Originally Posted by
stevage
I guess it depends how highly you value speed and distance over comfort and side trips.
Not sure I get the comfort part of that. Maybe that should say comfort on the bike vs comfort off the bike?
Some people wear stiff shoes for comfort on the bike. Some wear flexible shoes for comfort off bike. Some manage to find comfort for both with one or the other type shoe.
Personally if I only had one pair of shoes on tour my first choice would be a stiff shoe with recessed cleats. That said I like to have some Crocs or flip flops for a break when off bike. While not ideal I can hike a few miles in either Crocs or stiff bike shoes without serious discomfort and I typically spend way more hours riding than hiking.