voyager1

Any advice about trying them on? Anything to avoid? I have Shimano PD-A530 pedals and the bike is a Trek 1200 if that helps.

f4rrest

Definitely go somewhere local where you can try them on.

​​​​​​You'll likely discover a couple brands work well with your feet and others don't.

Shimagnolo

Something I have learned the hard way with both running shoes, and cycling shoes:
The sizing can vary with different shoes of the same brand!
So there is no substitute for trying them on in the store.

Lazyass

Don't get flat soled road shoes for those pedals. It's virtually impossible to clip in with SPD cleats, your sole will be sliding all over the pedal trying to engage. Been there, done that. Get MTB shoes or a road shoe like the Giro Republic, the tread helps guide the cleat into the pedal 100x easier.

TrojanHorse

Shimano makes a reasonable assortment of inexpensive cycling shoes, I'd start there (and I agree with buy what you can try!)

Don't spend a fortune until you figure out what you like. If you ever feel like spending a fortune, that is.

jordanair45

Go to a specialized store and get fitted .Carbon soles are worth it.

kbarch

Close your eyes.

MRT2

Since you have SPD pedals, you need mountain shoes, compatible with 2 hole SPD cleats. As to which brand and model, it really depends on the shape of your foot. I have two pair of shoes. A Louis Garneau, and a Bontrager. Oddly enough, though the Garneau is a much less expensive shoe, it is the one I wear most of the time. I think it comes down to fit.

Sy Reene

If what you're trying on feels the least bit tight anywhere, it's too small. After a couple hours pedaling, your feet will swell up a bit.

JSCjr

There are a number of entry level SPD-compatible road shoes (like the Bontranger Espresso) which are designed to give you some of the stiffness of a road shoe while retaining the walkability of MTB shoes.

ZippyThePinhead

More seasoned riders have remarked to me that it's not a bad idea to spend a little on the contact points: shoes/pedals, bibs/saddle, gloves/bars. Good advice in my experience.

I will echo the comments of other responders: try before you buy. But I will also suggest, once you know that a particular shoe fits, you can save a good amount buying online. When it comes to cycling shoes, I will buy pre-owned shoes as long as the condition is near-new, and I've saved a good amount doing this from time to time. A few years ago, I got a pair of high-end Diadoras off eBay for about 20% of the MSRP, from a seller who apparently was unaware of some of the upthread advice (try before you buy).

Those Diadoras of mine are the older ones which do not have replaceable sole elements (heel pads). They're wearing out, and I recently reglued the soles to the shoes with some JB Weld because they were starting to detach.

So my $0.02 is: spend a little coin on your shoes, because if they work well you might wear them for a good number of miles/years, and consider shoes which have replaceable elements, like Sidis.

a1penguin

LOLOLOL!!!! Truth.

voyager1

Thank you everyone for the replies. One person mentioned the Bontranger Espressos, we have a good Trek dealer so those are on my radar. Another poster mentioned going by the Specialized store/dealer. I took a look at Specialized website and found these Torch 1.0... Any thoughts on them?

One other thing, do I need to take my bike when I get a pair of shoes, would that be wise?

woodcraft

You don't need to take your bike.

Get mtn shoes for 2 bolt cleats- road shoes & those cleats are a drag to walk in, so no to the Torch 1.0.

I've had good results w/ Giro shoes, & Republic is walk-able but doesn't have dirt oriented lugs.

When you get the cleats in position, tighten the screws plenty tight.

jack k

I started clipless with pearl izumi two-bolt spd shoes which were basically trail running shoes with mounts for spd mtb cleats. I got them new on ebay for something like $20 and used them on shimano pd-a530s. I eventually upgraded to look, but then ultimately went back to two-bolt spd with pd-a600s and giro republic knit.

People will tell you "it's not when you crash when learning clipless, it's when"....that's horse crap. I never crashed/laid my bike down when learning, as have many others. The key is to start with a highly adjustable pedal and adjust the spring tension to very light so it doesn't take much to pull out. I started by cliping and unclipping while holding the shoe in one hand and the pedal in the other, then installed the pedals and rode down the street familiarizing myself with the setup before taking an actual ride. The beauty of the pd-a530s is that, if you sense the need to unclip coming up, you can unclip ahead of time and use the flats to maintain pedal pressure.

79pmooney

I disagree. Most brands tend to have similar fits across their lines. For a first time is probably better off going to a store with a bunch of brands. Finding the shoe that is made from a last similar to your foot is worth a whole bunch, Far more than details like sole stiffness. Now, once the OP finds a shoe with the "fit", he can go back and get a fancier pair in the future, benefit from that stiffer sole and have two pairs of great fitting shoes.

Ben

SkepticalOne

I've been extremely impressed with the Bontrager Velocis. It has a single Boa and took no break-in to be very comfortable. It also boasts a very stiff carbon outsole. Mine have work very well for several seasons with no signs of retirement in the near future. They seem to sit in a sweet spot between price and performance which is why I am able to recommend them so highly as a first cycling shoe.

Cuyuna

LBS is too far away, too limited selection. I buy shoes off Amazon. I find the shoe I like, read the reviews for performance and sizing information and pick the one that represents my size. I then order three pairs (size larger and a size smaller), keep the one that fits and return the other two.

Stormsedge

bikebreak

I like Shimano shoes, and Lake, these tend to be a bit more generous in the toe box. This is good because toes can swell a bit riding

Harumph

Sidi!

PaulRivers

I started with the pedals with clips but found myself preferring flat pedals with pins and flat shoes.
Five ten makes cycling specific flat shoes that I use that eliminate any slipping on the pedal by using a grippier kind of rubber.
Biking became far more enjoyable for me when I went back to flats - feet stopped hurting when riding (not applicable to everyone but it was to me), don't have to remember to grab the 2nd pair of shoes when driving to a ride, can ride somewhere and can walk around in shoes and they're comfortable and grip the floor normally, etc etc.
For speed, studies and tests have shown that there's no difference in speed when riding your bike on flat ground.

People argue that there are speed advantages to clipless for racing, perhaps there are, I know it's being debated and difficult to measure scientifically, but the difference it would make in riding would be measured in seconds not minutes. The advantages for me in enjoyment and convenience with flats has me riding flats only now. I just enjoy biking a lot more with flats than I did with clipless. Something you might consider about which way to go.

shoota 

Spend a little more that you would like to on good shoes with a carbon sole. It's cheaper to do it right the first time. Don't ask me how I know, several times.

sw20

Great advice! Am currently debating getting M520 pedals, but was unsure of what shoes to get...... this has helped me make up my mind!

Lazyass

A few years ago I bought a new bike and it came with some VP spd road pedals. So on the first ride I put the cleats on my road shoes and it was a living nightmare. The body of the pedals are painted black, and at the end of the ride they looked like they had been ridden off road for thousands of miles. The cleat scratched off the paint and gouged the aluminum. I looked like an idiot trying to clip in when taking off from a stop sign. The next ride I used my MTB shoes and had zero issues, clicked right in. Then I bought some walkable road shoes and they work just as well. SPD cleats are very tiny compared to other road cleat systems and trying to guide them in with no traction is impossible.