There’s a flatland BMX freestyle contest going down in southeastern Massachusetts this Sunday.

Flatland freestyle, as you may gather, is done on flat land, and often involves intricate footwork where the rider dances with the bike while trying to avoid touching their feet to the ground. I chatted with the manager of the Flatland Fracas contest series- my old BMX chum- Rick Macdonald, about the shoe angle:

P. What type of footwear do you recommend for riders when flatlanding?

Rick: Mostly low or mid top skateboarding shoes like Vans, Etnies, etc… Some older guys who need the support are using full hightop basketball shoes, but those are getting hard to find with a flat sole, or no devices implanted into them. I don’t know how some of these riders do it with low-top canvas shoes. I would break a metatarsal or something within minutes.

P. Remember those “bear-trap” style pedals? Does anyone use those flatlanding, or were those more for BMX racing? 

Rick: Nobody uses those for flatland- one false move and you are talking a few hundred stitches! Actually, flatlanders prefer a plastic pedal. Some even use a flat, grip tape surfaced pedal that looks like a mini-skateboard.

P. Do you ever put extra grip tape on your bike?

Rick: Sometimes I will put a small piece at the base of my seat post (where the platform used to be) for a little assurance on certain tricks, but today’s most progressive riders don’t touch the frame much with their feet, or even scuff their shoes on the tires… it’s all fast rolling and pumping for momentum! It’s pretty crazy to see the evolution of what is possible on these bikes after so long.

P. Do you still have any of those Kool-Stop Vans brake shoes?

Rick: Kool-Stop actually sent us a ton of brake shoes to give out at the Fracas last year! They still make the Vans shoes today, even though many BMX riders use no brakes at all. That trend comes and goes, but brakes will always be part of riding. No brakes equals quicker worn-out shoes.

P. I find a lot of shoes these days come with really long laces. When I BMX freestyled, my worst dread was having the shoelace get caught in the chainwheel. Have you ever laced your shoes “bicycle” style?

Rick: No, that’s an excellent idea though. I sometimes cut them shorter and melt the ends with a lighter- a “do it yourself” aglet.

P. You are running this event, and you also still ride. What’s your current stunt peg scheme? platforms, fork-stands, etc…

Rick: Years ago, standing platforms pretty much disappeared from freestyle bikes, as balance tricks and any frame-standing moves were pretty much phased out. Riding styles change and that drives the design of the bikes, but axle pegs in varying quantities will always be found on freestyle BMX bikes.

P. Do any good foot-plants lately?

Rick: I love foot-planting and boosting over a planter or curb, and it seems like a good footplant or fastplant can always fit into street riding, all you need is the right loading dock! Some things will never go out of style in BMX.