I just picked up a set of Shimano A530 pedals. This will be my first experience riding clipped in. I haven't had an opportunity to decide on some shoes yet. Most of my riding is a 5-6 mile commute each way, and longer rides on the weekends. I have been researching various options, and I think I have decided on a shoe that has the clips recessed, to allow walking on them without having to change shoes. Most of the options I have seen with this feature tend to be marketed as mountain bike shoes, however.

I'm here for advice from anyone who has experience, positive or negative with this type of shoe.

Thanks!

Yes, the pedals you bought are SPD specific. You can use the flat side of the pedal with casual shoes but the other side you will either need MTB shoes, or shimano RT82 which looks like a traditional road shoe but has two recessed holes for SPD cleats.

https://www.pricepoint.com/Brand/Shim...-Road-Shoe.axd

Wanna know a little secret? You can ride spd-SL very easily in a pair of tennis shoes for those shorter distances. Shhh.. don't tell anybody!

Guess you already bought the pedals though..

[QUOTE=seymour1910;16457792]Yes, the pedals you bought are SPD specific. You can use the flat side of the pedal with casual shoes but the other side you will either need MTB shoes, or shimano RT82 which looks like a traditional road shoe but has two recessed holes for SPD cleats.

Those RT82's look like they would fit the bill perfectly, but are a bit out of my price range at the moment. I'll keep looking for something very similar, perhaps catch a sale.

Even a pair of dress shoes. But make sure you have rubber soles. Leather soled shoes are too slippery and downright hazardous.

Save your money for Sidis, but try them on before you buy. There's a reason they're so expensive.

If you are riding where the are a lot of stops, I might pass on the RT 82's. Reason being the Non-Slip bottom might be a pain. I would look at something like these these https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...46_-1___202527

These have been great shoes for me, and worth every penny. Although at the same time if you want to have shoes that will you do not have to take off the 82's are not a bad option

Mountain bike shoes work fine for road riding. They're much easier to walk in.

The main difference is in the weight of the shoe. MTB shoes typically have heavy soles between the tread and the mounting plate for the SPD cleat. Road shoes are typically just a thin plastic or CF sole, with minimal tread.

I just bought my first pair of Sidi Wires a few months ago...man, they are beautiful and comfortable shoes...

They look very nice, but are out of my league at the moment. Haha

I can see that…it took some saving for my pair and I managed to get them on clearance for $380 vs the shocking $499 MSRP.

I spent my season with a pair of clearance $75 Specialized Road comp (2010 model) and I found them to be a nice shoe…but they were a bit too large for me and I wanted a "serious" shoe.

There are MANY good choices but in the end, I boiled my scope down to the current Specialized S-Works shoe and the Sidi Wire. After seeing both in person, I decided on the Sidi because I feel they seemed better built. The S-Works are a beautiful shoe but just don't seem as sturdy over the long haul…and let's face it, I'm not planning on dropping $400 on another pair of cycling shoes anytime soon...

Good luck on your search…and happy riding!

Bont . Proud owner of Vaypor Premiums here.

https://www.bont.com/cycling/

They have an entry level offering now called the Riot: https://www.bont.com/cycling/products/road/riot/

Oh, there are better shoes than Sidis. Much better.

I use my plastic Sidis for riding in the winter because they don't breath worth a damn.

For what you get, Sidis are way overpriced. Try a nice leather set of Lake CX-331s, for example.

30% more expensive than my Sidis, but okay.

I've had a pair of 82's for about 8 months now and I wear them everyday and everywhere I go since both my bikes are SPD at the moment. Never had a problem with them outside of they breathe too much so winter time I'll get some cold feet. Last night I walked about 1-1.5 miles in them when I got a pinch flat on the way to somewhere.

I also think that I got mine off Amazon for like 90~ bucks with free shipping so not much of a price increase from the nashbar ones.

+1 for the Shimano RT-82's...they look good, fit well, walking is not too problematic. I was just making the jump to clipless and considered somthing along the lines of Chrome, Vans, and Click'r. Most MTB shoes just looked too hikingboot for me. The RT-82 got me the SPD i wanted with a passable road shoe look....just what I was after. Still, if price is a concern look at Ebay and the like for a pair of somethings lightly used. Another option is making a pair of shoes by simply attaching the cleats to something you already own....Instructibles.com has several videos outlining an involved but simple process to make just about any shoe SPD useable.

Shimano M-162. Technically a mountain bike shoe but I have ridden thousands of road miles with them and love them.

https://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/cat...hoes-12-45780/

Fit > Brand name

I think these may fit the bill. I can wear them riding, and to work, they are more understated than a road specific shoe, and the price seems right. They have them in stock at my local store, so I'll go check them out for fit today. Any opinions or experiences with these?

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...400034__400034

sounds like a winning situation all around. the cleats will be recessed so no issues with damaging the floor at work. the fact that you can go all day in the same shoes just makes it better. if they have your size, and they feel good I say go for it.

Just got back from the lbs. The good news is they had my size, and they were on sale, $54.99. They match up with the Shimano A530 pedals very nicely, and are very comfortable to walk in with what I would call a semi stiff sole. I'm a gadget guy, so I couldn't resist the Cateye wireless computer as well.

Love my SIDI's...got them at the LBS annual sale for about 35% off otherwise I probably still just be looking at them. I dont think I would ever use any other shoe at this point they are that comfortable.