Shoes MTB vs Road

[Stenno]

I've been commuting to work for the last couple of months and really getting into riding in general. Got sorted with a new set of road wheels to commute in. However the guy at the bike shop suggested I get flat pedals to start off with. All good to start off with but riding with my trainers is starting to get annoying as my feet seem to slip all over the pedal. So I'm on the hunt for a set of shoes/pedals I can clip in to.......
I've been looking around and it seems like general consensus is that MTB shoes and pedals are the way to go as they are easier to clip in/out of and seem good for commuting as they are easier to walk in than road shoes (tell me otherwise if I'm wrong)
I've been looking at a set of Shimano MTB shoes and a set of Shimano dual sided pedals. I'm also leaning towards MTB shoes as I have a Giant XTC2 with clip in pedals that I intend to use more regularly than I have
Sorry if this has been covered before, however I'm still confused about the best option and differences between the types of pedals/shoes.
Just trying to work out what everyone's using and get some opinions before I part with my cold hard.

[LHT]

I am using a shimano combo for touring Aus; MT42 shoes with A530 pedals. They work equally for any town and city riding I have done and also with commuting to work way back in another lifetime. The Shimano's are known to be a bit broader across the ball of the foot and to have an accurate sizing system.

[lethoso]

definitely MTB over road shoes, if you have to walk they are better.

if you don't have to walk though, I don't think it'd matter so much. Only thing I can think of is if you're stopped on a hill in the wet, road shoes aren't great for pushing off - I've almost slipped a couple of times.

[wombatK]

+1 on MTB (SPD) over road (SPD-SL or similar). The SPD don't wear out anywhere near as fast, so will stand up to commuting better. And they're better for walking.

More important than SPD and SPD-SL choice is to buy a better quality shoe - stiffness of the sole matters more, and even more when you have the smaller contact area of the SPD cleats.

[MoeJoe]

I've been looking at a set of Shimano MTB shoes and a set of Shimano dual sided pedals. I'm also leaning towards MTB shoes as I have a Giant XTC2 with clip in pedals that I intend to use more regularly than I have

I've been through the same situation not long ago. I didn't want to have separate shoes for road and mtb plus SPD has always worked fine for me.
I settled on these http://www.this link is broken/Shimano-A60 ... -Commuting
since Shimano pedals last forever for me and these are 'road' enough but keep the SPD cleat that makes life easier. The A520 is the cheaper model but I've read that they are quite a bit heavier.

[McGoo]

I use the cheapest shimano SPD pedal with Northwave mtb lace-up shoes. I went Northwave because I have a very wide foot, and the shimano mt42 in my length was way too narrow. I went for the softer soled, lace up style because I was planning on doing some trail riding/camping adventures, and wanted one shoe that did it all.
If I could, I would get a better mtb shoe that has a stiffer sole and no laces, as I am now doing a 30km commute and the soft soles are making the balls of my feet quite sore. I can definitely tell exactly where the cleats are positioned under my feet after 25kms!

[Stenno]

Thanks for all the comments. These are what I originally had in mind:
http://www.this link is broken/Shimano-SH-M161-Shoes to be used with Shimano PD-M540 SPD Pedals.
I haven't even considered sole stiffness, so thanks McGoo and Wombatk. My commute is currently around a 40km round trip which I try to stretch out when the Freo doctor isn't howling into my face! So I suppose it is something I should look into.
I'll also be having a look into touring type pedals, however I tend to like the idea of being able to clip in to either side of the pedal (sounds far easier than single sided)

[norbs]

Thanks for all the comments. These are what I originally had in mind:
http://www.this link is broken/Shimano-SH-M161-Shoes to be used with Shimano PD-M540 SPD Pedals.
I haven't even considered sole stiffness, so thanks McGoo and Wombatk. My commute is currently around a 40km round trip which I try to stretch out when the Freo doctor isn't howling into my face! So I suppose it is something I should look into.
I'll also be having a look into touring type pedals, however I tend to like the idea of being able to clip in to either side of the pedal (sounds far easier than single sided)

Those are the shoes I use. I find them great, except the steel studs on the front have marked my polished wood floors at home. I am going to rip them out this arvo actually.

