I currently am using spd-sl cleats on ultegra 6700. I commute 23 miles and contend with several lights and many more inconsiderate 4 wheel drivers. I'm looking at being able to clip in and out easier. I'd rather stay clipless to make the ride a little quicker and with a little less fatigue. The Speedplay Light Action Pedals seem to be a good option. But since have only bought one pair of shoes, I'm not very knowlegable what else is out there. Also give me some brands of shoes that is Speedplay compatible. I was looking and either there are very few speedplay shoes out there or I'm not doing a proper search. 3 hole to 4 hole conversion kit not an option. This is going on a KHS 2200 flatbar road bike that I'll be getting in a week and will be using for my winter commute. Thanks.

Speedplay has a list of compatible shoes on their website. Most shoes will work actually, as long as they have 3 holes for cleats.

I don't understand your reluctance to use a 3 hole to 4 hole adaptor? Very few shoes are made with the speedplay 4 bolt pattern, so your cleats will ship with the necessary attachment to get your 4 hole cleats on your 3 hole shoes. It's a non-issue.

If you're commuting you may prefer to use mountain pedals, they're much easier to walk in and more tolerant of getting crap on your cleats. I stepped on some weird gummy fruit thing while changing a flat (had the consistency of squished raisins) and had a terrible time clipping IN to my light action pedals until I was able to get home and completely disassemble the cleats to clean them.

Any 3 or 4 hole shoe will work with Speedplay. If you already have three hole shoes, then there is nothing wrong with using the adapter. LAs are easy to clip in and out. I put Shoe Goo on the cleats so walking in them isn't bad. It is about the same as using coffee cover. However, for commuting SPDs is an good option. I have never gummed up my Speedplays in six years of using them though.

I'm going to complicate your decision somewhat by saying that, if you got Zeros instead, you could use Speedplay's pedal covers that effectively change them into plastic platform pedals.

But, with a winter commute, and possibly through some salty & gravelly conditions (St. Louis isn't Minot, but it's no Ft. Lauderdale, either), I might reconsider going with Speedplay at all. By that, I mean Light Action/Zero/etc., since Speedplay also has their Frog pedals that are supposed to be more dirt-friendly.

I used Crank Brothers for quite a while and have a set of Time RXS on the road bike at the moment. I never went with Speedplay because I always read about having to keep the cleats relatively clean with a little bit of occasional maintenance (mainly just a squirt of lube, though). I've never had to worry about my CB and Time cleats working, no matter what I walked into.

I concur with the Mtn. bike shoes and SPD pedal approach...vastly superior for commuting IMHO.

People complain that the pedals don't play very well with the adapter plate. Kool Kovers sounds like a great idea to keep with you with these pedals just in case. Are these much easier to clip out of? I take it you don't have any issues with this pedal system using the adapter plate.

Yeah, actually I try to commute as much as I can in the winter. That being said, I have Schwinn "tank" hybrid that I would be riding when the roads/weather is crappy. I think the speedplays would do all right with regular maintenance and using Kool Kovers if you have to walk in them. I'm not well versed in pedals, when you say Crank Brothers, are you referring to the eggbeaters? If so, how are they clipping out of as opposed to SPD-SL or SPD?

Are all SPD pedals(double sided) created equal as far clipping in/out or are some easier than others?

Yeah, they make the Eggbeaters, along with several others. They used to have a road-specific model called the Quattro with a narrower Q-factor, and I think they still sell shorter spindles to modify the regular Eggbeater models. Although the Quattro is discontinued, they still have a cleat for the three-hole road shoe pattern:
https://crankbrothers.com/accessories_3hole_cleat.php

They have no adjustment for tension, meaning that there's no way to screw them up. Really simple construction, too. They don't rely so much on spring tension to hold the cleat, so as long as your feet are somewhat pointed forward, I don't think that you're going to be able to pull out. The standard cleats on soft-soled shoes produce a very small platform and gave me hot spots after 40 minutes or so, but stiff shoes mostly erase that problem. There have been more stories of the pedals wearing out, though, but on the bright side, people say that their customer service is great.

Also check out the Time pedals. Their ATAC mechanism is somewhat similar to CB's, and they have several road-specific pedals, too.

Just to add to what BarracksSi mentioned: Speedplays are terrible in the snow. I rode an earlier season ride this year up climb that had snow and ice in some parts. I had to put my foot down a couple of times, and walk in another section. Even just puttin my foot down to push off would get the snow in the spring mechanism on the cleat and make it difficult to clip in without stomping my feet afterwards. On the section that I had walked I had to stop and dig out around the cleat with a stick until I could clip in. The people that rode on MTB style clipless or the shimano/looks didn't have an issue with getting in and out like I did. Wet dirt/grime and snow/ice are not at all friends of speedplay X/LightAction/Zero's. Cleat covers are a solution when walking around off the bike, but not while still with the bike.