[QUOTE=Burton;15444406]Can't agree that its quite that simple. I believe Shimano SPD SL specific shoes are graded in stiffness on a scale from 6 to 12 and SPD specific shoes from 2 to 11. Fitting a person with large feet with SPD pedals with a small platform and combining that with a very soft shoe and then expecting them to tour long distances without discomfort from pressure points is being a little overly optimistic.

Small platforms work fine with stiff shoes because the sole becomes the platform. Its a system thats intended to work together. You might get acceptable results accidentaly, but you'll probably get much better results if you accept that the choices are expected to be made deliberately based on the COMBINED result.[/QUOTE]

I don't think I could disagree with that and I'm not suggesting otherwise. That said, Shimano for example offer a huge choice which would combine a stiff sole with a suitable SPD pedal and if there is a problem in my view then this may lie in choosing a too-stiff sole which would make walking a chore.


For years I've favoured this Specialised shoe :
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...shoes-ec010934

and combined with the Shimano PDM505 pedals have found this to be a great combination. However, relatively recently I've been seduced by the new Shimano PD A530 which I've linked, as these to me offer the advantages of an SPD pedal and the ability to use ordinary shoes to nip up to the shops.