Those shoes and double sided pedals are win win for me. Means I can ride up the shops in thongs if needed.

[Xponti]

I have a roadie that I use Shamano SPD's and Shamano MTB shoes. I find that they are better for walking around in when I was getting on and off the train. I also do a fair bit of interval training in them and have found them to be comfortable and work well.

When you think about it, the MTB shoe is usually just a little heavier than the road shoe due to the sole, but in all other respects is mostly the same. If you are commuting and don't mind the ribbing from other cyclists (I haven't had any) then go with MTB shoes. If you are a world class athlete and need to save weight while having the best most comfortable shoe you can for all those km's and don't walk far when you get off your bike then maybe consider road shoes..

Speedplay road pedals use the same MTB double sided entry and there are heaps of them around as well.

[queequeg]

I have a roadie that I use Shamano SPD's and Shamano MTB shoes. I find that they are better for walking around in when I was getting on and off the train. I also do a fair bit of interval training in them and have found them to be comfortable and work well.

When you think about it, the MTB shoe is usually just a little heavier than the road shoe due to the sole, but in all other respects is mostly the same. If you are commuting and don't mind the ribbing from other cyclists (I haven't had any) then go with MTB shoes. If you are a world class athlete and need to save weight while having the best most comfortable shoe you can for all those km's and don't walk far when you get off your bike then maybe consider road shoes..

I am using MT41 shoes with M540 pedals on my Commuter Bike. I find these well suited to commuting.

On the road bike I didn't want to buy another pair of shoes, so I fitted the road bike with Shimano A520 Pedals. Then, lucky me was given a pair of Shimano RT31 shoes for Father's Day. They are a Road "Touring" Shoes (hence RT), and they have the SPD cleat recessed into the sole of the shoe like the MTB style. They are lightweight, and look just like any other Road Shoe. nobody can tell they are SPD shoes unless they actually look very closely. I love them! Very light and perfect for the Road Bike without needing another cleat system. Nothing wrong with SPD at all.

[EektheCat]

I found some really light MTB shoes for my commuting road bike. I've tried a couple of pedals and I am currently using Crank Brothers Candy pedals which I got on sale from c r c.

Overall, the shoes look like road shoes but they have more grip [bigger tread on the sole] and I can walk from the bike storage to the office without "waddling"

=)

+1 for MTB shoes but get the lighter ones that look more like a road shoe than the more traditional MTB shoes that look like football boots!

Eek

[DavidS]

I use the bike almost exclusively for commuting. I got SPD shoes, the model number is FN23. These have been great. I can walk in them and they are good for riding. You can see them here: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -10-37701/ Funny thing is, on Bikexchange they are described as a heavily breathable indoor cycling shoe. I get very hot feet no matter the weather so I bought these specifically because they have so much ventilation, even in the sole. They work well for me and I just have the small pedals which clip in on both sides.

DS

[jasonc]

Definitely MTB shoes. I have the SPD pedals that are flat on the non-cleat side. (shimano pd-a530) with MTB shoes (sh-M122p)

The big plus with these shoes is they are full velcro - i.e. easy on and off. last think you want with all your gloves and gear on is to have to adjust the tightness of laces. velcro can be done instantly.

The shoes I have are great to walk in too. Would be happy to recommend/buy again. The flat sided pedals are handy for the couple of times I've ridden a couple of ks too as you can use normal shoes

Stenno - it's amazing how quickly you get used to the single sided pedal. They seem to always come up the right way up.

[Phil]

Just had my SPD double sided pedals and Northwave MTB shoes turn up from the UK. Installed them after dinner and went for a ride. I can not believe how much quicker they are to clip in than the SPD-SLs.

Nice to have pedals I can just jump on with normal shoes to grab groceries etc on the bike (amazing how much you can fit in a pair of panniers) instead of jumping in the car.