Shoe Selection
 

Some have really stiff soles, some have softer and more walkable soles. Some have straps, some have laces, some have both. What features did you choose and why?

shimano SPD sandle for summer, specialised MBT for winter when fast clippless commuting. I am usually not a clipness rider however due to school runs, then I wear MBT physiological footwear. I use cheapish boat shoes,(like VANS), if riding a trails/bmx bike with studded pedals.

A stiffer sole will be more comfortable for pedaling and will have better results in efficiency, I believe. Softer soles will be more comfortable for walking in but less performance-oriented. I prefer shoes with 2 velcro straps and a ratcheting strap on top. The velcro straps are preferred because I'm lazy and the ratcheting strap for one that I'm sure won't begin to lose grip under high stress (the top strap has the most stress).

ps.
I would never ride clipless sandals (or sandals of any sort) for MTBing.

When Clipped in:

SH-M225 - Basically like a carbon road shoe, with lugs and toe spikes.


On Platform pedals:

An beat-up pair of Airwalks with all the stiffness of bathroom slippers.

Sidi Bullet for when I'm clipped in. Stiff sole, good fit, and cheaper than the Dominators.
Five.Ten Impact for platforms. Much stickier and stiffer sole than the skate shoes I wore before I got them.

I just got into this whole cycling deal but here's what I looked for when purchasing shoes.

1. Comfort, not so much for walking but overall feel of shoe when pedaling and on the bike.
2. Ease of getting into and out of the shoe. I liked the 2 lower velcro straps and the ratcheting strap up top. Although Shimanos ratcheting system leaves something to be desired.
3. Price, I wanted something that would help me in my riding and hold up for at least a year.

I ended up going with Shimano 132

I just read Grant Petersen's current take on shoes/pedals http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse

While I can appreciate his take, and am no racer these days, I still prefer clipless and a shoe with a reasonably stiff sole, but with some tread for hike a bike. The Lake shoes are my favorite last few years with their Vibram soles, and I like the laced version with the lace cover and velcro strap setup (MX165s are what I'm currently using). A long time ago I started with standard pedals with toeclips and used whatever tennis type shoe I had in the closet. I did get sore feet on longer pedaling days, and tried some specific cycling shoes with a stiff sole and liked that a lot, felt my feet fatigued less. Kept using the stiff sole when I went clipless. Works for me at least...

Specialized S-Works. Love the cable system. it's easy to tweak it on the go. Stiff as hell. Also super ventilated.

Lake MXZ301 Winter boots. Similar cable system, super warm, and bonus ankle protection.

I know I don't pull up on the pedals much. Maybe going up a steep hill when I'm out of the saddle mashing some big gear, and probably moreso on the road than on the trail, but usually it's more "pressure on the downstroke, sweep across the bottom, let up on the pressure on the upstroke." There are just some things that are easier to do with clipless. You know you're not going to slip a pedal, and yes, you're able to cheat the bike up in the air. On the other hand, platforms give me more confidence, and they force me to work on my technical skill moreso than clipless do. Hence running both.