SPD pedals have improved greatly over the years and I find the newer ones to allow for more lateral movement and still keep my cleats in place on hills and are easier to release my shoes when I need to do so. As was mentioned the number of shoes for 2-pin cleats is limited and even more so for Look compatible shoes.
Sizing is also not uniform even with a single manufacturer. Some Shimano shoes at size 45 were shorter than ones size 44 and it was a trial and error process with many shoes to finally find a pair that fit properly. I finally bought a pair of Shimano ME5 shoes in sizes 44 and 45. Although I have worn size 44 shoes for decades it was the size 45 with the ME5 shoes that fit properly and that I kept.