Originally Posted by
Chris Pringle
2. Shoes: I've had good experience with Specialized BG MTB shoes with stiffer sole which range between $150-$200. I researched a lot before buying. I went with these when I read that this brand allows more room to place the cleat further down the shoe. They also have extra wide shoes that my feet seem to like better. The MTB shoes at this price range are so stiff that I can barely call them walkable, but they come with a couple of extra cleats at the front for off-road traction. I also bought the special sole insert that was about $40-$50 bucks to contour nicely around my feet giving them better support. I went to a store that had a trained Specialized fit specialist.
+1 to Specialized carbon-soled MTB shoes (I wear the "Experts"). I can walk completely comfortably in them for a half-mile or so, and could walk a lot longer if necessity arose, although they're stiff enough that they wouldn't be my first choice for walking shoes. I don't have the special insoles. Sidi shoes aren't the same shape as my feet at all, and would never work for me, personally.
I did have hotspots (and numbness) in my old shoes, which were softer-soled and women's (narrower), although they were also Specialized. The width was more important than the stiff soles, but both help. (My winter shoes are Specialized Defrosters, which aren't as stiff but are men's width.) With the new shoes, no issues at all, even when I did the risky thing of wearing them on a 200K permanent as their first trip longer than around the block to check the cleat angle.