Mountain Biking - MTB Shoes

I realize that the definitive factor in shoes is feel and fit. That applies to all street shoes. But what about biking shoes? I've been looking at the Lake MX80 MTB shoes, and since I'm on a very tight budget, would those be a good buy? They're on sale at PricePoint for $18 a pair.

I picked up a pair a few weeks ago.. I figured for the price what did I have to loose.. they are not bad.. but not the most comfortable in the world.

CHeck out nashbar they have closeouts on quite a few shoes in that pricerange to.. ranging from Lake.. to Shimano..and sidi for $5-10 more.

I really like Specialized or Sidi shoes.

You feel a bike shoe's quality more when you're walking than when you're riding. The exception being sole stiffness (rarely an issue). If you're looking for multi-purpose shoes, something you can hike your bike for miles in, then I would discourage you from buying online. You should head to your LBS and try some different shoes on, and see if any bother you. From there you can either buy from the LBS or look online for a better deal on the same shoe (thats no guarentee the shoes you get online will feel the same as in the shop). In my case, I don't like having to walk my bike at all. I've used Look's shoes in the past, so I grabbed a pair of them off Nashbar for about $20. I wouldn't want to have to walk in them, but then they're not walking shoes.

So I guess the important items are:

1. sole stiffness
2. proper fit

Like any street shoe, proper fit for me is a must. But since I'd feel the fit more when I'm walking than when I'm riding, then I guess it'd be a second item to consider? In any case, there're shops here that'll beat online prices, so I can look into getting a pair that fits me properly, even at those low prices.

Thanks everyone! :)

my wife got a pair of Pearl Izumi MTB shoes. They're inexpensive for what you get. It's a pretty technical shoe, but still walkable, and I've see them on sale for $50.

I have the MX80s and I think they are a great shoe. Much more comfortable than my Time road shoes.