What SPD shoes?

[vCLaW]

I could do with some new cycling shoes.
Will be used for a bit of mountain biking, audax, commuting, touring, and general riding. So something that takes SPD 2-bolt cleats, and fairly stiff, but with a bit of grip and possible to walk in. And not leather obviously.

So what are you wearing, and what do you recommend?
I will go and check my local bikes shops and try some on, but it would good to have some makes/models to look for.

[bob_summers]

Spesh shoes have always been good for me, I've had models from all over the range and they've been good for the money.
Depends on how much walking you'll do though - the racier shoes are not so good for shouldering the bike over slippery rocks etc, not as good as flats anyway.

There's a new 'type' of shoe that's SPD compatible without looking too much like a cycling shoe. I like the idea for commuting - I wouldn't have to carry a pair in my bag - but they're maybe too heavy for your purposes.

[fredrikw]

Aren't stiff and walkable a bit hard to combine? Often compromises is a matter of taking the worst of two worlds and combining them, ending up with something which isn't good at anything. Even if it involves double the cost, I'd consider getting two pairs.

I've always liked Sidi shoes myself, and I know Pearl Izumi has some synthetic models as well, Northwave has at least a couple of synthetic models. It's all a matter of finding a pair which suits your feet, one model might be perfect for one person and hopelessly uncomfortable for another.

[Big Good Wolf]

I wear Sidi Dominator shoes for commuting and racing.
I don't know if they're any better or worse than any other, they're just what was on offer in my LBS.

[GY Jon]

For more restricted budgets my current Pearl Izumi MTb shoes have lasted me around 6 years (£75ish then) of mostly road/commuting, my other shoes are Northwaves (including winter boots) and are also fully recommended. However the Pearls Izumis need replacing and my LBS is Spesh or Shimano, so Spesh it will be.

[ha]

I splurged and got some custom made XC shoes. I wont ever use road style shoes again with the functionality of XC shoes.

Ive race A grade road in em too. No hassles.

Love how long the cleats last too. I run XTR 970 pedals. Bullet proof after my Quad Ti egg beaters kept blowing out.