SPD cleat adapter, recessing the cleat.

https://youtu.be/mIn17Y7S2ak

I bought a stiff-soled road cycling shoe on Temu that is compatible with both SPD and SPD-SL cleats. Initially, I planned to use it with SPD-SL pedals, but eventually decided to go with SPD. To fully benefit from the SPD system (e.g., being able to walk in the shoes without damaging tiles or other surfaces and the cleat itself), the cleat needs to be recessed into the sole.

To solve this, I designed an adapter that fits the shape of the shoe sole perfectly and prevents the cleat from touching the ground while walking. The adapter consists of two parts: a base plate 3D-printed from PETG, and a wear-resistant, anti-slip cover made from TPU/TPE that snaps onto the base.

After the PETG base plate and the SPD cleat are screwed onto the shoe, the base plate should be heated with a hairdryer and molded to the curved shape of the shoe sole. Once cooled and set in place, the TPU cover can be snapped onto the base plate.

The edges and corners of both the base plate and the cover can be gently smoothed using sandpaper or a Dremel tool.

If clipping into the SPD pedal feels difficult, check where the TPU cover is making contact and carefully deepen those spots with sandpaper or a Dremel tool. In my case, the photos show exactly where the pedal was contacting the cover—I simply shaved down those spots a bit, and that solved the problem.

Similar adapters can be found on Amazon, but most of them stick out awkwardly from the sides of this shoe or wear out quickly. With this design, the adapter precisely follows the contour of the sole, and if the wear-resistant part ever gets worn down, only the cover needs to be reprinted—not the entire adapter. That said, I’ve been using mine for over a year and haven’t had to replace the cover yet.

I’m only publishing this now because, after more than a year of use, the right base plate—which was just a very first test print with weak settings—finally broke. The part holding the cover cracked. The left side base plate still works but it was already with higher infill setting printed. Based on my experience so far, I’ve made some slight design improvements and reprinted the base with stronger settings: higher infill, thicker walls, top and bottom layers, and a higher printing temperature for better durability.