Originally Posted by
2frmMI
As many others here, we use SPD's and mountain shoes all around on our tandem and the singles so we can go back and forth without needing different shoes. We used Shimano 747's (top-end double sided mountain bike designs, current model is the M970) for a long time, but in a concession to road bikes, as the 747's have worn out, we've been replacing them with PD-A520's, a road pedal accepting the SPD style cleat. These are intermediate in weight and durability, but we like 'em. I like Sidi Dominator 5 shoes, stoker uses some model of Diadora that I don't recall (but which are bright shiny orange color!).
We've also migrated to the Shimano A520 pedals. We initially got them to see if they would help with the stoker's foot pain, and I found that they virtually eliminated hot spots for me with the Sidi Dominator 5 shoes. We eventually figured out that the pain she was experiencing was due to the lack of arch support in her Sidi Dominator 5's and solved that with a pair of Specialized Body Geometry MTB shoes for her.
Our absolute favorite shoes, however, are the Keen Cycling Sandals. While not stiff at all, they are cool, comfy, and absolutely walkable. Since performance and efficiency aren't priorities with us, we generally use them if it's warm enough and we're planning to travel less than 50 miles. Above that and we can tell we benefit from the stiffer soles in the MTB shoes.