Commuting - Shoe Dilemma

I love riding with clipless SPD pedals on my road/commuter bike to work.

But walking around in SPD shoes for more than a few minutes makes my left thigh ache like crazy.

But I hate bringing a pair of work/dress shoes to the office. My panniers aren't big enough to accommodate them so I have to haul them in a backpack.

So....

are there business shoes that are also SPD compatible and don't affect the way my feet contact the ground?

Or do you have any other ideas? I'd rather not leave shoes at work.

How about just using cages on the commuter? I like SPDs too, but if you'd rather not change cages are a good compromise.

I dont like clipless but why not just leave a pair of work shoes AT work and change?

You can ride in dress shoes... IF you use Powergrips and keep a tin of polish and a a shining rag in your desk. I did it for years.

Go with a mountain bike shoe. The cleat tends to be more recessed since mountain shoes take into account that the bike must be pushed more often. I ride with Specialized Tahoe's on both my road and mountain bikes (I use eggbeater cleats) and they are very comfortable to walk in. In fact walking on concrete you can hardly hear the "click,click" of the cleats.

But they are not business shoes...I just leave a pair of business shoes at the office.

I vote for leave shoes at work too. I have 2 pairs and some sandals (for showering) at work.

+1 to the pair at work.

Leave a pair of shoes at work. That's what I do. I can't imagine walking around in cycling shoes all day. That's can't be good for you.

http://www.addiktioncycles.com/smsimg/13/678-2895-main-bmt21-13.jpg

Shimano BMT 21 or something similar. I wear these around town. The cleat is recessed enough to walk without clicking.

They are still stiff tho if that's what makes your leg hurt.

Leave a pair of shoes at work. That's what I do. I can't imagine walking around in cycling shoes all day. That's can't be good for you.

I've walked for several hours in my Specialized Tahoe's and they are quite comfortable.

How about just using cages on the commuter? I like SPDs too, but if you'd rather not change cages are a good compromise.

because


Or do you have any other ideas? I'd rather not leave shoes at work.

Duuuuuuuh...


However, to the OP, there just aren't a lot of solutions I've seen some pics of cheesy office shoes (leather, etc) that had a cleat but I'm dubious about them. I've seen "normal looking" shoes with a cleat.

But I haven't seen any normal looking business shoes. Either using a strap system like Power Grips, or leaving shoes at work are the only two options I'm aware of, other than just using platform pedals.