, and found them to be something I like wearing every day. For starters, they've breathed life back into my moribund shoe collection. But they also became my go-to bike shoes for weekday and evening activities.

The Strasses fit like a glove, nice and snug, and the lace holes let you crank up the tension for riding purposes. Soft denim-like upper exteriors may not make for longevity -- we'll see -- but apart from looking fun they allow you to crank down on the tension when needed. This translates into high-functioning bike shoes.

The Strasses are now the shoe I wear to work. They feel nice on my feet all day, without scratching anyone's floor. [The cleats are sufficiently recessed to avoid that issue.] They repel water, clip in well, look fashionable, and reflect light at night. They are stiff enough to keep the pedals moving, easily, with a shank that applies stiffness in certain areas for leverage but flexibility in others, so you can walk like you're wearing a normal shoe.

I think my favorite aspect of these shoes is how natural they feel both on and off the bike. There simply is no reason to change shoes getting on or off your bike. Not changing clothing for the bike... that's the dream. And this stiffness for pedaling, or lack thereof for walking, is where most bike shoes lack versatility. It's usually one or the other. DZR have cracked the code on delivering both, and it's a big move toward a shoe that really works all day.

The Mechanics are largely the same technology in a shoe that's meant to look a bit more formal. Are loafers de rigeur in your office? This line is your best bet. Personally I love the Coves and the Whites, the latter being a truly original idea, making a bike shoe that looks like an old school tennis sneaker. The Mambas beef up the entire high-top shape. The Dirt lines get a bit beefier for heavy duty performance, and still manage to offer a variety of looks, as do the Flat Pedal lines. The Marcos take heft to boot-like levels. The offerings for women are fewer but hopefully on the grow.

To better understand the company's approach, check out the list of technologies available for their several lines, and then click on a shoe and see the badges showing which of the technologies that model utilizes.