Originally Posted by
Voodoo76
I disagree somewhat. The real problem for a newbie is knowing proper fit. Hell I've been at this over 30 years and still can get fooled by how a shoe feels in the store vs. 3 hrs later on the road. Unfortunatley, like saddles, there is no easy path. So go online and Buy a few different brands on sale or closeout till you hit on it. In my case Shimano = yes, Specialized = no (but they felt great in the store), Sidi = OK (although I havn't tried them recently).
edit: unless your LBS is willing to let you test ride shoes.
I hear you...but still, trying the shoes on in the store should get you in the ballpark, size-wise...buying blindly online is too much of a crap-shoot IMO. As usual, YMMV.