Only issue I've had w/ the A530s are that they can be a little bit slippery in the rain. I may give Grip Kings a try though, as I've really felt no huge performance difference using winter shoes vs SPD MTB shoes I've been wearing previously. The hot spot created by the A530 can bother me as well, since I have some plantar fasciitis I'm still trying to get over.

Also tried the Power Grips, it felt much more difficult to pop out of these guys than the SPDs... should probably transplant it on another bike and give it a second shot.