Great Lakes - Good place to buy road shoes in S/SE WI?

I have a bit of a wide foot, so I'm interested in the brands that I've heard are good for feet like mine (Specialized and Sidi). However, since I know very little about road biking shoes I would like to go somewhere that might have a salesperson who is more knowledgeable about road shoes than the average LBS employee--nothing against them, but I would feel more confident with someone who knows road shoes and who can help me find something that fits my feet. I'd prefer Madison area, but I'll listen to suggestions from other southern Wisconsin locations. Any recommendations?

You might try Williamson in the old train depot. They had both the Shimanos and the Sidis in stock in my size and wide. The guy I dealt with seemed fairly knowledgable to me.

I would try Yellow Jesey in Madison and Ben's Bikes in Milwaukee.

With so many bike shops in Madison I always go to two or three before making a major purchase. I ended up getting a pair of SIDI's from budget (best price) and talked with a very knowlegable salesperson there. +1 on Yellow Jersey- Andy and his employees know their stuff. Machinery Row is another good choice. I haven't dealt with Willy Street Bikes (on West Wash) much at all but they seem to carry lots of high-end stuff.

Thanks for the tips so far. I've actually never been to Yellow Jersey, so I'll probably give them a try. I've always had good experiences with Willy Street Bikes, but when I went in to look at shoes I got a very pick-what-you-like-best vibe, rather than the more guided assistance that I was hoping for. I'll give them another try; maybe I just need to ask more questions.

Does anyone go to Erik's on Whitney Way? They sell Specialized and their website lists some nice prices, especially on 06 models.

Erik's is having a bike sale but they stock no shoes, zippo, zip. Odd, isn't it? Unless they are in the east side store...

While we are on the subject, are there road style shoes with SPD compatibility? I've got some Shimano touring/mountain style, and am getting a little tired of the hot foot.

Also check out Machinery Row Bicycles at 601 Williamson Street.

Erik's is having a bike sale but they stock no shoes, zippo, zip. Odd, isn't it? Unless they are in the east side store...



Just want to correct this for posterity's sake. I was at the west side Erik's and they did indeed have shoes in stock. They had about 15 styles each of road and mountain shoes, and just about all of the standard sizes available for each style. I still haven't bought anything, but I do like the Specialized Pro Carbon...:p

Am I blind? I walked all around the store, at least I thought, and saw nothing. If I had been seriously looking, instead of browsing, I would have asked, but I am more getting ideas at this point. What were they near?

Go in the front door and turn right. You'll be facing the cash register area, but the shoes will be directly behind it and slightly to the left. You don't notice them at first because they aren't displayed like shoes regularly are (these are hanging off of clips), but they're there.