I was in a similar situation to yourself cheap_skate and ended up getting the Specialized Sport MTB Shoes with a pair of Shimano M520 pedals. Be sure to get down to a store and see if they fit you well though, I wouldn't have known to buy a pair one size bigger if I hadn't tried them on at the store. Very comfy (have not encountered any hot spots with their use so far) and super easy to clip in and out of the M520 pedals, after a bit of practice of course