Hi, I am sold on clipless as I have been using them for a year now and I definitely wouldnt go back. One thing that bothers me however is that my current shoes (lowest end shimano spd) are not very comfortable for walking. The metal cleats touch the ground all the time, they are very slippery and Im always worrying that I might scratch wooden floors.

Ive been looking for a pair of spd shoes that will be very comfortable when using off the bike, here are my current options:

• Diadora Santa cruz
  
  
• Cannondale Roam
  
  
• Specialized Tahoe

Has anyone had any experience with these particular models?

Any other suggestions? Basically what Im interested in is a shoe that won't let the metal cleat touch the ground.

thanks.

In general, I find entry level shoes more comfortable to walk in as their soles are not as stiff as more expensive, competitive type mountain shoes.

Regardless of shoe type, your cleats will eventually come in level with sole treads as they gradually wear down. Some treads are taller than others, but they sometimes interfere with pedal engagement.

Shimano sandals.

XC tour - one pair of shoes. 3400 miles. 10-mile trail hike in Bozeman. Hours of walking around in Washington DC.

Cleat does touch the ground a teeny bit, making them slightly slippery when walking on rock, but fine on flat pavement and anything else. I take them off for nice wooden floors. I bet this is cleat dependant - I use a Speedplay Frog pedal.

Tahoe's are great even for walking. You notice the cleat only if there is grit under foot.

I don't think there is such a thing as a confortable clippless shoe. I bought egg beaters and Shimano MO-021 mtb shoes for my commuter. The shoes were "walkable" but far from walking shoes. I don't have the money to experiement, so they were retired to mountaing biking duty (great move, btw, and long past due). I put my clips back on the commuter. The most appealing option I see, if I were into it, would be to change shoes at my destination.
Aam

Hmmm.....what about clipless sandals? It may be getting a little chilly for them but I've heard some pretty good things about them from BF members. They will be my next shoe purchase.

Yes I've thought about them, but for me sandals are not an option because my next tour includes some cold places, probably even with snow on the road.

Still, sandals can and do work fine in these situations. Have a couple pairs of wool socks and some waterproof/neoprene overbootie thing and your set. There's always lots to be said for layering clothes, shells and such, same goes for footgear.


Not saying there might not be better options, but don't rule it out... properly equipped sandals can handle pretty much any kind of non-molten-lava touring....