Shoes
 

Though I've been riding for over 30 years, I still consider myself a novice having just updated to a better cycle, CAAD 9, which I like very much.
But I'm tired of Toe clip pedals and would like to get Road shoes and pedals.
My LBS (which I've become somewhat distrusting of late) appears to gear towards $2500 and up bikes and their owners.
My feets is big (US 14).
I'm looking for suggestions of where to look online and what I should expect to spend.

It's something that you have to try on and what's comfortable to you. A lot of people like Sidi shoes, but I personally like the Specialized shoes, because they have more of a box toe and feel much better to me, than the Sidi do. I do have both.

I have a very "normal" foot and so I have been able to get away with shoes that have been on sale. I have only had two pair my entire clipless life of 15 years. For me - what ever is on sale works. Pedals though - Speedplays, just love them.

You need to decide what kind of clipless pedals you want to use. I have Look KEOs on my road bike - the shoes are typical Road shoes with hard soles that take some getting used to in order to walk more than a couple of feet. I have cleat covers for when I need to walk in them so the cleats don't get worn down.

I have SPD/platform pedals on my hybrid. I use Shimano MTB shoes where the cleats are recessed so they are very easy to walk in. I've had these shoes for about 6 years and the soles and cleats are still in good condition. I'm just starting to wear the inside of the shoe near the upper heel, so if I see another pair on sale I'll pick some up.

I used to have the small SPDs on my road bike, but when I started doing long distances I got hot spots on my feet. I switched to the Looks with the larger pedal base and that helped alleviate the problem.

I also use MTB shoes with SPD clips on my road bike. I think that if you're not racing they are a great alternative to road bike cleats. You can walk in MTB shoes without clacking and you don't give up much performance for everyday riding.

I've discovered that buying shoes without trying them out is a pain. I get on fine with SPD in a MTB shoe.

SPD and road, touring, or mtb shoes. Quite a few road shoes come with holes and a plate for mounting two-hole cleats like SPDs. Touring shoes have a smooth rubber sole on each side of the cleat to facilitate more normal walking. MTB shoes have aggressively lugged soles that also permit more normal walking. Good/high quality shoes are available in any of these types.

IMO, road cleats are generally big and cumbersome with no significant advantages.

Sidi's tend to run narrow and my podiatrist, who also rides and is our team podiatrist, doesn't recommend Sidi's for folks with other than normal feet, so at size 14 you may be carrying a lot of weight and need a wider shoe. At 50+ you may need to have orthotic inserts if your feet are flat or have special problems. For road only, especially if you are doing any kind of competition, go with a good road shoe. Even if they are a little expensive, get a good shoe as they are not like running shoes and will probably last you for decades. Road shoes are stiffer and give you more forward motion. Mountain bike shoes have a more compliant sole and are a little easier to walk in, but how often do you walk while riding? Usually just around a rest area, etc, so road shoes with cleat covers work fine.
Specialized has some nice shoes and are decently priced, they also sell different insoles so you can try the inexpensive ones before shelling out for the expensive ones from the podiatrist. Best bet, try and find a store or stores that have several brands and try them on. With a size 14 you're probably out of luck though. Pearl Izumi is usually a little less expensive. As for pedals, get something that is large to give you a nice platform. The Speedplay lollipop pedals are great if you're a racer, but kind of small for a big foot. Shimano has some nice ones that don't cost a fortune and give you a pretty big surface area.

I have wide feet and have Sidi Genius 5.5 mega shoes (mega is for wide feet) and SPD-SL pedals. Kinda like Look pedals but a bit wider providing a wider support platform.

I got tired of having multiple pedal systems and switched all my bikes to Crank Bros. (Candys or Quattros).

A very nice shoe with a recessed two-bolt cleat that will work these pedals is the Specialized Elite Tour (around $150, IIRC).

thanks for all the good info.
Guess I'll scour the one other LBS and then try NYC for some try ons.