Originally Posted by
Ben I.
OP, I'm confused by your question. You're asking about road shoes with recessed cleats?
Road shoe cleats stick out while MTB shoe cleats are recessed in the treat of the shoes. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding the question.
Not all MTB (read that SPD-capable) shoes are "recessed". Some of the "multi-cleat" capable (like I posted above) are not recessed. They are just able to hold SPD cleats.
The recess is definitely what makes the shoe. Without a recess, might as well go road unless it's a transition thing. (I actually totally missed that the shoe I was showing was *not* recessed)
Kona and I both came from Shimano SPD-based "Click'r" series shoes and they were a fantastic transition from platforms into the clipless game. We have since both transitioned from Hybrid bikes to road bikes but stuck with SPD-based pedals/shoes.
I, too, wouldn't mind a nice set of road-looking shoes and may....(big MAY)....transition to full road in the future but I'm still not convinced (though some in my group rides try) that road setups offer anything more than SPD setups do.
(shrug)