Adidas Velosamba cycling shoes review

The Velosambas ace the look, but are just too stiff for full urban use

Image shows Adidas Velosamba SPD cycling shoes
(Image credit: Anna Abram)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Arguably the best looking SPD-compatible cycling shoes (I would argue it!). Although I must say, I was hoping the Velosambas would lean closer to being ‘easy-to-walk-in trainers which you can also ride clipped in’ - rather than the ‘stiff cycling shoes which also blend as trainers’, which they turned out to be. Excellent for looking good while riding, but not particularly comfy when off the bike around town.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Good-looking

  • +

    Reflective sides and heel detailing

  • +

    Stiffness is great for urban riding

  • +

    Decent grip for walking

  • +

    Available in half sizes

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Stiff sole is hard to walk in

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Casual urban-styled cycling shoes with clipless SPD pedal compatibility for 2-bolt cleats are becoming increasingly available - with Adidas being the first major footwear brand to hop on this trend. 

Adidas Velosamba SPD cycling shoes

The Velosmaba brings classic Adidas styling to a cycling specific shoe

(Image credit: Anna Abram)

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Anna Marie Abram
Fitness Features Editor

I’ve been hooked on bikes ever since the age of 12 and my first lap of the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in the bright yellow kit of the Hillingdon Slipstreamers. For a time, my cycling life centred around racing road and track. 

But that’s since broadened to include multiday two-wheeled, one-sleeping-bag adventures over whatever terrain I happen to meet - with a two-week bikepacking trip from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia being just the latest.

I still enjoy lining up on a start line, though, racing the British Gravel Championships and finding myself on the podium at the enduro-style gravel event, Gritfest in 2022.

Height: 177cm

Weight: 60–63kg