SPD and footwear...

Sleeper Service

I'll keep it short: I've decided to go clipless on the Boardman. I'll be using Shimano SPD, as they seem the best option for a commuter like me who is new to the whole thing, and I'll be going for M520s fro pedals, which just leaves shoes. Choice of two here:

Shimano RT82 road shoe or Shimano MT34 Touring shoes. As an outside bet, I might go for M089.

Which ones and why, please? Bear in mind I want ones you can walk in fairly comfortably, as I can't be bothered carrying a spare set of trainers around with me.

ForumNewbie

Of these options I would go for the MT34 touring shoes. I would prefer the ridged sole of these for commuting rather than the more smooth road sole of the RT82 shoes.

mcstumpy

I've got RT82 touring shoes and would recommend, I've had no issues walking around in them on paved ground.

apreading

If you go for a shoe with a softer (more flexible) sole, like the MT34, then I would recommend getting pedlas with a bit of platform too - M424 or M530 - the small 'spot' of the M520 puts all the force on a very small area and you need stiff soles to share that load around the footbed. More flexible soles are great if you want to walk properly in the shoes but they dont distribute the load and can lead to discomfort.

ForumNewbie

I have Touring SPD shoes (similar to the MT34 shoes) as well as MTB SPD shoes with a stiffer sole and use both with M520 and M540 pedals on long rides without any problems.

apreading

ForumNewbie wrote:

I have Touring SPD shoes (similar to the MT34 shoes) as well as MTB SPD shoes with a stiffer sole and use both with M520 and M540 pedals on long rides without any problems.

Not everyone but MANY complain of 'hot spots' with the smaller SPD pedals.

Sleeper Service

After going to Decathlon and trying out the various options, I ended up with M520s and MT34s. I appreciate the advice about the hot spots with those shoes, so we'll need to see how they go, but they were the most comfortable for walking around in by a mile.

I also bought bar ends and fitted them to the Boardman, so it'll be a week or two until the new pedals go on as I'm a firm believer in not changing things too much at once. I had a brief test run, and the bar ends do make a difference, at least perceptually, on climbs and sprints. I can still get to the brakes as well, which is handy.