My first pair of shoes were Shimano MTB-style shoes, something in the lower end of their line. I purchased those primarily because of price and they seemed more walkable, less roadie.

They sucked.

My current pair is Shimano M0-76, and I love them. They look very "roadie" but are actually way more walkable than the first pair. I would definitely ask the folks in the bike shop to let you walk around in them with the cleats installed so you can get a feel for that.