Commuting - Did I misunderstand something?

I finally bought some clipless shoes/pedals and got them in the mail today from Nashbar. Maybe I didnt do my "homework" enough on the shoes before I ordered them. But I was under the impression that Mountain SPD shoes basically meant that I wouldnt be tap dancing everywere. Was I wrong?

These are the shoes (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=19951&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products) if that is any help.

Oh yea, I ate it on my maiden voyage :eek:
Trying to hop up on a curb in the dark. It was a 1mph crash and luckily no one saw it!

Even MTB shoes have cleats that grind a little as you walk. Much more comfortable than road shoes though.

Even MTB shoes have cleats that grind a little as you walk. Much more comfortable than road shoes though.

Absolutely! I love my Diadoras on a SPD. My roadie is still fitted with Looks with regular road shoes - if I didn't have to buy now the mtb that I had been planning on (other mtb/commuter was stolen last week) - I'd be putting new SPD's on the roadie and most likely be using my mtb shoes on that for around the town ventures. Nice to walk normal and not skid when walking into stores!

Some mtn bike shoes have less tread than others.

Mine are Lakes and I barely even notice my cleats.

All my cleats grind a little bit - a little more on some shoes than others. You'll eventually stop noticing.

Nice shoes!! You'll get use to the tap dancing. Ride on!!!

Have both Lake MTB Shoes and Sandals.....both are silent and non-skid on floors, blacktop and road surfaces...however, if walking on old concrete, then there is a very noticeable grinding sound.

Some mtn bike shoes have less tread than others.

Mine are Lakes and I barely even notice my cleats.

same here.

When I swap my eggbeater cleats for new ones they tend to grind for a little while until they wear down a bit.

I've got a pair of Shimano shoes. If the surface is absolutely flat, they don't tap. If I'm walking where there's a little sand or something, the sand contacts the cleat and I can feel/hear it.

Have both Lake MTB Shoes and Sandals.....both are silent and non-skid on floors, blacktop and road surfaces...however, if walking on old concrete, then there is a very noticeable grinding sound.
+1
It's the same with my Forte CM200's. Sounds like a garbage disposal full of sand when I walk on the concrete sidewalk outside my apartment, but there's nothing more than regular shoe noises when I walk around the grocery store.

Some mtn bike shoes have less tread than others.

Mine are Lakes and I barely even notice my cleats.
Ditto. I have Lakes too and barely any cleats on them.

http://www.lakecycling.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=MX101

http://www.lakecycling.com/images/Products/medium/sole/vibram_trail.jpg

I was expecting my Diadora Bike Patrols to be fairly flush, but I get cleat grinds - gets me a little paranoid when carrying weight (like a bike) down certain stairs, but I figure it's part and parcel of having metal bolted to the ball of your shoe.

I had the exact same question a few months ago when I got my SPD shoes and pedals. However, it then occurred to me that if the cleats were fully recessed in the shoe, it would be nearly impossible for the cleat to lock into the pedal, since there needs to be something protruding in order for them to grab.
As far as amount of noise, mine only grind when I'm on concrete or brick (basically anything that's a matrix of sand or small particulates). Every other surface and they're fine (linoleum, tile, wood, metal, etc).

Thanks for the info everyone! I wore the shoes on a few errands after work today and except for the death grind on sidewalks, I didnt even notice them at all. I was allmost ready to ebay them last night!

haha and I'm at 2 falls for 3 rides on them so far. But I am starting to unclip BEFORE the stop instead of trying to figure out if I am gonna have to unclip or not.