Originally Posted by
noglider
I use SPD cleats pretty much all the time. I'm more comfortable with them that without them. If you like them while commuting or on leisure rides, then yes, use them for touring. But it's not a good idea to start using something new just because you're on tour. Even if you learn to use them, you may learn you don't like them. They're not for everyone. Heck, I don't even recommend them to people. I use them because I like them, not because I think they're superior for anyone else.
Yes, but...
Some touring cyclists I know cover imperial centuries pretty well daily when on tour... or doing Audax rides which move 24-hour totals out to much longer distance than that. Sort of not hard to see the choice most of those riders take.